Educational Media Foundation is getting a big stick in the Mobile AL market, and it marks the end of a long run for local Top 40 icon WABB-FM. The Dittman family has opted to get out of the business several years after the passing of station founder Bernie Dittman.
It was 2006 when Dittman passed away. His wife Judith stated, “This was a very difficult and emotional decision for our family. 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. WABB has appreciated the support that its listeners, the city of Mobile and its advertisers have shown us over the years.”
EMF, the rapidly-growing noncommercial Contemporary Christian service, will be getting a big Class C signal on 97.5 MHz. The station’s 100 kW beam from a tower standing 1,552’ above the average local terrain.
Terms of the deal were not announced. According to the station’s release, the fact that the next generation of Dittmans has moved on to other places of residence contributed strongly to the decision to sell.
The stations alumni list includes a number of famous industry names, including Mike McVay, Scott Shannon, Randy Lane, Leslie Fram, Mark St. John, Paul Fuller, Bill Evans and Lee Chesnut.
