FM radio was invented and patented by Edwin H. Armstrong.  FM is differentiated from AM radio by the use of special frequency modulation of radio waves that minimize static and interference.  In the 1930s, the first attempts to introduce FM radio to the public began with the emergence of small, experimental stations. By 1937, the first official radio station was granted a permit by the FCC, but it would not be for another two years that the first commercial radio station would be created.

On this day, May 13th, in 1939, the first commercial FM radio station was launched in Bloomfield, Connecticut.  The station, WDRC-FM, began its operation by air testing with 2000 watts.  By October of 1939, WDRC-FM was fully operational and began providing FM radio to the Hartford area.

WDRC-FM has continued to service the airwaves of Hartford, Connecticut for more than 70 years.  WDRC-FM changed to the 102.9 Mhz frequency in 1959, but is still considered one of the longest running radio stations in the country. The station has experienced several changes in format, including brief switches to Top 40 and Rock/AC, before adopting its current oldies format.