WDIA

AM 1070 WDIA went on the air in Memphis, Tennessee in October 1947.  The call letters reflect the first name of the daughter of one of the original owners (W DIAne).  They started out playing Country & Western songs mixed with light pop and classical music but were unsuccessful with that programming.  In an effort to avoid bancruptcy, WDIA began playing Blues records and featured the first radio show in the United States to appeal to black listeners.  They soon switched to all-black programming including shows by future musical legends BB King and Bobby "Blue" Bland.  After a power increase to 50,000 watts, WDIA's signal could reach 10% of the African-American population at the time--an area stretching from southeast Missouri to the Gulf Coast.  Today, WDIA carries an Urban Oldies/Classic Soul format and is owned by iHeart Media.