1932: Dr. Percy B. Crawford, having graduated from seminary, began the very first religious network radio program “Young People’s Church of the Air.” It aired on some 400+ Mutual Radio Network stations with outlets in every state of the Union, and broadcast live from Philadelphia for some 25 years. (Dr. Crawford was also the founder and first president of The King’s College in New York City.)
1955: Dr. Crawford, concerned about the accessibility of broadcast time for Christian programs (esp. on the Mutual Radio Network and ABC Network of stations), founded the Crawford Broadcasting Company. Dr. Crawford believed that Christian ownership of broadcast properties would guarantee access to prime time for the future.
1958: Dr. Crawford devised a strategic business plan for the acquisition of radio stations for Christian programming. From 1958 to 1960 several stations were purchased, or construction permits for new stations granted by the FCC, including Chicago (WYCA-FM), Lancaster, PA (WDAC-FM), Detroit (WMUZ-FM), and Buffalo (WDCX-FM…construction permit.)
1960: Dr. Percy B. Crawford passed away (suddenly) with the radio station operation left in the hands of his wife (Ruth) and their five children. The stations were managed by the oldest son, Donald B. Crawford. Understanding the complexities of the broadcast industry, the FCC, etc., Donald Crawford enrolled in law school, even while managing his family’s broadcasting company, and received his law degree from Temple University in Philadelphia. (Donald Crawford served as President of the company for his family until 1979, when the station ownership interests were divided among the family. The major market stations were then purchased by Donald B. Crawford and thus began the Crawford Broadcasting Company of today.)
1963: Donald B. Crawford, on February 18, 1963, signed WDCX-FM in Buffalo on-the-air with its first day of Christian programming for Western New York and Southern Ontario. The original construction permit, issued just prior to Dr. Percy Crawford’s death in 1960, was cancelled by the FCC. Donald Crawford had to fight through the government “red-tape” to make WDCX, his first new station, a reality. Present on that first broadcast day was Milt Ellis who has served on staff for over 40 years.
1966: ln October of 1966, Nev Larson joined the staff of WDCX as afternoon host from 4-7pm each day. Within that first year the WDCX-Sunday Night Sing program was initiated. “Sunday Night Sings” took Nev and the staff into hundreds of churches on Sunday evenings for over 25 years.
1974: Donald B. Crawford hired Nev Larson as the General Manager of WDCX, and together they set in motion much of the programming focus of the station that is still relevant, and ministers so strongly to so many tens of thousands today.
1980 to 1990: On the WDCX side, much stability in operations was accomplished as WDCX began to grow as one of the premiere Christian radio stations in the country. On the Crawford Broadcasting Company front, the company now included WDCX-FM (Buffalo), WYCA-FM (Chicago), WMUZ-FM (Detroit), WDJC-FM (Birmingham), KPBC-AM(Dallas) and KBRT-AM (Los Angeles).
1991 to 2000: CBC, under the careful hand of God’s direction, and under the cautious ownership of Donald B. Crawford and management of Nev Larson, began an expansion program of station purchases across New York State into Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany. All were developed and formatted by Donald Crawford and Nev Larson to be mirror image stations of the great Buffalo flagship station, WDCX-FM. 1999 saw the full-time addition to the WDCX staff of Brett Larson, Nev Larson’s son, whose broadcast expertise and love of the ministry of WDCX will help to lead WDCX into the next generation of Christian Radio. Also during the 1990’s, CBC purchased stations in markets such as Denver, Colorado Springs, Portland, San Francisco, and St. Louis…and additional market stations in Detroit, Chicago, Birmingham, St.Louis, Portland, Denver, Rochester and Albany.
2005: WDCX installs the first HD transmitter in Buffalo and begins broadcasting in High Definition Radio.
2005: Brett Larson is promoted to Station Manager (from Sales Manager) and begins his new role involving overall station management. Together, Brett and his dad (Nev) begin to transition and prepare WDCX for the next generation of management and many more years of ministry!
2006: WDCX also adds its HD-2 signal, a full-time Christian music station and in doing so, became the first station in Western New York to “multi-cast”.
2009: CBC changes the format of 990 AM in Rochester New York and WDCX-AM begins broadcasting. Under the management of Nev and Brett Larson, WDCX-AM is programmed much the same as WDCX-FM and becomes very successful in just a few years.
2012: Brett Larson becomes General Manager of WDCX-FM and WDCX-AM. Nev continues his 46 years in Christian radio and at Crawford Broadcasting as Director, CBC Christian Programming.
2013: January 1, 2013…WDCX begins it’s first day of broadcasting on the newly aquired WDCZ AM 970 (formerly WNED AM) in Buffalo. This full-power day and night simulcast of WDCX FM, will increase and expand WDCX’s listenership in Southern Ontario and Toronto. The WDCX Radio Group now includes WDCX FM, WDCX AM Rochester and WDCZ AM Buffalo. Also, in February 2013, WDCX celebrated 50 YEARS of broadcasting!
Future: With 3 strong stations and our FM’s 110,000 watts of FM power, it is our prayer that WDCX may broadcast the Hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to millions of people…for many years to come.
