WDBO – 107.3 FM – Orlando is rated Right with Mixed factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.

History

WDBO 107.3 FM / AM 580 is a news and talk radio station serving Orlando and Central Florida. According to its station history, WDBO began broadcasting in 1924 from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The station later became a major Orlando news and talk outlet and transitioned fully away from music programming during the rise of talk radio in the early 1990s.

Today, WDBO broadcasts local news, weather, traffic, political talk, consumer programming, and nationally syndicated conservative commentary on 107.3 FM and AM 580.

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Funded by / Ownership

WDBO is owned and operated by Cox Media Group (CMG). Cox Radio acquired WDBO in 1997. Cox Media Group is controlled by investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, with Cox Enterprises retaining a minority ownership interest. Apollo continues to identify Cox Media Group as part of its communications-services portfolio. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising, sponsorships, and paid specialty programming.

Analysis / Bias

WDBO publishes local reporting on crime, government, transportation, weather, business, schools, elections, and community events throughout Central Florida. Straight-news content is generally written with minimally loaded language and relies on named reporters, local officials, public records, Cox Media Group journalists, and major news organizations.

For example, Orlando Magic select WFTV Channel 9, TV 27 as new broadcast home is straightforward local reporting based on direct statements and organizational information. The Cox Media Group National Content Desk also frequently produces national and trending stories and supplements them with reporting from established sources such as the Associated Press.

However, WDBO’s weekday talk-radio lineup is overwhelmingly conservative. Programming includes The Brian Kilmeade Show, conservative commentator Erick Erickson, The Sean Hannity Show, Markley, Van Camp & Robbins, and Fox News comedian and commentator Jimmy Failla. These programs dominate much of the station’s weekday schedule and frequently feature partisan commentary favoring conservative candidates and policies.

For example, recent Sean Hannity Show episodes describe Democratic politics in terms such as a spreading “DSA agenda,” portray the midterm election as requiring Republican control to preserve President Trump’s agenda, and feature repeated criticism of Democratic policies concerning immigration, taxation, government spending, and social programs.

Factual reliability is reduced by the documented records of several syndicated hosts. PolitiFact has rated numerous Sean Hannity claims False or Pants on Fire, including false statements concerning undocumented immigrant voting, gas-stove regulations, the January 6 National Guard response, and other political issues.

Similarly, PolitiFact has rated multiple claims by Brian Kilmeade False or Pants on Fire. In 2024, for example, it rated False his claim that the Chinese government “owns” TikTok parent company ByteDance. Erick Erickson also has several Mostly False and False ratings concerning political and economic claims.

In general, WDBO’s local newsroom reports with relatively little political bias, but the station’s extensive conservative talk-radio programming gives the overall outlet a clear Right editorial orientation. The factual rating is also lowered because several prominent hosts aired by the station have documented histories of false or misleading political claims.

Failed Fact Checks

• Sean Hannity — Multiple claims rated False or Pants on Fire by PolitiFact.
• Brian Kilmeade — Multiple claims rated False or Pants on Fire by PolitiFact.
• Erick Erickson — Multiple claims rated Mostly False or False by PolitiFact.

Overall, we rate WDBO Right Biased based on an overwhelmingly conservative weekday talk-radio lineup featuring Brian Kilmeade, Erick Erickson, Sean Hannity, Markley, Van Camp & Robbins, and Jimmy Failla, balanced by generally neutral local reporting. We rate it Mixed for factual reporting because, while the newsroom generally uses credible sources, several prominent syndicated hosts have substantial documented histories of false or misleading political claims. (D. Van Zandt 10/11/2026)

Source: https://www.wdbo.com/

Last Updated on October 11, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check

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