By Friday, February 17th, an announcement had been posted on the World Wide Web site for WABB-FM (97.5) with news of the station being acquired by the Educational Media Foundation, which owns a network of radio stations broadcasting music programs based on Christianity and educational programs. The Educational Media Foundation is based in Rocklin, California and their business is not based on making profits.
According to the WABB-FM Facebook page, the next owners of the station would handle all decisions about its programming and its format beginning on Thursday, March 1st. WABB-FM currently broadcasts a format of contemporary music (also known as "Top-40" or "contemporary hit radio".
WABB-AM (1480) was not part of the sale to the Educational Media Foundation. According to WABB, the AM station would continue to broadcast syndicated news and discussion programming after the next owners of the FM station take their place on March 1st.
WABB-AM (and later WABB-FM) had been owned by members of the Dittman family since 1959, when J. W. Dittman and his son Bernard (Bernie) Dittman purchased the station from the Mobile Press-Register, which had owned and operated the station since its first broadcast day on Saturday, June 19th, 1948 (the original WABB-FM began on the same day, but it discontinued by 1956 due to its transmitter burning up. The current WABB-FM began on Monday, February 5th, 1973). According to the announcement on the WABB-FM site, one reason the FM station is being sold is due to members of the family considered "the next generation" not residing around Mobile any more.
The announcement included statements by Judith Dittman, the current owner of WABB-AM and WABB-FM. According to her statements, it was time for members of her family to move to another phase of life and spend more time together.
Judith Dittman had been married to Bernard Dittman, the previous owner of the stations, until his death on Wednesday, October 25th, 2006. After he died, she took the title of president of the stations and Betsy Dittman, their daughter, became the general manager of the stations.
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