WKDD

For the radio station licensed to Akron, Ohio which carried the WKDD callsign from 1977–2001, see WAKS.

WKDD

City of license	Munroe Falls, Ohio
Broadcast area	Akron-Canton, Ohio
Branding	98.1 WKDD
Slogan	90's, 2K, and Today!
Frequency	98.1 (MHz) (also on HD Radio)
First air date	July 23, 2001 (as WKDD) November 19, 1961 (as WTOF)
Format	Analog/HD1: Hot AC HD2: Club Phusion
ERP	50,000 watts
HAAT	138 meters
Class	B
Facility ID	43863
Transmitter coordinates	41°12′0.00″N 81°31′23.00″W
Former callsigns	2001: WAKS (20 days only) 1997-2001: WHK-FM 1985-1997: WTOF-FM 1961-1985: WTOF
Owner	Clear Channel Communications (Citicasters Licenses, Inc.)
Sister stations	WARF, WHLO, WHOF, WRQK-FM
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	WKDD.com

WKDD (98.1 FM) — branded 98.1 WKDD — is a commercial hot adult contemporary (hot AC) radio station licensed to Munroe Falls, Ohio serving the Akron and Canton metro areas. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Among WKDD sister stations in the Clear Channel Akron/Canton cluster: WARF, WHLO, WRQK-FM and WHOF.

History

WTOF/WTOF-FM

In 1960, Edwin Mortenson moved to Canton, Ohio and began construction on a new 50,000 watt FM radio station: WTOF at 98.1 Megahertz (MHz). Mortenson had tired of losing his radio ministry whenever a new station owner would come along and flip his affiliate's format; he resolved to build his own radio station to keep his religious shows on the air — WTOF-FM was that station. Broadcasting a Christian format under the name Tower of Faith (the origin of the "WTOF" call letters), the station served the Canton area for decades, and was just the first of several stations to come under Mortenson's ownership — the start of Mortenson Broadcasting. In 1985, the station changed its callsign to WTOF-FM.

WHK-FM

For the Cleveland radio station which carried the WHK-FM callsign from 1948–1968, see WMMS.

Logo before July 2001.

In 1997, Mortenson opted to sell off WTOF-FM, and Akron-licensed station WHLO 640 AM, to California-based Salem Communications; soon the West Coast firm would change the station's callsign to WHK-FM. Salem had already purchased WHK (1420 AM) the previous year and flipped its format from news/talk to religious progamming; the new WHK-FM would simulcast its sister station's content for the next few years.

2001 "frequency swap"

On July 3, 2001, WHK-FM was one of seven Northeast Ohio radio stations involved in a complex exchange between three radio companies. Although generally reported as a "frequency swap," in reality these seven area radio stations mostly traded callsigns along with their respective formats and staffs — all to facilitate the transfers of ownership of four of the seven stations. As part of this multilayered exchange, Salem Communications sold the WHK-FM broadcast license to Clear Channel Communications. Clear Channel then changed the station's format to hot AC, and briefly changed its callsign to WAKS. Less than one month later, on July 23, 2001, Clear Channel changed the callsign to WKDD. The station transmitter was also moved to Hartville, Ohio to better serve the Akron market.

For more information on the July 3, 2001 exchange involving seven Northeast Ohio radio stations, see 2001 in radio.

WKDD

On October 29, 2008, the station became licensed to the Akron suburb of Munroe Falls, Ohio. WKDD had a construction permit to return to the Akron area broadcast facility once occupied by its 96.5 FM predecessor, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. On December 18, 2009, 30-year morning host Matt Patrick hosted his last show on WKDD. Longtime co-host Barbara "B.A." Adams returned to join Matt for his last show (Matt later became the morning show host at WTRC AM/FM in South Bend, Indiana and now has like duties for KTRH in Houston, Texas). After playing "Home" by Michael Bublé, the new morning show "Keith & Krissy" was announced, hosted by WKDD Programming Operations Director Keith Kennedy, and Patrick's former co-host, Krissy Taylor. The station also changed their on-air branding at this time to "Akron's 98-1 The New WKDD" with the slogan "Akron's Hit Music Station."

Each February since 2000, WKDD teams up with Akron Children's Hospital for the "Have a Heart, Do Your Part Radiothon" to benefit the hospital. Radiothon airs live on WKDD all weekend long. The event was hosted for many years by Matt Patrick and Barbara Adams, and later by Angela.^{[citation needed]}

On September 7, 2010, WKDD moved its signal back to its Cuyahoga Falls broadcast location, formerly used by the station in their 96.5 days, to improve the quality of its signal in the Akron area, especially northern Summit County. The station also adopted a slightly new format playing music from "the 90's, 2k and Today", however some 1980's songs are also in the playlist.

Current programming

WKDD currently airs the Clear Channel Premium Choice Hot AC music feed, with the Premium Choice personalities in most dayparts. The only live and local programming aired on WKDD is the Keith and Jenn morning show, airing from 5:30-9am on weekdays.

On its HD2 subchannel, WKDD formerly broadcasted programming from Club Phusion, a commercial-free 24/7 Dance channel. After the move of their transmitter to Cuyahoga Falls, the HD2 now simulcasts sister station WHLO-AM 640.

External links

• Official website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WKDD
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WKDD
• Radio-Locator information on WKDD
• Aerial photo of WKDD transmitter from Google Maps