WDON (1540 AM) is a radio station broadcasting on 1540 kHz in the medium wave AM band, airing Spanish-language Catholic programming known as ''Radio Vida en Abundancia'' (Life in Abundance Radio). Its transmitter is located in

Wheaton, Maryland Wheaton is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, situated north of Washington, D.C. and northwest of downtown Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton (1833–1903), a career officer in the Unit ...

, and it serves the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

metropolitan area. WDON has a daytime transmitter power of 5,000 watts, reaching as far north as Frederick County in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and as far south as Stafford and

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...

Counties in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

History

Early history (1953–1981)

Founded by Everett L. Dillard, WDON first signed on December 4, 1953 with a daytime-only, 250-watt signal. Dillard named the call sign after his son Don, who was also a DJ at the station. Don Dillard is credited for introducing

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

to Washington radio and also played

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

, doo-wop, and

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...

on his shows; he was popular among white teenagers in Northwest Washington and suburbs in neighboring Montgomery County, Maryland. By the early 1960s, WDON shifted its format to

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

. Following a two-year construction permit, WDON officially increased its power to 1 kW in 1962. In the 1970s, it was an

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as ...

station, and then briefly " Disco D-O-N". Later in the 1970s, WDON changed its format to religion.

As a Spanish-language station (1981–present)

WDON changed its call sign to WMDO on September 8, 1981. Nearly two weeks later on September 24, California-based

Lotus Communications Lotus Communications Corporation is a media company that owns numerous radio stations and a few TV stations, and is one of the largest privately owned radio station groups in the United States. Headquarters are located in Los Angeles, and the com ...

purchased WMDO. In 2019, Carrasco purchased the 900 kHz facility and moved Radio América programming there. 1540 kHz was leased out that January and switched to Spanish-language Christian programming as Vida en Abundancia. In 2021, Renovación Media Group, headed by Father Roberto Cortés Campos, purchased the station for $700,000; the WACA call letters moved to 900 upon the consummation of the sale, and the WDON call letters returned to Wheaton for the first time in 40 years.

References

External links

{{Daytime-only radio stations in Maryland

DON Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...

Wheaton, Maryland Radio stations established in 1953 1953 establishments in Maryland