The right calls in the wrong place

WDIZ.. (as in Disney) should not be on a satcaster in Panama City. They should be running Radio Disney, or just be in Orlando. That's all there is to it. There are other examples of miss-branded and miss-used calls. This ones too good not to be made an example of.

WDLP was founded by John H. Perry, who named the station for his wife, Dorothea Lindstrom Perry. Perry owned the local paper; The Panama City News-Herald. Given Panama City's reputation as a white trash haven, many of the locals joked that the calls stood for We Drink Liquor Publicly. Calls were changed to WGNE when this became too embarassinng to bear in 1987. [The WGNE calls now live on 99.9 in Jacksonville.]

The calls became WDIZ in 1996, borrowing the calls from the Former WDIZ-FM 100.7 in Orlando. It was an original Drake/Chenault "Solid Gold Oldies" outlet back in the 1970s. The WDIZ calls probably would be worth more in branding today in Orlando but for whatever reason they've kept them parked in Panama City. At least it's in AM stereo.

It's less of an oddity toda. Two years ago they ran as Tourist Info Radio, still with Clear Channel as owner. They aired some obscure low-cost programs like "Canada Calling" and FRN News, and some soft Nostalgia. Yeah, I dont see the angle. It's not even listed in the stations they'd off load in the big sell off they're been trying for. I think they've added a little more N/T to the mix in the last year but they're still airing Dial Global's canned Adult Standards.