LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 40th Anniversary of WDKX radio
station, Rochester, New York

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the quality and
character of life in this great Empire State is indelibly enriched by
the faithful and untiring efforts of those individuals who have helped
shape the history of broadcasting in their area, and by the institutions
these exceptional persons have created; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 40th Anniversary of WDKX radio station, Rochester, New York;
this joyous milestone will be feted at the WDKX 40th Anniversary Cele-
bration, on Saturday, April 26, 2014, at the Kodak Center for the
Performing Arts, Rochester; and
WHEREAS, 103.9 FM WDKX was founded by broadcasting legend and trail-
blazer Andrew Langston, and made its first broadcast sounds on April 6,
1974; and
WHEREAS, Andrew Langston was born in 1927 in the state of Georgia; his
parents were sharecroppers who instilled in him the value of hard work,
and this enterprising man always had odd jobs, from working on a tobacco
farm and sweeping in a barbershop, to caddying at a golf course; after
his graduation from high school as class valedictorian, he moved to New
York City, working as a Wall Street bookkeeper while barbering on the
side; and
WHEREAS, Andrew Langston attended City College, City University of New
York, earning a bachelor of science in business administration in 1951,
and an MBA in finance and economics from New York University in 1954;
and
WHEREAS, He moved to Rochester, New York, in July 1960 with his wife,
Gloria and son, Andre, after receiving an offer from a local TV station
for a position as a weatherman, a position denied him when station
personnel saw the color of his skin; undaunted, he worked for four years
as a salesman with National Clothing Store, where he set sales records
and networked with influential businessmen; and
WHEREAS, Andrew Langston then became the first African American insur-
ance agent for Prudential Life in the Rochester area; he excelled in
this field as well, was named Rookie of the Year, and inducted as a Life
and Qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table; and
WHEREAS, In 1968 Andrew Langston founded Monroe County Broadcasting
Corporation to obtain the last frequency, 103.9, available on the FM
band and sold shares to raise the needed capital; despite many hurdles,
including competition with three other applicants for the frequency, and
frequent trips to Washington, DC to meet with the FCC, WDKX was finally
confirmed six years later; and
WHEREAS, WDKX was the first black-owned radio station in New York, and
Monroe County Broadcasting Company was the first black-owned corporation
to apply for a radio frequency before the FCC; and
WHEREAS, Andrew Langston, out of reverence for his heritage, and aware
of the significance of his achievement, named WDKX in honor of African
American heroes Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X; and
WHEREAS, WDKX quickly made its mark on the Rochester community, and
impacted the whole of New York State; it featured not only African Amer-
ican artists, but news, interviews, and special segments of interest to
the African American community, including interviews with the Reverend
Jesse Jackson, and Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African
American woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives;
and

WHEREAS, WDKX has been broadcasting on its 103.9 frequency every day,
24 hours a day for 40 years; it is the only locally and independently
owned commercial radio station in Rochester; and
WHEREAS, Andrew Langston, who died in 2010 at the age of 83, has been
widely recognized for his inspiring accomplishments; he was named Broad-
casting Pioneer of the Decade by the National Association of Black Owned
Broadcasters, Broadcaster of the Year, and was inducted into the inau-
gural class of the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame, as well as
the Rochester Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Andrew Langston, throughout his career and purposeful life,
served his community with integrity and devotion, continuously striving
to meet the needs of his listeners through entertainment and enlight-
enment; the longevity and ongoing accomplishment of WDKX is a fitting
tribute to the man and the community he loved; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 40th Anniversary of 103.9 FM, WDKX, and to wish this
historic radio station continued success; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to WDKX.