WDAD - History

History

WDAD was the first radio station in Indiana County, and was one of the very first radio stations in the nation granted licenses after World War II had ended. The station has kept its original call letters throughout its history of more than half a century. The WDAD call letters were formerly used by a Nashville radio station (now WMTR), which first signed on the air in 1925.

WDAD's ownership was relatively stable, having only had four owners in its long history. Progressive Publishing of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, purchased the station in 1958 and operated WDAD (and later its FM sister station WQMU) under the company name Indiana Broadcasters, Inc. Progressive also owned two other radio stations, WCPA-AM/WQYX-FM in Clearfield, and WMAJ-AM/WXLR-FM in State College. Progressive Publishing decided to sell WDAD in 1989 to RMS Media Management, Incorporated; a company headed by its then-general manager, Richard M. Sherry, who had been with the stations since 1967.

WDAD enjoyed a long history of success in its hometown, despite two aggressive competitors, WCCS in Homer City, and WLCY-FM in Blairsville, south of Indiana. Coincidentally, WCCS co-founder Ray Goss had served as General Manager for WDAD and WQMU for 15 years before leaving to start WCCS in 1981. Both WCCS and WLCY had been separately owned until June 2002, when Anthony F. Renda, by then the President of Renda Broadcasting Corporation, entered into a local marketing agreement with Longo Media Group that led to the eventual purchase of WLCY-FM. Renda purchased WCCS outright two months later.

Renda, who had begun his broadcasting career at WDAD as a teenager, also had plans to purchase WDAD and WQMU from RMS Media. RMS Media agreed in 2004 to sell WDAD and WQMU to Renda Broadcasting for $3.25 million.