WOWD-LP

WOWD-LP
Broadcast areaTakoma Park, Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Hyattsville, Maryland
Northeast, Washington, D.C.
Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Frequency94.3 FM MHz
Branding"Takoma Radio"
Programming
FormatVariety[1]
Ownership
OwnerHistoric Takoma, Inc.
History
First air date
July 16, 2016
Former call signs
WOWD-LP (2015–Present)[2]
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID195180
ClassL1
Power20 Watts
HAAT67 meters (220 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
38°58′28.40″N 77°0′38.10″W / 38.9745556°N 77.0105833°W / 38.9745556; -77.0105833
Links
Public license information
LMS
WebsiteWOWD-LP Online

WOWD-LP ("wow-dee") is a Variety formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Takoma Park, Maryland, serving a potential terrestrial audience of 250,000[4] listeners in Takoma Park, College Park and Hyattsville in Maryland, along with parts of Northeast and Northwest Washington, D.C.[1][5] WOWD-LP is owned and operated by Historic Takoma, Inc.[6]

Musician Jaja Bashengezi in the Takoma Radio studio on July 16, 2016, the day the station first went on the air

History

After applying for an LPFM license in November 2013,[7] Takoma Radio was awarded the license for 94.3 fm by the FCC in January of 2015. The effort was led by a group of local volunteers, organized by Takoma Park resident and broadcast veteran Marika Partridge. "Good morning, world, this is Takoma Radio," said Partridge, the first words broadcast from the station at 9:43am on July 16, 2016[8] from a volunteer-built studio in the heart of historic Takoma Park.[4]

On June 1, 2024 Bob Boilen took over as program director.[9]

Programming

Takoma Radio features a variety of music and talk programming and features shows such as Afropop Worldwide, broadcasters such as literary scholar Carolivia Herron and host of NPR's All Songs Considered Bob Boilen, and specials such as vintage jazz expert Rob Bamberger and live performances from local musicians.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  2. ^ "Call Sign History". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  3. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WOWD-LP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^ a b Hendrix, Steve (August 5, 2016). "A station is born: Inside the high-risk, low-watt, quirky world of community radio". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  5. ^ "60 dBu Service Contour for WOWD-LP, Takoma Park, MD". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  6. ^ "WOWD-LP Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  7. ^ "Historic Takoma - Who We Are - Radio Station WOWD-LP". Historic Takoma. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  8. ^ "On-Air: Historic Takoma's Takoma Radio is Live". Preservation Maryland. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Announcing WOWD's New PD: BOB BOILEN".