WRDL FM 88.9

A non-commercial educational FM radio station licensed to serve the North-Central Ohio area. The station is the only radio outlet located within the city limits of Ashland and is owned and operated by Ashland University. Its studios are housed in the Center for the Arts building on campus, while the transmitter and antenna are installed on the top floor of the university library. The station is student-run and certified by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) as well as a member of the Ohio Association of Broadcasters (OAB). It supports the academic mission of the university's Journalism and Digital Media Department and provides coverage across ten counties in North-Central Ohio through both over-the-air and online streaming. The call letters derive from Richard Dean Leidy, an adjunct professor who founded the radio and television department at what was then known as Ashland College. Leidy, who modestly insisted the initials stood for "Radio Department Laboratory," led the department from 1960 until his retirement in 1988. The station began broadcasting in 1966 from a converted projection booth in Founder's Hall, originally at 88.1 MHz with a 10-watt transmitter atop Clayton Hall. The frequency was later shifted to 89.5 MHz to avoid conflicts with nearby non-commercial stations, and in the 1980s the power was increased to 3,000 watts while the dial position settled at 88.9 MHz. The transmitter was subsequently relocated to the new campus library building. Programming includes music, local news, sports coverage, and university-related content. Recent content highlights university athletics, including men's and women's basketball coverage, along with original podcast productions such as "Early Bird's Extended."