WDRK (106.5 FM) was a radio station in Greenville, Ohio, United States. It was last owned and operated by Lewel Broadcasting, Inc. The station operated for more than 25 years, much of the last decade in a fight with the Federal Communications Commission over the renewal of its broadcast license.

History

WDRK began broadcasting April 14, 1962. Originally owned by John D. Kennedy and Lewis Froikin under the name Kennedy Broadcasting, Inc., it was the first radio station in

Darke County Darke County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,881. Its county seat is Greenville. The county was created in 1809 and later organized in 1817. It is named for William Darke, an officer in the ...

, broadcasting from studios at the intersection of

State Route 49 The following highways are numbered 49: Australia * Queensland State Route 49 **Wide Bay Highway **Bunya Highway **Moonie Highway **Balonne Highway * Central Coast Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 49 * British Columbia Highway 49 * Manitoba High ...

and US 127. The owners bought FM station WMER in Celina in 1968. The name on the license was changed to Lewel Broadcasting in 1969; by this time, the station was run by general manager Lee Rutherford and program director Ron Rumley, both formerly of WIFE in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. In the early 1970s, Rumley chose Drake-Chenault's "Hit Parade"

MOR Mor or MOR may refer to: Names and titles * Mór (given name), a list of people named Mór or Mor * Mor (surname), a list of people named Mor or Mór * Mor (honorific), or Mar, in Syriac Radio and television * Middle of the road (music) genre * ...

automated format to significantly upgrade the sound. The two also renovated the studios, with a new station logo that recalled the former WIFE. In 1971, the FCC ordered WDRK off the air for failing to respond to repeated requests for information in connection with that year's license renewal, dismissing the renewal application for failure to prosecute; the station was allowed to continue and given a short-term renewal. The station received a normal renewal in 1973. In 1976, WDRK filed again to renew its license. The FCC, charging the station had falsified program logs and committed other violations, designated the case for hearing on May 26, 1977. Opposite the WDRK renewal application, Korin Broadcasting filed for a construction permit for a new station on the frequency. The commission found in March 1981 that Lewel was unqualified to be a licensee due to the repeated violations and granted the Korin application. While WDRK appealed the bid, it ran into other trouble. Broadcast Music, Inc. sued WDRK in 1984 for playing 18 songs represented by the performing rights organization without a license. The station was able to remain on the air until 1989, as WLSN, the construction permit held by Korin, was still not built. WDRK signed off in 1989, leaving the 106.5 frequency vacant until WLSN finally signed on October 26, 1990. 106.5 FM has since gone through several ownership and call letter changes leading up to the current WTKD_(FM)

References

{{reflist Radio stations disestablished in 1983 Greenville, Ohio DRK Defunct radio stations in the United States 1983 disestablishments in Ohio DRK Radio stations established in 1962 1962 establishments in Ohio