WDRE History (Wikipedia)
WDRE originally started out as 103.9 WIBF-FM Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, which was owned by Fox Broadcasting (not related to the current Fox Broadcasting television network).
The station was bought in October of 1992 by Jarad Broadcasting, and on November 9, 1992, WDRE New York started simulcasting its programming with WIBF. Shortly after the simulcast began, WIBF’s call letters were changed to WDRE (the same calls as WDRE New York). It was decided however in 1995 that WDRE New York would change its call letters back to WLIR, thus making WDRE Philadelphia an independent local modern rock station.
Veteran Philadelphia DJ; Mel ‘Toxic’ Taylor (WPST, WIFI), was the first DJ hired for the only 2 local shows, that would be live from Philadelphia each week. When WDRE Philadelphia became a local radio station, talent was hired from within the city (ie Bret Hamilton, formerly of WIOQ), and outside of the city.
While WDRE never became a true mainstream radio station in the Philadelphia radio market, the station gained a cult status in the Philadelphia area, and as a result, events like the station’s music festival held in (known as “DREfest”) sold out to a crowd of over 25,000 people.