WDLW
Oldies radio station in Lorain, Ohio, United States
WDLW (1380 AM, "Kool Kat") is a commercial radio station licensed to Lorain, Ohio, United States, and features a classic rock format. Owned by WDLW Radio, Inc., the station serves Lorain County and western parts of Greater Cleveland, and is relayed over Lorain translator W255CW (98.9 FM). WDLW's studios are located in Oberlin, while the transmitters for both WDLW and W255CW reside in Sheffield Township. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WDLW is available online.
Signing on as WLRO in 1969 as the replacement to WWIZ, this station initially featured a full-service/middle of the road format oriented towards Lorain. A sale to real estate developer Jon Veard in 1984 saw the station become WRKG with an adult standards format, which changed again to a country gospel format in 1990 after another sale to Christian radio operators. Tropical music and other Spanish language programming, which had been featured in some capacity on 1380 AM throughout its history, became the station's primary format in 1998 as WDLW via a local marketing agreement with the Cleveland-based Latino Media Group. Sold to WOBL's owners Doug and Lorie Wilber in 2002, WDLW adopted an oldies format later in the year. Both stations have been owned by Gary and Renee Tollett from 2021 onward.
History
WLRO (1969–1984)
Owned by Lorain Community Broadcasting Corporation, this station signed on as WLRO, fully replacing WWIZ after two and a half years of silence on 1380 AM. WWIZ's license renewal had been denied in 1964 because of an improper transfer of control for the station, ceasing operations on July 14, 1967.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “WDLW” as oldies radio station in Lorain, Ohio, United States. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as oldies radio station in Lorain, Ohio, United States. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7948457. Authority coordinates are 41.430, -82.152. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1380, 1969, 1984 and 1990.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “WDLW”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow WDLW primary sources, WDLW archive and WDLW research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “WDLW”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “WDLW” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.