WDIS

DWDIS
City Norfolk, Massachusetts
Broadcast area Boston, Massachusetts
Slogan "Relevant Business Talk"
Frequency 1170 kHz
First air date March 1978
Last air date June 13, 2014
Format Defunct
(formerly business news/talk)
Power 1,000 watts day
Class D
Facility ID 16977
Transmitter coordinates 42°5′32.00″N 71°18′13.00″W / 42.0922222°N 71.3036111°W / 42.0922222; -71.3036111
Callsign meaning W DIScussion
Former callsigns WJMQ (1978-October 27, 1982)
WJCC (October 27, 1982-February 3, 1993)
Affiliations Business Talk Radio Network, Fox News Radio, Westwood One
Owner Albert E. Grady, Esq.
(Discussion Radio, Incorporated)

WDIS (AM 1170) was a radio station licensed to Norfolk, Massachusetts. It served the suburban communities south of Boston and north of Providence, Rhode Island. It had a daytime-only 1,000-watt signal[1] that reached as far west as Worcester, Mass., giving it a coverage area of almost a half-million people.[2] As of June 13, 2014, WDIS is silent.[3] The FCC cancelled the license and deleted the call sign for WDIS on October 13, 2015. [4]

WDIS history

1970s

WDIS began as a construction permit applied for on January 16, 1976 as a 500-watt station by John Quinlan, a former Massachusetts state legislator. Quinlan obtained a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast on 1170 kHz with the call sign WJMQ on March 7, 1978. The studio was located on Pond Street (Route 115) near Norfolk center. WJMQ applied for an increase in power to 1kW on June 7, 1978. The power increase was completed & a license to cover was applied for on January 19, 1979. That license was granted on July 30, 1979.[5]

1980s

During the 1980s, the station changed ownership and on October 27, 1982, changed its call sign to WJCC.

1990s

In 1990, it once again changed ownership, to Brockton, Massachusetts-based Discussion Radio, Inc.[6] On February 3, 1993, WJCC became WDIS.

2000s

2009

"The Sports Roundtable" debuted which was a 2-hour program. By 2012 it no longer aired on WDIS.

2010s

2014

As of June 13, 2014, WDIS ceased broadcasting.

WDIS ceases broadcasting & loses its license

According to FCC filings, WDIS notified the FCC it was silent as of June 13, 2014. On August 5, 2015, a letter was sent by the FCC to WDIS's owner, Albert Grady seeking an update of the operational status of the station within 30 days, or the license would be automatically terminated for violation of section 312(g) of the Communications Act (failure to broadcast for 12 consecutive months). The FCC received a response on September 8, 2015 from William J. McGrath stating that the station's studio & transmitter building had been condemned as unsafe by the town of Norfolk after an inspection on June 2, 2014.[7] On October 13, 2015, the FCC issued its decision to cancel WDIS's license, stating that the station had been off the air for over 12 months & Section 312(g) of the Communications Act required the license to be deleted as a matter of law.[8]

Sports

In 2007, WDIS aired Tri-County Cougar home football games at the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School in Franklin, Massachusetts. In 2008, they resumed broadcasting Walpole High School Rebels football team live on the internet as well as over the air (daytime games live, night games on tape given the station's daytime-only status).[9]

Beginning in December 2008, WDIS had also broadcast all King Philip High School Boys Basketball games,[10] as that basketball program tried to rebound after two consecutive no-win seasons.[11] With WDIS's daytime-only status, most games (other than weekend afternoon contests) were aired the day after they were played, although they were broadcast live on the internet.

References

  1. ↑ "WDIS-AM: Radio Station Information Page : Radio-Locator". Theodoric Technologies LLC. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  2. ↑ "Advertising & Sponsorships: WDIS AM 1170". Discussion Radio, Inc. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  3. ↑ WDIS's page in the FCC's Consolidated Data Base Service
  4. ↑ http://www.fybush.com/nerw-20151019/ NERW 10/19/15: Billions at Stake in Spectrum Auction
  5. ↑ History cards for WDIS. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  6. ↑ "About Us: WDIS AM 1170". Discussion Radio, Inc. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  7. ↑ [Letter to the FCC from William J. McGrath, dated September 8, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.]
  8. ↑ FCC's letter to Messrs. McGrath & Grady, dated October 13, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Walpole High School Football on WDIS AM 1170". Discussion Radio, Inc. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  10. ↑ "King Philip Basketball comes to WDIS". Discussion Radio, Inc. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
  11. ↑ "McInnis moves on as basketball coach". The Weston Town Crier. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
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