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WRFD
WRFD (880 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to both Columbus and Worthington, Ohio, United States that operates during the daytime hours. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and broadcasts a Christian radio format as "The Word 880 AM and 104.5 FM". WRFD's studios are located on North High Street in the northwest portion of Columbus.
By day, WRFD's transmitter is near the former site of Cooper Stadium in the Franklinton section of the city's west side. WRFD is additionally relayed over low-power FM translator station W283CL (104.5 FM), which operates around the clock.
WRFD signed on the air on September 14, 1947. It broadcast only during the day, originally at 5,000 watts of power. It was owned and operated by Peoples Broadcasting Company. Peoples Broadcasting was a subsidiary of the Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company (the present-day Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company; the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation was Nationwide's founding member). WRFD was originally aimed at the regional agricultural market (hence the use of RFD, or rural free delivery), and had its studios and transmitter located on East Powell Road in rural Delaware County, north of Columbus.
WRFD held a construction permit for an FM station that actually was on the air for a period of time in the early 1950s. But few people owned FM receivers in those days and the license was turned in a short time later. In 1961, WRFD decided again to launch an FM station. WRFD-FM 97.9 had a classical music format. In 1967, it ended the classical format, becoming radio station WNCI, with the new call letters standing for parent company Nationwide Communications and Insurance. WRFD was later sold to Buckeye Media in 1974, which sold it to current owner Salem Communications in late 1981. During the 1970s WRFD was a "daytimer" that broadcast with 50,000 watts output and was off the air after sunset. They played Top 40 music, and featured a "Memorial Day 500", a countdown of the 500 most popular songs. In the 1980s to late 1990's, it broadcast with 500 watts pre-sunrise, 5,000 watts during critical hours (two hours after sunrise and before sunset), and a daytime power of 9,000 watts. Doug Leonard served as chief engineer for many years.
WRFD maintained a daily broadcast schedule of farm news and agribusiness information, which for many years was presented from 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. and again during the noon hour during the In the late '80s, the farm program adopted the brand Ohio Farm Radio.
One widely known WRFD farm broadcaster was Ed Johnson, who hosted the program from 1967 until 1972. Leaving WRFD, he founded The Agri Broadcasting Network (ABN) which he owned and operated until his death in February 2001. The longest serving Farm Director at the station during the Salem years was Joe Cornely, who broadcast weekday farm news and information until 1998, when he joined the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation staff. He was followed by Darrin Johnston, who was replaced in 2002 by Andy Vance who left Salem Communications in 2005 to found the Buckeye Ag Radio Network, and later acquire Johnson's ABN Radio.
Since February 1, 1982, WRFD has operated with a Christian talk, teaching, and music format. In the mid-1980's the station branded itself "Ohio's Power Station- Covering 80 of Ohio's 88 Counties". On air personalities at that time included Chuck Brown, Rick Dolezal, Boyce Lancaster, Bill DeWeese, Ann Rae, Scott Saunders, and Steve Lineberry. In 2024, Ann Rae is the longest serving on air host, followed by afternoon talker Bob Burney, who started out hosting a weekly Saturday morning talk show around 1991. After an extensive morning and early afternoon schedule of talk and teaching programs, the balance of the broadcast day consisted of Contemporary Christian Music of the more inspirational type. Featured artists included Keith Green, Sandi Patti, Michael Card, Harvest, Twila Paris, Steven Curtis Chapman, and many more.
During the 1990s more of the late afternoon and early evening broadcast hours were dedicated to talk programming. Starting in the spring and summer of 1992, "The Bible Answer Man" with Hank Hannegraff was broadcast for the first time, pushing music programming to after 7:00 p.m. on weekdays.
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WRFD
WRFD (880 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to both Columbus and Worthington, Ohio, United States that operates during the daytime hours. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and broadcasts a Christian radio format as "The Word 880 AM and 104.5 FM". WRFD's studios are located on North High Street in the northwest portion of Columbus.
By day, WRFD's transmitter is near the former site of Cooper Stadium in the Franklinton section of the city's west side. WRFD is additionally relayed over low-power FM translator station W283CL (104.5 FM), which operates around the clock.
WRFD signed on the air on September 14, 1947. It broadcast only during the day, originally at 5,000 watts of power. It was owned and operated by Peoples Broadcasting Company. Peoples Broadcasting was a subsidiary of the Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company (the present-day Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company; the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation was Nationwide's founding member). WRFD was originally aimed at the regional agricultural market (hence the use of RFD, or rural free delivery), and had its studios and transmitter located on East Powell Road in rural Delaware County, north of Columbus.
WRFD held a construction permit for an FM station that actually was on the air for a period of time in the early 1950s. But few people owned FM receivers in those days and the license was turned in a short time later. In 1961, WRFD decided again to launch an FM station. WRFD-FM 97.9 had a classical music format. In 1967, it ended the classical format, becoming radio station WNCI, with the new call letters standing for parent company Nationwide Communications and Insurance. WRFD was later sold to Buckeye Media in 1974, which sold it to current owner Salem Communications in late 1981. During the 1970s WRFD was a "daytimer" that broadcast with 50,000 watts output and was off the air after sunset. They played Top 40 music, and featured a "Memorial Day 500", a countdown of the 500 most popular songs. In the 1980s to late 1990's, it broadcast with 500 watts pre-sunrise, 5,000 watts during critical hours (two hours after sunrise and before sunset), and a daytime power of 9,000 watts. Doug Leonard served as chief engineer for many years.
WRFD maintained a daily broadcast schedule of farm news and agribusiness information, which for many years was presented from 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. and again during the noon hour during the In the late '80s, the farm program adopted the brand Ohio Farm Radio.
One widely known WRFD farm broadcaster was Ed Johnson, who hosted the program from 1967 until 1972. Leaving WRFD, he founded The Agri Broadcasting Network (ABN) which he owned and operated until his death in February 2001. The longest serving Farm Director at the station during the Salem years was Joe Cornely, who broadcast weekday farm news and information until 1998, when he joined the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation staff. He was followed by Darrin Johnston, who was replaced in 2002 by Andy Vance who left Salem Communications in 2005 to found the Buckeye Ag Radio Network, and later acquire Johnson's ABN Radio.
Since February 1, 1982, WRFD has operated with a Christian talk, teaching, and music format. In the mid-1980's the station branded itself "Ohio's Power Station- Covering 80 of Ohio's 88 Counties". On air personalities at that time included Chuck Brown, Rick Dolezal, Boyce Lancaster, Bill DeWeese, Ann Rae, Scott Saunders, and Steve Lineberry. In 2024, Ann Rae is the longest serving on air host, followed by afternoon talker Bob Burney, who started out hosting a weekly Saturday morning talk show around 1991. After an extensive morning and early afternoon schedule of talk and teaching programs, the balance of the broadcast day consisted of Contemporary Christian Music of the more inspirational type. Featured artists included Keith Green, Sandi Patti, Michael Card, Harvest, Twila Paris, Steven Curtis Chapman, and many more.
During the 1990s more of the late afternoon and early evening broadcast hours were dedicated to talk programming. Starting in the spring and summer of 1992, "The Bible Answer Man" with Hank Hannegraff was broadcast for the first time, pushing music programming to after 7:00 p.m. on weekdays.