Wilmington Radio: WDEL to Add FM Simulcast

Mike Reath

Starting April 2, Delaware's most-listened-to station for news, traffic, and weather, is going to FM.

Delawareans will be able to hear WDEL loud and clear on the 101.7 FM signal.

"The increase in coverage for us on 101.7 FM really will deliver audiences out in towards the Yorklyn, Hockessin, parts of Newark that inherently have been tough of any radio station to get into," said Mike Reath, General Manager of WDEL/WSTW.

Listeners will also find an increased availability of WDEL on 101.7 FM downstate in Dover and other parts of northern Kent County.

WJKS 101.7 FM (3.3 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

For the tens of thousands of people, who have grown up as loyal listeners of WDEL 1150 AM for decades, nothing will change. Reath, who also serves as the Vice President of Delmarva Broadcasting, WDEL and WSTW's parent company, said what a listener hears on 101.7 FM will be a complete simulcast of 1150 AM WDEL's content that aims to bring in a younger and larger audience.

"So we have some folks, that have never really visited the AM band, they've grown up on FM, and we know that we're missing that group of listeners," Reath said. "We're just increasing the size of that microphone, that amplifier to deliver our content to hundreds of thousands of additional folks."

Reath called the the $3.25 million deal an "investment in Delaware." Delmarva Broadcasting purchased the 101.7 FM frequency from QC Communications when it went on the market last fall. WJKA 101.7 FM currently broadcasts hip hop music.

Through the deal, Delmarva Broadcasting also acquired Faith 1510 AM which will continue to play gospel music. KISS on-air personality, KMonta, will host a talk show on WDEL at 6 p.m. on Sundays.