WFMD

WFMD

File:WFMD-AM.JPG
Frederick, Maryland
Broadcast area	Central Maryland
Frequency	930 kHz
Branding	"930 WFMD"
Programming
Format	News/Talk/Sports
Ownership
Owner	Clear Channel (Aloha Station Trust, LLC (As Trustee))
Sister stations	WFRE
History
First air date	1936
Call sign meaning	W Frederick MarylanD
Technical information
Facility ID	31136
Class	B
Power	5,000 watts daytime 2,500 watts nighttime
Transmitter coordinates	39°24′55.0″N 77°26′41.0″W
Links
Website	WFMD Online

WFMD is a News/Talk/Sports formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Frederick, Maryland, serving Central Maryland. WFMD is owned and operated by Clear Channel.

History

WFMD first went on the air January 1 1936. Its first studios were located on the top floor of Winchester Hall on Church Street. Next the station moved into part of the Francis Scott Key Hotel. During this period the programing consisted of live performers, mostly local country music groups, along with programs from the CBS radio network.

WFMD moved from the hotel to its own building at the intersection of 7th and Market Street in a large yellow building with the call letters spelled out in bright green letters. In the early 1970s, the station moved to its current location at 5966 Grove Hill Road. It shares the same building as its sister station WFRE.The station's Longest owner was local broadcaster Jim Gibbons. Before Mr. Gibbons was known as a local tv sports anchor and the radio voice of the Washington Redskins.

Past and present personallies

WFMD has had many well known on air personalities over the year among those were George Rogers and Stu Kerr who after leaving WFMD both went to Baltimore to help start WMAR tv. It's interesting to note that while on WFMD Kerr was not a news man as on tv but was primarily known as a featured vocalist on the station. His main duet partner was a lady who performed under three different names. Dixie Rodgers, Princess Dreaming Water and Princess Summerfall Winterspring. The last two names reflecting her Native American Heritage.

The two most well known personalities of the station were "Happy" Johnny Zufall who came to the station in the 1950s to do the early morning shift. It is said that when local farmers had "Happy" Johnny on their barn radios the cows heard him and gave more milk. After retiring, "Happy" Johnny did a short program where he would read children's letters to Santa.

In the early 1970's after "Happy" Johnny retired, a young man from Florida named Tommy Grunwell took over the morning show until the station went to an all talk format. Tommy was so well know that when local people woke up in the morning they turned Tommy on first thing. Tommy also did the voices of an old man and woman with whom he would interact as if they were in the studio with him. He was also known to have two nicknames, The man who owned the morning in Frederick, and The Great Grundoon. He often referred to his show as "The Grundoon bumper to bumper road show". Sometime during the 1970s Tommy also hosted a Thursday night show called "The Merry go Round", which he did from a local hotel. Also during this time Tommy hosted a once monthly show called "The Breakfast Club". Which he also did as a remote from a shopping mall located across the street from the station.

Some of the other on-air personalities over the years have been:

• Tommy Gibbons
• J.M. Gibbons (on-air as John Michales)
• Charlie Weston (afternoon drive)
• Bill McMichales (afternoon drive after Charlie Weston
• Gary Jagow (Last afternoon music host First afternoon drive talk host)
• Tim May
• Bob Miller (Current host of the Morning News Express)
• Ron Kitzmiller (First morning drive talk host replacing Tommy Grunwell)
• Rich Fulton (middays)
• Frank Mitchell (Current program director and on-air fill in host)
• Blaine Young
• John Feisler (Former program director and fill in host for Tommy Grunwell)
• Michael O' Connor (Former news director and anchor)
• Bernard Adams (Former news anchor )
• Dianah Gibson (Current news director and co-host of The Morning News Express)
• Kim Dacy (news anchor)
• Lorretta Gains (news anchor)
• Kevin McMannous (news anchor)
• Jim Titus (on-air personally)
• Dick Denim (former station manager)

Events and community projects

In the 1970s & 1980s the station had a softball team named "The Towers". They played many charity softball games.

For several years in this time period, the station ran a contest called Salute to Retail. In this contest listeners went to a local business to pick up a bumper sticker and then they would listen for their car tag number to be called over the air. When they heard their number the car owner would call the station within the allotted time to win a cash prize.

Christmas Cash for kids

This community project was started at another local radio station before moving to WFMD. The project works with the local chapter of the Salvation Army to provide toys for local needy children in Frederick.This is held every year during the week following Thanksgiving.

Christmas Cash for Kids takes pride in the fact that all donations collected go directly to the children. There are no overhead costs involved so that for every dollar collected CCFK gets up to $1.25 in buying power. This is done by working with local businesses to buy toys at a volume discounts, along with clothes and blankets.In 2008 Christmas Cash for Kids raised over $123,000 for the chrildren of Frederick Country.

Many of the personalities who worked at the previous stations come back to WFMD to help this cause.

Sale

WFMD along with its sister station WFRE were put into a trust by owner Clear Channel Communications with the intention to sell the stations.

External links

• 930 WFMD Online

Listen Livs

http://www.wfmd.com/cc-common/ondemand/player2.html?world=st

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• WFMD in Nielsen Audio's AM station database