WDCC 90.5 FM - Sanford, NC

Broadcasting from the heart of North Carolina, we are centrally located in the midst of the Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, RTP, and Fayetteville markets.

Established in 1971, WDCC is a part of the first Community College Broadcasting curriculum in North Carolina. Our call letters reflect that association, as DCC is an acronym for Department of Community Colleges. According to an article in the Sanford Herald, dated Friday, December 17, 1971, "Monday, December 20, at 10 a.m. has been set aside as a red letter day for Jerry Farmer, instructor, and his 20 students. At 10 a.m. the switch will be flipped, sending the first program over the air for WDCC FM."

Originally WDCC was designed as a training tool for students to learn the craft of on-air announcing and production work. It operated at a whopping 10 watts (35 watts ERP) at 89.5 FM until 1981. In November of that year, the FCC granted WDCC a new frequency of 90.5 FM and the station signed on with a state-of-the-art stereo transmitter at 3000 watts effective radiated power.

WDCC continued to operate on an irregular limited schedule playing a variety of music each hour or airing special programs produced by the students.

We continue to use this noncommercial station as a training tool in conjunction with the Broadcast Production curriculum. Students can either earn a certificate, diploma or an Associate Degree entering the work force with on-air and production experience.

In the fall of 1997, after the retirement of the founding lead instructor, an administrative decision was made to establish a college radio format of alternative rock coupled with dayparts of rap, urban and jazz music.

Five years later, on March 28, 2002, WDCC began broadcasting 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. The format remained College Alternative until September 2004 when it shifted to a combination top 40/hip hop format as a means of preparing students for employment in commercial stations.

The next major change occurred in March 2009 when WDCC was granted a Construction Permit by the FCC for construction of a new tower. Construction on the new 190i tower with four bay antenna began May 2010 and was completed that same month. Broadcasting ensued at 7:00 the morning of Monday, May 24, 2010. The increased tower height extended the reach of the station from a radius of approximately 20 miles to that of about 35 miles.

WDCC's service area now includes Lee, Harnett, Chatham, Moore, and portions of Wake and Cumberland counties.

Bill Freeman
General Manager and Instructor, WDCC