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April 1998 to June 1998
By Dave HughesJune 25, 1998
Nnamdi Replaces McGinty, YDB Flees DC101, London Returns, Joyner To MMJ?
A wind of radio personality changes is whirling through the Nation's Capital in late June. For starters, Kojo Nnamdi, host of Channel 32's (WHUT) "Evening Exchange" program will take over the reins of Derek McGinty's afternoon (noon to 2 pm) talk show on WAMU-FM (88.5). McGinty recently left the American University station to take a post with CBS News. Nnamdi, who is set to start on WAMU on August 31, will continue his evening talk program at Howard University-owned WHUT. In other radio personality news, YDB, otherwise known as Young Dave Brown (who is a not so young 46 these days), has been given his walking papers at rocker DC101, WWDC-FM. His station was recently purchased by Chancellor Broadcasting which also owns adult contemporary siblings WASH-FM (97.1) and WGAY-FM (99.5), as well as country WMZQ-FM (98.7), oldies WBIG (100.3), sports WTEM-AM (980) and business news WWRC-AM (570). Brown's career dates back to DC101's early days as a rock station in 1975. Chancellor is evaluating everything at DC101 and is reportedly looking at placing Chicago's Mancow Muller in the morning drive. DC101 will also reportedly tighten up its playlist (just what the conservative DC rock radio market doesn't need) to include fewer current tracks and more classic rock. And speaking of WGAY, ex-WMZQ morning personality Jim London makes his way to 99.5. He'd most recently been doing time at Chancellor's oldies station, WBIG. And in yet other news, there's some talk that Chicago morning man Tom Joyner may be moving his show from Howard U's WHUR-FM (96.3) to Radio One's WMMJ-FM (102.3). Stay tuned.
June 15, 1998
WNVC Feuds With Washington Post
Channel 56, WNVC-TV, an independent non-commercial station in Fairfax, Virginia which broadcasts many international programs is angry at the Washington Post. Management at the full-powered station, which devotes a large part of its programming day to shows in Korean, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, French, German, Farsi, Thai and 20 other languages, is upset that the Post does not carry the station in its television listings. An article in June issue of Asian Fortune, a Washington area newspaper geared to the Asian community (obviously a major component of WNVC's audience), reports that WNVC General Manager Frederick Thomas recently met with Post editors and that the meeting did not go well. Apparently Post officials were not impressed with a WNVC inspired postcard campaign from viewers asking that the station be carried in the newspaper's daily listings. While the Post does not carry WNVC's schedule in its daily listings, several other area newspapers do carry the station's daily schedule including the Washington Times, the New York Times (Washington edition) and the Journal newspapers. Asian Fortune adds that the failure of the Post to carry the station in its TV listings is not the only beef the station has with the newspaper. WNVC officials want the issue to be carried by the Post in its TV Column which is written by John Carmody; Carmody's column is frequently missing of late because the author is reportedly in ill-health. One result of the tension between WNVC and the Post has been the cancellation of a foreign affairs program the two entities had produced. WNVC is carried by all cable TV systems in the Washington area.
June 15, 1998
Digital TV Tests Take Place In Baltimore
Sinclair Communications, which owns Baltimore's WBFF-TV, Channel 45, and operates Channel 54, WNUV, according to a local marketing agreement, conducted digital multichannel and high definition tests during the week of June 8. The demonstration featured live broadcasts of WBFF airing four program streams simultaneously -- all 480-line non-high definition tests. Meanwhile, Sinclair also conducted a high definition test using the signal of WNUV with a 1080-line signal. The tests took place for only three days. The demonstrations reportedly attracted little interest from Congress and the Washington establishment; however upwards of 100 people from the financial community viewed the tests.
June 15, 1998
Will ABC/Disney Buy Channel 7?
The Washington Post reported June 15 that there is speculation that Joseph Allbritton, owner of Washington's ABC affiliate, WJLA-TV, Channel 7, may sell the station to ABC/Disney. The Posts says that rumors that Allbritton, who also owns eight other TV stations across the country as well as the local NewsChannel 8 cable news service and Riggs Bank, was in talks to sell WJLA and a Little Rock station to ABC/Disney. NewsChannel 8 is also reported to be part of the deal. The transaction, the Post adds, could be worth more than $1 billion. ABC/Disney does own several area radio stations including WMAL-AM (630), WJZW-FM (105.9) and WRQX-FM (107.3). If ABC does buy Channel 7 and holds on to its area radio properties, the TV station and WMAL radio could come under common ownership again. Up until the mid-70s, Channel 7 was known as WMAL-TV and was owned by The Washington Star newspaper along with WMAL-AM and then WMAL-FM (now WRQX-FM).
June 10, 1998
Rehm, Madison Return To Airwaves
Diane Rehm returned to her 10 am to noon WAMU-FM (88.5) weekday talk show in early June following a five-month absense due to throat problems. Her condition was announced to be spasmodic dysphonia. Meanwhile, Joe Madison is back on the air in the Washington area, this time as the afternoon talker on WOL-AM (1450). Madison used to be on the old WWRC-AM (then 980 now 570) before it switched to business news/talk earlier this year. Madison also serves as WOL's program director. The station unveils a new line-up which includes Eric St. James in morning drive, C. Miles Smith during middays, and Bernie McCain evenings.
June 8, 1998
Harris Resurfaces In Baltimore, Sellers Joins Z-104
The Washington Times reported June 8 that Paul Harris, the former WARW-FM (94.7) afternoon personality, has resurfaced at Baltimore's WCBM-AM (680). Harris, as well as his sidekick "Dave The Predictor," can be heard on the Baltimore talk station weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm. Harris was dumped from classic rock WARW in April to make way for Cerphe Colwell's music based afternoon program. Harris has also worked at defunct classic rocker WCXR (now WJZW) as well as rocker DC101. The Times reports that Harris has also been doing fill-in work on Washington's WMAL-AM (630). In other radio personality news, Sean Sellers is the new afternoon person on contemporary hit WWZZ/WWVZ, Z-104, according to The Washington Times. Sellers replaces L.A. Reid who left the station in April.
June 8, 1998
Jacor Acquires Baltimore's WOCT, WCAO
Jacor, one of the largest group owners of radio stations across the USA, will acquire two CBS-owned Baltimore radio stations -- WOCT-FM (104.3) and WCAO-AM (600). CBS was required to unload several of its Baltimore properties in order for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval of a merger it is planning with American Radio Systems. The deal to transfer ownership of WOCT, an oldies station known as "The Colt", and WCAO, a gospel formatted religious station known as "Heaven 600," also involves CBS swapping several stations it owns in St. Louis and San Jose. Also in the deal, CBS will acquire several Jacor stations in Columbus, Ohio and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Jacor also owns country-formatted WPOC-FM (93.1) in Baltimore. And there are talks that the firm will also soon acquire Hearst's two Baltimore radio properties -- WIYY-FM (97.9), a rock station also known as "98 Rock," and its AM sister, talker WBAL-AM (1090). There is also speculation that Jacor may change WOCT's format back to contemporary/top 40, a format the station had years ago when it was known as B-104. Despite CBS's decision to sell two Baltimore stations, it will still retain a large chunk of the Baltimore market with the continued ownership of WLIF-FM (101.9), WXYV-FM (102.7), WWMX-FM (106.5), WHFS-FM (99.1), WQSR-FM (105.7), WBMD-AM (750), WBGR-AM (860) and WJFK-AM (1300). CBS also owns several stations in the Washington DC market than can be heard in Charm City.
May 25, 1998
Comcast Buys A Stake In Jones Communications
Comcast Corp., a Philadelphia-based cable television company, announced May 25 that it has agreed to acquire a 15 percent stake in Jones Communications, which has 425,000 subscribers in the Washington area. According to a Washington Post report, Comcast has purchased options to acquire a controlling interest in Jones. The Posts says that the move by Comcast, the nation's fourth-biggest cable operator, is part of a deal potentially worth $500 million that in three years could give Comcast a 37 percent interest in Jones and the ability to elect a majority of the Jones board. Comcast's plan to gain control of Jones would advance its strategy of piecing together regional cable "clusters" around major metropolitan areas, the Post report adds. Comcast has 450,000 subscribers in the Baltimore area, while Jones is among the Washington region's biggest cable operators, with systems in Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Charles, Calvert and Prince William counties. It also operates systems in Alexandria and Reston. Cable companies are pursuing such clustering because it allows them to achieve efficiencies in labor, advertising sales and equipment, analysts said. A combined Jones-Comcast could coordinate advertising and technology needs and receive volume discounts for programming. Company officials said they see this action as an investment that carries the right to some day link Comcast systems in Baltimore with Jones operations in the Washington suburbs, the Post adds.
May 18, 1998
WINX Goes "Top Forty"
Rockville, Maryland oldies station WINX (1600 AM) flipped to contemporary "top forty" tunes on May 18, 1998 as expected. The 1000 watt station (500 watts at night) now provides a full-service contemporary format with news and traffic reports, complete with DJs who talk right up until the first vocal and plenty of reverb. One of the steep hurdles WINX faces, besides being on the music-unfriendly AM band, is that the station's signal doesn't reach significant portions of the DC metro area. Its signal covers only Montgomery County as well as Arlington County and northwest DC. Listeners in the Virginia suburbs have a very difficult time receiving WINX. More importantly, WINX faces competition from several powerful FM stations including dance-oriented WWZZ/WWVZ, otherwise known as Z-104, as well as two up tempo adult contemporary stations, WASH (97.1), which is surging in the ratings, and WRQX (107.3) which is also doing quite nicely ratings-wise. Although none of the three above FM stations could be officially classified as "top 40" by traditional standards. In early 1997, there was talk that suburban Montgomery County government would buy WINX and broadcast non-stop traffic information on 1600, but that deal fell through. WINX did try relaying its oldies format on 94.3 FM out of Warrenton, Virginia in early 1997 but that ended when all-news WTOP took over 94.3; WTOP has since moved to 107.7. WINX did also simulcast its signal for several weeks on a 50,000 watt daytimer on 1030 on the AM band from south of the DC area before that station became gospel WWGB in mid-1997.
May 15, 1998
WJFK Plans Musical Experimentation
WJFK-FM (106.7), the CBS owned station which runs talk programming during the mornings, afternoons and evenings, may replace the soft jazz music it plays overnights and on weekends with more experimental programming, according to station Program Director Jeremy Coleman. So far, the station has added a punk rock music program Saturday nights from 10 pm to 1 am hosted by Chris Condayan. And Coleman says that he wants to "experiment" with the late night, early morning hours, by offering more cutting edge types of music. Right now, when WJFK is playing its soft jazz late at night it is difficult to tell it apart from its 105.9 FM neighbor, Disney/ABC-owned WJZW, which has a fulltime soft jazz format. WJFK, which brands itself as "Washington's Superstation," had been doing quite nicely in the ratings with the likes of Howard Stern, Don & Mike, G. Gordon Liddy and the Redskins up until the latest (winter) ratings period when it dropped to 14th place in the overall average ratings. In fact, all three major CBS FMers in the DC area are in ratings doldrums and that includes classic rock WARW and modern rocker WHFS. Recently CBS had says good-bye to afternoon driver Paul Harris on WARW and replaced him with Washington radio rock veteran Cerphe Colwell. And WHFS has seen its share of changes with the arrival of morning jock Lou Brutus and the departure of John Dryden, who's "Daily Feed" program has been a staple at the station for a decade and a half. HFS also cut back the duties of another longtime veteran, high-pitched voice "Weasel," whose real name is Jonathan Gilbert.
May 5, 1998
WTOP Plans Improved Reception On 107.7
Feeling some ratings strength from the latest Arbitrons which showed all-news WTOP's morning news in third place overall in the morning drive, the station is making plans to improve its new FM service. WTOP, with a highly directional 50,000-watt signal on AM, has long had difficulty putting in a strong signal to portions of the DC metro area, particularly parts of western Montgomery and western Fairfax counties. So, last summer the station added an FM simulcast on 94.3 out of Warrenton, Virginia, about 40 miles southwest of The District. On April 1 of this year WTOP's FM signal was moved to 107.7, also out of Warrenton, but with far more wattage than 94.3. Now, WTOP Program Director Jim Farley says that the signal improvements don't end there. "We've ordered a new (FM) transmitter which will go on line in mid-June (and that) should boost (coverage) a fair bit. Also, (we) anticipate getting a new antenna in July or August," he says. "The WTOP climb into 3rd place in morning drive was accomplished on the weaker-signal of 94.3. We'll have to wait for the Spring Arbitron sometime in late July to see how well the 107.7 simulcast is doing," Farley adds. And there is still room for improvement. Overall WTOP ranked 14th in the winter Arbitrons with a 3.4 share (see story below).
May 1, 1998
WHUR Tops Winter Ratings
Adult urban contemporary WHUR-FM (96.3) took the top place in the winter 1998 Washington DC area radio ratings, according to an account in the May 1 Washington Post. The Howard University owned station took a 6.1 share (up from a 5.2 share last fall), vaulting it to the top position, the Arbitron ratings indicated. WHUR's Tom Joyner also took the cake in the morning drive race, edging out WMAL's Brandt & Parks combo. Urban WKYS-FM (93.9), the top station in last fall's ratings round-up, dropped to fourth place with a 4.9 share (down from a 6.3 last fall).
April 25, 1998
Cerphe Joins WARW
Cerphe Colwell, a voice on the old, free-form WHFS, and a veteran of WAVA (when it was album rock), WBMW (WJFK's old new age format), and rocker DC101, will be joining the afternoon line-up at classic rock WARW, DCRTV has learned. Colwell takes over the slot formerly occupied by Paul Harris who was relieved of his duties at the station in early April.
April 25, 1998
WARW PD Says Classic Rock Will Continue
Phil LoCascio, program director of WARW, tells DCRTV that his classic rock station is not planning to change format. "CBS is a company without middle management, so I'd know if we were changing format, and we're not. I spent (and continue to spend) hundreds of hours, and thousands of dollars researching to get this classic rock music right, and just locked Greaseman up to a 3 year deal. I don't think both of those investments would have been approved with a format change. Our ratings stink right now, but that's why I'm here," LoCascio says. Rumors have been making their way to DCRTV which indicate that 94.7, the CBS-owned station is about to make a format change, perhaps to top forty. Many DC area radio listeners have long lamented the fact that there hasn't been a good top forty station in the area since WAVA, 105.1, went religious several years ago. Some listeners seem to think that area top-forty-ish stations, such as WRQX, 107.3 (Mix 107 point 3), and WWZZ, 104.1 (Z-104), just don't fit the bill as a good all-around, full-service top forty station. CBS did recently hand walking papers to afternoon drive personality Paul Harris and promise to increase the flow of music on the station, but the Greaseman still holds court on Arrow 94.7 during the morning drive.
April 20, 1998
Reid & DeVany Move On
Z-104 (WWZZ, 104.1 and WWVZ, 103.9) afternoon host L.A. Reid has left the Waldorf, MD contemporary station. The talk is that he will resurface at Baltimore's WXYV, a contemporary station at 102.7. Meanwhile, Dan DeVany, afternoon host for classical WETA-FM (90.9), will leave his on-air post for the post of programmer at the Arlington, VA-based public station. DeVany has been filling in the afternoon slot for two years. He'd served as a morning host from 1990-94 and took two years off to obtain a graduate degree.
April 15, 1998
WDCT Goes All-Korean
WDCT, a Fairfax AM station on 1310, has gone all-Korean talk and music. While the station had been broadcasting Korean programming being purchased in 1995 by Kenneth Kyung Sup Shin, it had also been running English language religious programming. With the move to all-Korean programming, WDCT is one of the only Korean language stations on the east coast. The only other station may be WZRC, an AM station in New York City. Approximately one-quarter of WDCT's programming is religious.
April 15, 1998
WZHF Adds Rainbow Radio
Douglas Broadcasting which owns Arlington's WZHF, 1390 AM, has added gay-oriented "Rainbow Radio" to its overnight hours. Rainbow Radio, which is being broadcast in several other markets including San Francisco and Chicago, will feature talk-oriented programs dealing with health, relationships and financial issues all from a gay perspective. "The gay community has the same needs for information as everyone else," says ZHF General Manager Michael Reichert, according to an article in April 7th's Washington Post. But, he adds, the gay community finds itself ignored on most other broadcast outlets. The Post reports that ZHF is selling time to several major gay-oriented advertisers including the Washington Blade newspaper and the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Eventually the station hopes to fill the entire 9 pm to 6 am block with gay-themed programming. For the rest of the day, WZHF programs Personal Achievement Radio which is based on motivational talks from the likes of Zig Ziglar, Tony Roberts and Deepak Chopra. WZHF recently dumped its more topical, political talkers such as conservative Stan Major. The recent programming moves seem to quash rumors that WZHF might be switching to an Asian language format.
April 10, 1998
Simpson In, Harris Out
WPGC-FM (95.5) morning man Donnie Simpson has singed a multi-million dollar five-year deal to stay on the CBS-owned urban contemporary station as morning drive host. Simpson is locked in a see-saw ratings battle with another urban station, Radio One-owned WKYS (93.9). There had been talk that PGC wanted to replace Simpson with a younger sounding, more "street" morning team. Simpson had been wooed by two other area stations, Radio One's WMMJ (102.3) and Howard University's WHUR (96.3), both of which cater to older audiences. But Simpson eventually decided to stay at PGC. However, the airwave fortunes were not so good for Paul Harris, the afternoon man at CBS's classic rocker WARW (94.7). He was shown the door after his April 3rd show. Harris has been a fixture at many stations in the area including DC101 and at the now defunct classic rocker WCXR (105.9). Apparently low ratings were the cause of Harris's troubles. WARW, which still has the Greaseman on during the morning drive, plans to feature more music and less talk the rest of the day and into the night.
April 1, 1998
WTOP Moves To 107.7
All-news WTOP moved its FM simulcast from 94.3 to 107.7 on April 1, as planned. In early March, WTOP owner Bonneville acquired 107.7, the frequency of Warrenton, Virginia country station WUPP for $8.1 million from Syd Able. On April Fools Day Bonneville moved the news programming of WTOP, which has long operated on 1500 AM, from 94.3 FM, also in Warrenton, to 107.7, giving WTOP a much better reach through Northern Virginia and parts of DC. WTOP has been making on-air announcements about the move "to the top of the FM dial." The new WTOP-FM operates with 29,000 watts while the old 94.3 frequency operates with only 4,000 watts. Bonneville paid Able for the swap because 107.7's coverage area is greater than 94.3's. "Up Country" WUPP moved to WTOP-FM's old dial position of 94.3. Able now owns 94.3; the deal is technically a swap. WUPP was making announcements that "you got to get down to get up," meaning that you'll have to move down the dial to 94.3 to continue getting "young country" WUPP. Bonneville also owns contemporary Z-104 (WWZZ and WWVZ) as well as classical WGMS.
All original material on this website is copyright by Dave Hughes/DCRTV.
