Detroit's Urban TV Station WADL - Family Programming and Community Involvement

WADL, Detroit's channel 38, is tailor-made for the city and surrounding areas. It has a commitment to Detroit and provides programming for a variety of age groups.

While its target audience is mainly African American, the station has quality TV that crosses ethnic boundaries.

The station is owned by Adell Broadcasting Corporation and is run by Lewis Gibbs. Other businesses may be leaving Detroit, but WADL is catering to the city and sticking around in hard times. What started as mostly a home shopping network has become Detroit's premiere urban television station.

As I was channel surfing, the first thing that drew me into watching WADL was an ad about their vintage television programming. I'm an early TV sci-fi fan, so I was happy when I saw the station airs the original Star Trek series and Lost in Space.

As of this writing, some of the other older shows they air are Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Beverly Hillbillies, M.A.S.H., The Three Stooges, Happy Days and Brady Bunch. They also air newer shows including The Steve Harvey Show, The Brian McKnight Show and The Dave Chappelle Show. The campy 60s superhero series Batman is also on the roster, and the station has acquired the old batmobile, which is available for appearances.

WADL also has a strong lineup of Christian TV with gospel music and evangelical programming. Crime dramas have been added including In the Heat of the Night and Hawaii Five-0. This station has something for everyone in the family.

WADL involves itself in the community in many ways. The Detroit mayor has regular spots on the station where he talks to the people of the city.  He could talks about anything from city affairs to wishing Detroit citizens a merry Christmas. The station follows Detroit politics closely and encourages citizens to get involved.

The Dance Party is a popular R&B and hip-hop dance show based in Detroit. The station also supports causes to help provide coats for kids and feed the homeless. They also take part in area events and have viewer contests with big prize giveaways including homes and cars.

WADL is broadcast on channel 38 in Detroit but its signal reaches many of the surrounding areas. If you have cable, you'll have to check your cable listings for the correct channel in your area.

Learn more about WADL, the current lineup and schedule, events and giveaways at the station's official website linked at right. There is also a Twitter feed linked below. Go ahead and show some support for this station that makes Detroit its top priority.