[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 121 (Thursday, July 21, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WDEL RADIO

 Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of 
Delaware's congressional delegation in honor of the 100th anniversary 
of Delaware's first radio station, WDEL. The station was born on July 
22, 1922, when amateur radio operator and shop owner Willard Wilson 
aired the first news reports and music out of his home in Wilmington, 
DE, on what was then WHAV. Over the years, the station changed its call 
letters to WDEL and moved out of Wilson's home to various spaces in 
downtown Wilmington, where listeners could tune in to hear many famous 
``big bands'' live from the Gold Ballroom of the Hotel Du Pont. Today, 
the station has a home on Shipley Road and has grown to provide local 
news, talk and traffic reports, with thousands of listeners from 
Delaware and our surrounding States tuning in daily to hear from WDEL's 
recognizable voices on the airwaves.
  Just like our home State's motto, WDEL has been ``first'' many times 
when it comes to broadcasting. In 1933, WDEL became one of the first 
radio affiliates for Major League Baseball, airing the Philadelphia A's 
games. Today, you can still catch the crack of the bat on its signals 
101.7 FM or 1150 AM during the Philadelphia Phillies season. WDEL was 
also the first in Delaware to provide real-time, locally produced 
traffic reports, filling a need when other stations weren't covering 
the busy roads in the Delaware region. The station also was one of the 
first stations to hire women for on-air positions when it wasn't 
popular to do so.
  Over the years, WDEL has covered many historic moments in Delaware, 
including Presidential visits from Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon 
Johnson, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and, of course, 
Delaware's own Joe Biden. WDEL has also covered the moments that 
capture the cultural fabric of Delaware, including broadcasts from the 
Greek, Italian, and Polish festivals, as well as the Wilmington Flower 
Market, and has a long history of giving back to the community by 
supporting Nemours Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Sunday 
Breakfast Mission, and many other children's charities, shelters, and 
soup kitchens.
  WDEL's dedication to its listeners was awarded numerous times over 
the years. WDEL was named Medium Market Station of the Year by the 
National Association of Broadcasters--NAB--named News Operation of the 
Year by the Chesapeake AP Broadcasters Association several times, and 
was honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence 
twice, and the NAB's prestigious Crystal Award for public service.
  On behalf of both U.S. Senator Chris Coons and U.S. Representative 
Lisa Blunt Rochester, I rise today to honor WDEL radio on a century of 
hard work and dedication to serving the community. The station that 
started as just one among 100 in the country has withstood a century of 
change and innovation and has been recognized as among the best in the 
Nation. We wish its employees and listeners many more years of this 
incredible news service on the airwaves.

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