WQDR (570 kHz; "Rock 92.9") is a classic rock AM radio station, licensed to Raleigh, North Carolina, which serves the Triangle region, including Durham and Chapel Hill. Its studios are located in Raleigh, and the transmitter is co-located at the WPTF transmitter site in Cary. WQDR's programming is also carried on two translator stations in Raleigh, W225DF (92.9 FM) and W262CZ (100.3 FM), as well as in Durham on W227CZ (93.3 FM), and in Chapel Hill on W228CV (93.5 FM). History The station was first licensed in 1954 as WMSN, with 500 watts, daytime-only, on 570 kHz. The station manager was B. H. Ingle, Sr., pastor of the First Missionary Church and owner of B. H. Ingle & Sons Roofing and Heating Company. Programming was advertised as "Hillbilly, Western, and Gospel music, Associated Press news, weather reports and news of local and county interest". The debut broadcast scheduled for October 17 had to be delayed by eight days due to damage from Hurricane Hazel. In late 1955 an application was made to transfer station ownership to Merchants & Farmers Radio Station WMSN Inc., for "$8,000 plus other considerations", and in early 1959 the station's call sign was changed to WSHE. One provision of the station sale was that B. H. Ingle would continue to have one half hour of air time each weekday from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. for a religious program, which was later modified to the last half hour of each broadcast day. However, as of August 17, 1959, station management barred Ingle from making any further broadcasts, on the grounds that he was carrying on "an attack on many forms of organized religion, and a denunciation of laymen and ministers holding religious beliefs other than which you have". In 1962 the station was sold by Raleigh Broadcasting Corp. to the Raleigh-Durham Broadcasting Company for $180,000. The station made its debut as WLLE on February 15, 1962, and became known as "Hot 57", Raleigh's home for rhythm and blues. Also known as "Wonderful Willie", WLLE played James Brown, Little Richard, The O'Jays, and Earth Wind & Fire, and it could be heard as far away as Walkertown and Wallace-Rose Hill. Its DJs included Oscar "Daddy O on the Radio" Alexander, Sweet Bob Rogers, Chester "CD" Davis, J. Willie Moore, Big Bill Haywood, Prince Ike Behind the Mike, Jimmy Johnson of JJ's House Party, and Brother James Thomas. Ray