WRFD
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| Broadcast area | Columbus, Ohio |
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| Branding | The Word 880 WRFD |
| Frequency | 880 (kHz) |
| First air date | September 27, 1947 |
| Format | Christian talk radio Agribusiness |
| Power | 23,000 watts (daytime only); 6100 watts (critical hours) |
| Class | D |
| Callsign meaning | W Rural Free Delivery |
| Owner | Salem Communications (sale to Christian Voice pending) (Salem Media of Ohio, Inc.) |
| Website | http://www.wrfd.com/ |
WRFD (880 AM, "The Word 880 WRFD") is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio. WRFD is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission as a daytime-only radio station, operating with a daytime-only non-directional power of 23 kW. The station signs off at sunset to protect WCBS in New York. The current license holder is Salem Media of Ohio, Inc.
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[edit] History
WRFD was originally aimed at the agricultural market (hence the use of RFD), and had its studios and transmitter located on East Powell Road in rural Delaware County, north of Columbus. Currently, the transmitter is located near Cooper Stadium just outside of downtown Columbus, Ohio on the same tower as WCOL - AM. WRFD began broadcasting in 1947 and was owned and operated by Peoples Broadcasting Company, an affiliate of Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company which is now known as Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation was Nationwide's founding member). In 1961, WRFD opened a sibling FM station, WRFD-FM. By the 1970s, WRFD-FM had changed its call sign to WNCI. WRFD was later sold to its current owner, Salem Media of Ohio, Inc.[1]
[edit] "The Word" Personalities
WRFD has a variety of voices for the station. Anne Rea hosts weekday mornings from 7am to 10am; Jason Whitt takes the board from 10am to 3pm. On weekends, Vince Tornero is the Sunday voice of the station.
[edit] Live WRFD Talk
The Word also has several live talk shows. Bob Burney hosts Bob Burney Live on weekdays from 3:30pm to 6pm on weekdays. On Saturdays, there is "Listen to Your Money," "Saving Face," and "Saturday Live," hosted by Columbus radio legend Tom Wiebell.
[edit] WRFD Format
In the 1980s, WRFD was sold and has since operated with a Christian talk radio format. Nonetheless, the station maintained a daily broadcast schedule of farm news and agribusiness information. In the late '90s, the farm program adopted the brand Ohio Farm Radio.
One widely-known WRFD farm broadcaster was Ed Johnson, who hosted the program from 1967 until 1972. Leaving WRFD, he founded The Agri Broadcasting Network (ABN) which he owned and operated until his death in February, 2001. The longest serving Farm Director at the station during the Salem Years was Joe Cornely, who broadcast daily farm news and information until 1998, when he joined the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation staff. He was followed by Darrin Johnston, who was replaced in 2002 by Andy Vance who left Salem Communications in 2005 to found the Buckeye Ag Radio Network, and later acquire Johnson's ABN Radio.
In 2005, Salem executives, with hopes of providing a more consistent programming schedule, decided to discontinue WRFD's agricultural programming.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Nationwide Insurance and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation have had a long and close relationship; Nationwide having originally been created by the farm bureau to meet the insurance needs of farmers.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WRFD
- Radio-Locator Information on WRFD
- Query Arbitron's AM station database for WRFD
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$231.73 Million 
