WDCR, West Kelowna's first radio community station, officially went on the air on July 25th, 2013, 10:35 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, at Governor's Landing Shopping Centre, in
West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
The main attraction of Westbank and District Community Radio Society is founder and General Manager/Program Director R.J. Smith, a veteran of 25 radio and television stations in four time zones, including 11 years spent at community radio and television stations in West Kelowna, Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria, Quesnel, Halifax, Calgary, and North Bay, Ontario.
THE LAUNCH OF WDCR back on July 25th, 2013, 10:35 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time, was attended by 12 eye-witnesses, including: Doug Findlater, former Mayor of West Kelowna, camera-man Jason Woodford, Jason's father (both from Crosswood Productions), Evan Ferguson, and Renee Leclerc of WDCR, Member of Parliament Dan Albas, Okanagan-Coquihalla, two members of the West Kelowna Warriors Hockey Club (Andrew Deans, Alex Draper), Mandy Carroll from W.F.N. and Lauren Pullen, CHBC/Global Okanagan News and a male cameraman, name unknown).
Approximately 350 concurrent listeners listened to the first broadcast at www.wdcr.ca Former West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater played the first song, If I had a Hammer, by Trini Lopez. and other local dignitaries also appeared at the launch.
The Okanagan's first, full-time, 24/7, not for profit, community radio station, WDCR has broadcast (since July of 2013) over 2000 hours of live, local shows, including:
- Over 1100 local news, sports, and weather packages locally written, voiced, and produced.
- Over 300 live radio interviews produced, featuring: local Mayors, government officials, MP's, politicians, newsmakers, police, fire, Environment Canada, local sports coaches, athletes, unions, community groups, human rights groups, animal rights groups, refugees, students, artists, musicians, and business people.
- 280 live West Kelowna Warriors Junior A hockey games (four consecutive years, 2003 through 2016, )
