WDQN falls silent after 64 years

A longtime voice in Du Quoin has suddenly fallen silent.
WDQN, which has broadcast in Du Quoin since 1953 at 1580 kHz, signed off the air for the final time Friday, leaving behind a community surprised at the sudden loss.
"For almost 65 years WDQN has been a staple in Du Quoin and the surrounding area," Du Quoin Mayor Guy Alongi wrote on Facebook. "Who can ever forget the oldies show with Randy Smith and Larry Bullock doing the early morning news years ago. Personally I am lost for words, it's something you just thought would last forever."
The station posted a farewell message, although management didn't provide any immediate reason for the end of the broadcast.
"Those of us past and present who worked at WDQN Radio and the Showalter family want to thank you all for inviting us into your homes and into your cars," the message said. "We have done our best to serve you as valiantly as we could."
According to a history of the station, WDQN came to Du Quoin in 1953, broadcasting out of the second floor of the Riggio building in downtown Du Quoin. The station moved into its longtime studio sometime around 1959.