The End of an Era

WABB-FM Agrees to be Purchased by Educational Media Foundation
End of an Era in the Mobile, Alabama Radio Market
Mobile, AL –February 17, 2012–Legendary Top 40 radio station WABB-FM Mobile, AL has entered into an agreement to be acquired by EMF (Educational Media Foundation) of Rocklin, CA, a not-for-profit organization.

WABB –FM has been a powerhouse along the Gulf Coast for decades and one of  the longest running Top-40 radio stations in the United States.  Bernie Dittman bought WABB-AM in 1959 and put WABB-FM on the air in 1973.   The stations have been owned by the family for 52 years.

Many of radio’s major talents and programmers launched their careers at WABB including Mike McVay, Scott Shannon, Randy Lane, Leslie Fram, Mark St. John, Paul Fuller, Bill Evans, Lee Chesnut and many more.

Dittman, who passed away in 2006, was an icon in the radio industry and one of the last of the great independent broadcasters. WABB has been a mainstay in the Mobile community, serving as the primary Gulf Coast Emergency Broadcast System station and playing a crucial role in providing vital information during Hurricanes Frederick (1979) and Ivan (2004). Dittman was honored as the Alabama Association of Broadcasters “Broadcaster of the Year” in 2005.

The sale of WABB-FM marks the end of an era in the Mobile market. Throughout his career, Bernie Dittman was devoted to maintaining WABB as an independent, family owned station.  Despite the station’s success, the next generation of the family no longer resides in the Mobile area and consequently, the sale was viewed as a logical transition.

“This was a very difficult and emotional decision for our family,” said Judith Dittman, Bernie’s wife. “WABB-FM has enjoyed decades of success and being an integral part of the Mobile-Pensacola communities. But the time has come for us to move into another phase of life and spend more time together as a family.”  Mrs. Dittman went on to say, “WABB has appreciated the support that its listeners, the city of Mobile and its advertisers have shown us over the years.”