Early years (1953–1981) WDON was first licensed on December 4, 1953, as a
daytimer powered at 250 watts. The station first signed on in 1954. It was founded by Everett L. Dillard, who previously built and signed-on Washington's second FM station,
WASH (97.1 FM), in 1945. He chose the
call letters for his son Don, who was also a
DJ at the station. Don Dillard is credited for introducing
rock and roll to Washington radio and also played
rhythm and blues,
doo-wop, and
rockabilly on his shows; he was popular among white teenagers in
Northwest Washington and suburbs in neighboring
Montgomery County, Maryland. Future notable Washingtonians
Carl Bernstein and
Ben Stein were listeners to Don Dillard's show. By the early 1960s, WDON shifted its format to
country music. Following a two-year
construction permit, WDON increased its power to 1,000 watts in 1962. In 1974, Everett Dillard sold WDON to Horizon Communications Corporation for $425,000. The country format continued into 1975, before Horizon changed the format to oldies. In April 1979, WDON briefly switched to
disco as "Disco D-O-N". Then in 1980, WDON dropped disco for religious programming, including
contemporary Christian music.
Spanish-language programming (1981–present) WDON changed its call sign to WMDO on September 8, 1981. Nearly two weeks later on September 24, California-based
Lotus Communications purchased WMDO for $700,000. On December 14 that year, WMDO launched a full-time Spanish language format branded "". It featured news, public service announcements, and music targeted towards
Central and South American immigrants in the Washington area. In 2019, Carrasco purchased the 900 kHz facility and moved programming there. WACA was leased out that January and switched to Spanish-language Christian programming as . In 2021, Renovación Media Group, headed by Father Roberto Cortés Campos, purchased the station for $700,000; the WACA call letters moved to 900 upon the consummation of the sale, and the WDON call letters returned to Wheaton for the first time in 40 years. ==Technical information==