Four years ago, she signed off on an asset purchase agreement that ultimately won regulatory approval, giving her ownership of the very first radio station she worked at. Now, iconic syndicated radio personality Delilah has shuttered the Oregon AM, and local market challenges are the primary reason for her decision.
KDUN-AM 1030 in Reedsport, Ore., a Class B putting a 50kw daytime signal over coastal Oregon from Newport to Gold Beach with 630 watts after dark, from 1 tower, is now all but a memory.
That’s because Delilah Rene, as she is known in the eyes of the FCC, has shuttered the station licensed to Big Shoes Productions. No sale will be pursued, as the station’s license has been surrendered to the FCC by her legal counsel, Dan J. Alpert of Arlington, Va.
The request to cancel KDUN’s license, filed on Monday (5/19), was sent by Delilah to FCC Senior Deputy Chief James Bradshaw. In a short letter, she explained, “After more than three years in operation, I’m not able to continue operating the radio station and provide the financial means to do so.”
She added that she’d like to return the license of KDUN to the FCC “and properly close the radio station operations, respecting the process” established “for these rare occasions.”
Sadly, the surrendering of licenses for AM radio stations isn’t so rare anymore, with some of the nation’s largest licensees doing so over the last several years as well as acclaimed author Stephen King. In December 2024, King announced he was shutting down his three Bangor, Me., radio stations to streamline his business affairs at age 77. Despite a loyal following, the stations struggled financially, with King personally covering losses for decades to keep them running. Those stations would go on to be sold to local operators.
Delilah acquired KDUN for $60,000 from Post Rock Communications, led by Charles Contreras. The transaction was brokered by Craig Ruark, doing business as “The Broadcast License Store.”
As noted by the NAB upon her 2017 induction into the associations’ Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Delilah first became interested in radio while in middle school in Reedsport, Ore. There, she provided local sports reports and school news for KDUN in 1974.
In a farewell message on KDUN’s Facebook page, Delilah said, “It’s been my privilege to bless this community with the great music and companionship on KDUN AM 1030 for the better part of past four years. Thank you for giving this radio station your attention and support. Reedsport is in my heart.”
She expressed special thanks to station manager Bob Larson and engineer Ryan Warrey, adding, “I surrounded myself with so many talented individuals who helped me bring this radio station back to life. I’m proud of how we were able to entertain and inform you, whether it was with great music, fun conversations, local high school sports play-by-play coverage, and so much more.”
KDUN began operations in June 1961 as KRAF. From 1997-2002, it held the KLLU calls; KDUN had been in place before that, from 1970.
