WRDU-FM 106.1 History

Formerly WVOT-FM, 106.1 FM is the offspring of Wilson's 1420 WVOT. WVOT-FM signed on March 1^st, 1961, as a simulcast of AM 1420's MOR format. In the mid-1970s, WVOT and WVOT-FM were acquired by Century Communications, which renamed the FM WXYY and switched to an automated rock format called "Super Rock". The station was later known as WXYY, and had an automated country format by 1980. Carl Venters' Voyager Communications purchased the station in 1983, moving it to Raleigh in 1984 as WRDU with a power boost to 100,000 watts. "WRDU 106" began its life in Raleigh on August 31^st, 1984, with an album rock format, which WQDR, the station which literally invented the format, had just ditched for country. In the mid-1990s with the advent of digital radios, WRDU changed their imaging from "WRDU 106" to "106-1 RDU". WRDU moved moved from AOR with some Hot AC mixed in at the beginning to straight ahead AOR, towards more classic rock, then mainstream rock, and then back to classic rock. Venters sold WRDU to Hicks Muse Broadcasting in 1993, as Tom Joyner, then-owner of Rocky Mount-licensed move-in WTRG "Oldies 100.7". (now WRVA-FM "100.7 The River") soon did with his station as well. Through several mergers, both stations are now owned by Clear Channel Worldwide, along with ,a href="wdcg.html">WDCG and WKSL. October of 2006 proved a pivotal month in the history of WRDU in Raleigh. First, on October 2^nd, the Federal Communications Commission approved a construction permit that would change the station's city of license from Wilson to Knightdale and drop it from its powerful class C-0 facility to an 80,000-watt class C-1, broadcasting from the WCPE tower in northern Wake County. Four days later on October 6^th, WRDU's 22-year-old rock format came to an end at 4 p.m. on with the conclusion of the Lynard Skynard song "Free Bird". An hour of stunting led to a country format, "The Rooster 106-1". As for WRDU's move to the WCPE antenna (which was to allow WNRJ, 106.1, in Poquoson, Virginia to boost their signal), they weren't able to locate to the WCPE tower and are in the process of getting FCC approval to move to the WRAL antenna in Auburn, a move which will also force Sanford's WFJA to move its antenna slightly west. In April of 2009, the station rebranded (or debranded) to "106.1 RDU Country" a similar handle and logo used during their long run as a rock station. In late May of 2009, the station officially switched its city of license to Knightdale, NC and dropped its power to 27,500 watts with a move to the digital TV candleabra tower in Auburn, NC. On June 30^th,2009, WRDU became the last of Clear Channel's Raleigh stations to broadcast in HD Radio. On July 24^th, 2009, WRDU launched an HD2 broadcast, a classic country format called "106-1 HD2 RDU".

WRDU-FM 106.1 Gallery