On April 29, 1980, WDST/Radio Woodstock signed on the air! The original version was to capture the eclectic nature of Woodstock with a varied format that included blocks of Folk, Jazz, Blues, Classical, Talk, Rock, and a heavy emphasis on local and regional news. There was even a show featuring the owner of the station reading books aloud in his Brooklyn accent.
The simple description of WDST in those days was Public Radio with Commercials. This commitment to quality and diversity got DST recognized by Billboard magazine as a Station of the Year three times!
As the radio industry evolved, so did DST. By the mid-80s, the focus of the station turned to a progressive mix of rock music. When the record industry began to print the play lists of Modern Rock stations in the mid 1980s, WDST was among the first stations in the country to be included. In the early 1990s, DST became one of the first Alternative radio stations in the country. By the late 1990s, DST helped to invent the Triple A format (Adult Album Alternative) by having its eclectic rock programming aimed towards to an adult audience.
Throughout the 90s and into the 21st Century, WDST has remained true to its heritage by breaking the rules of conventional radio and remaining independently owned and operated. We are a unique radio station that plays WORLD CLASS ROCK. No one tells us what to play. We are guided by our passion for music and we play the best music from the late 60s /Woodstock era, all the way to today. We take great pride and pleasure in discovering new, emerging artists and introducing them to our audience and juxapositioning them alongside great established artists and songs. WDST streams its programming on WDST.com. We are also the biggest concert promoter in the Hudson Valley producing over 24 concerts a year (such as Mountain Jam, Blues Traveler, Railroad Earth, Shannon McNally, Gov't Mule, Wallflowers, Rickie Lee Jones, Robert Randolph, Moe, Phish, Jayhawks, Waterboys, Martin Sexton, Spearhead, Guster, Aimee Mann, Natalie Merchant, Indigo Girls, and Jorma, just to name a few).
We look forward to keeping the spirit of Woodstock alive and to providing our listeners with WORLD CLASS ROCK for many decades to come..after all, we have to live up to our reputation as the coolest station on the planet!
