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Broadcasting legend Woody Durham, most well-known as the Voice of the Tar Heels for more than four decades, will return to the airwaves in December on WNCW 88.7 FM.
“Woody Durham’s Great Moments in Sports History” will air weekday mornings during WNCW’s morning news program featuring National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.” The new Durham segments will be 60 to 90 seconds and will feature a highlight from that day in sports history.
Durham was the play-by-play radio announcer for the North Carolina Tar Heels football and basketball teams from 1971 to 2011.
The program was announced by President Walter Dalton of Isothermal Community College at a reception held in Durham’s honor recently. WNCW 88.7 FM is owned and operated by the Spindale-based community college.
“I am looking forward to this show and working with WNCW,” said Durham. “I am enjoying the research and the spots hold a lot of memories for us all.”
As expected, the content will include some little known facts about Atlantic Coast Conference basketball. However, the topics will broadly range from Catfish Hunter and Mohammed Ali to Babe Ruth and Ted Turner.
“We are excited about Mr. Durham’s show and we believe many in the public will be pleased he is back on the air on a regular basis,” said David Kester, WNCW’s director of Radio Operations.
For years, many Tar Heel fans brought their radios to Kenan Stadium and the Dean Smith Center. Meanwhile, fans watching on television often turned down the sound so they could hear Durham’s radio call. Durham was behind the microphone for 13 Final Fours, as well as four national championships (1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009). He also called 23 bowl games.
In 1981, Durham was named vice president and executive sports director at Tar Heel Sports Marketing. He was named North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year twelve times, most recently in 2006. On December 3, 2012, it was announced Durham would receive the first-ever Lombardi Excellence in College Broadcasting award.
WNCW 88.7 FM is a public radio station owned and operated by Isothermal Community College.
The station, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last month, is a nationally known leader in the Americana and Triple A, or adult album alternative, formats. The station’s eclectic music mix spans a wide variety of genres, but is typified by alternative rock and country, folk, blues, bluegrass, world music and jazz. Original programming ranges from a weekly sampling of bluegrass on “Goin’ across the Mountain” to explorations into Frank Zappa during “Frank on Friday.” Regional news is also highlighted each weekday in addition to National Public Radio’s Morning Edition.
WNCW 88.7’s main signal can be heard in parts of five states. The station also has translators in Boone, Charlotte and Greenville, S.C. In addition, WNCW broadcasts over the 90.7 frequency on WSIF FM in Wilkesboro.
More information and a live stream can be found at www.wncw.org.
