WDIA 1070 AM

A radio station broadcasting on 1070 AM with roots dating to 1947, when it became the first radio station in the United States programmed entirely for African American audiences. Originally launched on June 7, 1947, by owners John Pepper and Bert Ferguson on 730 kHz with a format of country, pop, and network programming, the station struggled until Ferguson recognized a large underserved African American listenership in its coverage area. In October 1948, Nat D. Williams—a syndicated columnist and high school teacher—launched Tan Town Jubilee, one of the first radio programs in the country targeting Black listeners, making WDIA the first station in the South to hire a Black disc jockey. The shift to all-Black programming propelled WDIA to become the top-rated station in its market. In June 1954, the station received a license to increase power from 250 to 50,000 watts and moved to 1070 kHz, extending its signal across the Mississippi Delta to reach dense African American populations from the Missouri Bootheel to the Gulf Coast. WDIA also founded the WDIA Goodwill Fund to support Black communities. The station played a significant role in the early careers of numerous musicians and exposed their music to a broad regional audience. It is currently owned by iHeartMedia, with studios located in Southeast Memphis and the transmitter in North Memphis. Programming includes R&B music, personality-driven shows including the Bev Johnson Show, Stan Bell, and Stormy, as well as local news coverage.