WBDG is known as "Giant 90.9 FM" and is powered by the students of Ben Davis High School in…read moreIndianapolis along with Area 31 Career Center. It's fully licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and broadcasts in HD 24/7, 365 days a year.
WBDG first took the air in 1966. It's actually a rather remarkable radio station that I still listen to long after I graduated from high school. And college. And, well, you get the point.
I'm old. I love WBDG.
WBDG plays a wide variety of music, offers diverse programming, and broadcasts Ben Davis sports, news, and features largely targeting Indy's Westside and Eastern Hendricks County.
WBDG has hosted "School Talk With Emerson" since 2003. It's hosted by Emerson Allen, an Indy resident who has a long existing reputation for building up Indy's youth. I've had the privilege of being a guest on "School Talk" and to this day maintain a positive relationship with Emerson and everyone at WBDG.
I've long been impressed with the high quality broadcasting and professionalism of WBDG's staff. I remember one incident, in particular, that greatly impressed me with how it was addressed as a teachable moment for broadcasting - a student was broadcasting the news and got distracted by someone in the studio and started laughing. Unfortunately, the story he was reporting at the time was actually quite tragic. It bothered me - so, I dropped them an e-mail and expressed my concern (politely, of course...these are students who are still learning!). It was handled beautifully. I'd love to know if that student is still in broadcasting.
Sportscaster Zion Brown is one of my current favorites. Zion can seriously broadcast. I look forward to watching him grow. In 2019, Grant Covey picked up two national awards and was nominated for a third. The radio station has a long history of state, regional, and national recognition and watching its student broadcasters grow into career professionals.
You can get podcasts, interviews, etc. on Audio Boom including Emerson's show, sports, interviews, and other podcast content. WBDG also has an HD2 station that broadcasts 70s, 80s, and 90s music. WBDG was one of the first radio stations in Marion County owned by a school district. It started out as a 10 watt station (trust me, that's small) and has grown into a 400 watt station (that's much better!). During the 80s (my high school days!), WBDG could even be found making a dent in the ratings because it was the only local station that played disco.
Man, I miss disco.
I've been in the studio and it's quite impressive - and surprisingly accessible. I was able to work my way in there for an interview just fine.
Famous alumni include some names familiar to Indy folks including Kristi Lee (she just introduced me at an awards ceremony not long ago - what a great human!), Dave Calabro, Kevin Calabro, Kevin Gregory, Scott Hoke, Liz Dixon, Dana Webb (a former CMA DJ of the Year!), DJ Marcus, Paul Mendenhall, and quite a few others.
Seriously. If you've never listened, I highly recommend it. I love supporting up-and-coming broadcasters and broadcast professionals. They're well informed, talented, passionate, and a lot of fun. WBDG has been and remains a positive voice in Indianapolis radio and it's exciting to see Wayne Township and Ben Davis's long history of devotion to the program.