WURD
| City of license | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Branding | Philly Info 900 AM |
| Slogan | Progressive and Proud: Your Information Station, Committed to Solutions |
| Frequency | 900 kHz |
| First air date | 1958 |
| Format | Talk |
| Power | 1,000 watts (day) 105 watts (night) |
| Class | D |
| Facility ID | 52442 |
| Callsign meaning | '=Word |
| Former callsigns | WFLN WDVT WEMG |
| Owner | Inc. |
| Website | 900amWURD.com |
WURD is an AM radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It broadcasts at 900 kHz with a talk format primarily targeted to African-Americans, and is currently under the ownership of Inc.
[edit] History
The station began operations around 1958 as WFLN, serving as a daytime-only AM simulcast of an FM classical station. In the early 1980s the station was sold to veteran Philadelphia broadcaster Frank Ford, who changed the call letters to WDVT and changed the format to talk. Weekday talk show hosts on WDVT included Peter Tilden, Philadelphia Magazine writer Carol Saline, former Philadelphia Bulletin columnist D.I. Strunk and Ford himself. Weekend specialty shows on the station covered subjects ranging from pro wrestling to gay issues. WDVT made little impact in the ratings, and after a few years Ford took the station off the air and returned its license to the owners of WFLN, who sold it to Willis Broadcasting, a Virginia based religious broadcaster who changed the call letters to . In the 1996 Spanish broadcaster Alfredo Alonso bought the station for $1.5 million dollars and turned it into a Spanish-language operation as WEMG Mega 900. The station became the first property purchased by Alonso who founded Mega Broadcasting that same year. Eventually Mega moved the WEMG call sign to 1310 kHz and sold Mega 900 to , LLC for $8.5 million dollars in 2002. The new owners reinstituted the call letters. After a period of apparent indecision during which the station aired various types of music and CNN Headline News, management settled on the current talk format.
Headquartered in Chalfont, PA, , LP is a media and entertainment holding company. Through its subsidiaries, LEVAS is engaged in the business of original content creation, marketing and distribution across various communications platforms including radio, internet, special events, film, children’s television, sports entertainment and publishing.
WURD Radio, LLC, a LEVAS subsidiary that owns and operates 900AM WURD, was formed in early 2003 out of a desire to provide a new voice to America’s urban audience. Our formats primarily focus on information, news and “two-way” talk specifically designed for the African-American audience. In an environment where media consolidation has homogenized urban radio, LEVAS is proud of its dedication to provide a culturally sensitive media outlet that is informational, educational and inspirational.
About 900AM WURD: 900AM WURD represents the next step in interactive, information-based, talk radio founded on the concepts of empowerment, community focus, and enlightened conversation. 900AM WURD incorporates a responsive, cutting edge format that examines local, national and international issues. Our hosts represent a virtual “who’s who” of local, regional and national leaders from the worlds of politics, business, health, religion, education and the arts. Our callers and listeners cover a broad cross-section of the Philadelphia and surrounding communities. 900AM WURD gives everyone a chance to speak up and be heard in our search for truth and justice.
[edit] External links
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WURD
- Radio-Locator Information on WURD
- Query Arbitron's AM station database for WURD
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