Top forty music was phased out and the station became a full service adult contemporary outlet around 1980, moving to the CBS Radio Network for news, sports and many features.

It was the only Anniston radio station to offer same-day coverage of the May 14, 1961 Freedom Riders bus burning, which is considered one of the landmark events of the civil rights era.

On March 22, 2009, FBI files were released under a Freedom of Information Act request made by The Anniston Star that included several references to WDNG's coverage of the civil rights movement.

In one telegram from the Anniston FBI field office, station assistant general manager Bobby Price is referred to by name as having reported in a newscast facts surrounding the Willie Brewster murder case.

The case was never solved, but it was thought to be an act of violence aimed at the station for its news coverage of various stories dealing with the civil rights movement in Anniston.

Two different WDNG News Directors, Mike Stedham and later Chris Pope, gave the region countless up-to-the-minute details as thousands stayed in touch with the case.

During winter storms in early 2014, WDNG was the only radio station in Calhoun County, Alabama that interrupted regular programming and provided updated weather and road information every hour.

[5] Primary and general elections were heavily covered by the news department that year, and special reports from the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office were broadcast during ballot counts.

(W236CQ 95.1 FM) (Taken from Alabama Broadcast Media Page) Syndicated programming included Casey Kasem's American Top 40 and Joe Cortez's Retro Pop Reunion.

[8] As signification of the format change, the station played the Lynyrd Skynyrd songs "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird" on repeat for 3 days prior to the switch.