DCRTV Washington Radio And TV Podcast

WGTS is one of the most fascinating success stories in Washington radio. It’s a 23,000 watt non-commercial station, yet in the latest Nielsen ratings it pulled a 5.7 share, landing in the number three spot behind only WTOP and WAMU. So how does a Christian music station compete with some of the biggest brands in radio? On this episode, Rob Conway takes us behind the scenes at WGTS to break down th...

On this episode of the DCRTV Podcast, former HFS morning host Wes Johnson and Creative Director Bill Glasser take you inside what was really going on as the station evolved from its free-form roots into a modern rock powerhouse. They describe it as a civil war inside the building, with longtime free-form DJs clashing with a new wave of talent and a very different philosophy about what the station...

Few people have had a bigger influence on Washington radio than Dan Mason. Mason arrived in DC in the late 1970’s to program WPGC, helping shape the station during one of the most competitive eras in the market. He would eventually rise to become CEO of CBS Radio, overseeing stations across the country, including several major signals in the Washington market. On this episode, Mason takes us behin...

In 2012, CBS Radio made a bold move in Washington: launch an all-news station at 99.1 FM (WNEW) to go head-to-head with market powerhouse WTOP. The station had veteran talent, strong management, the full backing of CBS, and a solid on-air product. On paper, it looked like a real fight. But the ratings never followed. On this episode of the DCRTV Podcast, former midday anchor Chas Henry pulls back...

Weasel spent 33 years behind the mic at the legendary WHFS, and in this episode of the DCRTV Podcast, he takes us inside one of the most influential radio stations in DC history. We talk about how Weasel got his start in radio and landed at HFS, then dig into the station’s two very different eras: the early freeform rock days and the later alternative rock years. Weasel explains what freeform real...

On October 12, 1925, WMAL signed on the air for the very first time. One hundred years later, we celebrate the station’s remarkable history with three longtime fixtures: Midday host Tom Gauger, Chief Engineer David Sproul, and General Manager Tom Bresnahan. In this special anniversary episode, they share what WMAL sounded like in its earliest days, the revolt that led to hiring Harden and Weaver,...

For 37 years, Barry Lee was the friendly voice waking up the Shenandoah Valley on WINC-FM. On this episode, Barry looks back at how he started in radio, the story of crossing the street from 99.3 WFFV to 92.5 WINC, and what it was like replacing a legendary morning show at WINC. Barry shares the challenges of being a new morning host, working with multiple co-hosts over the years, and the secret t...

We sit down with Scott Woodside, half of the legendary Elliott and Woodside morning show that dominated Washington radio in the 1970s and '80s.  Scott takes us behind the scenes of one of the most iconic duos in DC radio history. We talk about how he and Jim Elliott got paired up, the creative chemistry that helped them build a massive following, and the behind-the-scenes story of jumping from WPG...

In this episode, we sit down with Fred Manning, the man behind some of the most recognizable radio brands in Frederick and Hagerstown—KEY 103, 106.9 The Eagle, MAX Country, and FRED FM. Fred shares the secret to his long-running success: keeping radio live, local, and deeply connected to the community. Fred talks about recruiting DC radio legend Jack Diamond for mornings on 106.9 The Eagle and hir...

Jon Leiberman takes us behind the scenes of working at Baltimore's FOX 45 and 98 ROCK and how he transitioned from Baltimore to the national stage as one of the main correspondents on America’s Most Wanted. He later spent a decade working on The Howard Stern Show. We talk about what it was like to be a reporter on his hometown TV station, FOX 45 His run at 98 Rock — working alongside Kirk, Mark, a...

David Edgar was at Top 40 WAVA for six of its eight-year history. On this episode, we discuss some of the incredible personalities who worked at the station, including Don Geronimio, Shadow Smith, Sandy Weaver, Jim Elliott, Charlie and Herrigan, JJ McKay, Mark Mitchell, Greg Thunder, George McFly, and Gene Baxter. David talks about starting at the station as a high school intern, working his way u...

Uncle Johnny is a legend in DC radio. In the 1980s, he hosted nights at Q107 (WRQX). On this episode, Uncle Johnny talks about working nights at Q107 for four or five years and tells the story of getting rehired after leaving for a brief period. We also walk through his career and figure out how he jumped from a few small market radio stations to Washington, DC. We also talk about how he got the n...

In 1996, a new Top 40 station launched in Washington. Z104 was upbeat and fun and did very well in the ratings for many years. Mathew Blades worked nights at the station for its first four years and later returned as its last morning host. On this episode of the DCRTV Podcast, Mathew talks about what made Z104 such a great radio station and why it eventually failed. Mathew also shares how he was f...

Chris Core was on Washington radio for 44 years, including over 20 years co-hosting the Trumbull and Core show on WMAL. On this episode of the DCRTV Podcast, Chris talks about how he got hired at WMAL and ended up hosting afternoons with Bill Trumbull. We discuss how he teamed up with Brooke Stevens after Bill retired and why that partnership ended. Chris also talks about why he got fired from WMA...

The world was very different in 1991; there was no internet, no smartphones, and if you wanted local news, you had to wait for a live newscast from channels 4, 5, 7, or 9 or read it the next day in The Washington Post. Allbritton Communications, which owned Channel 7 (WJLA) at the time, saw an opportunity for a hyper-local 24/7 all-news TV Station, and NewsChannel 8 was born. Wayne Lynch was hired...

There was a unique period of radio from the 1930s to the 1950s called network radio, where shows similar to TV shows aired on radio stations. Since 1964, WAMU has aired reruns of these shows on their show called The Big Broadcast. On this episode, show host Murray Horwitz and producer Jill Ahrold Bailey discuss the show's history, including the history of former hosts John Hickman and Ed Walker. W...

Ernie takes us back to the founding of DC101 in the 1970's. Some of the topics we cover on this episode are: Why, in the early years of the radio station, they played Top 40 music during morning drive and AOR the rest of the day . We talk about some of the radio stations DC101 was competing with. Ernie tells us the secret to DC101's 50-year history of having so many legendary morning shows (Elliot...

In the 1970's, 80's and 90's, there was a great CHR radio station in Frederick called Z104. Kemosabi Joe was the Program Director and did mornings in the 1970s and 1980s. On this episode, we discuss how Joe made a small radio station sound so big. Some of the topics we cover during this episode: The secret that made Z104 such a great radio station Why Joe liked to recycle DJ names, somebody would...

WTOP's Senior VP/General Manager Joel Oxley takes us behind the scenes of WTOP's move from 1500 AM to 103.5 FM in 2008. In 2008, FM was mainly used for music programming, and news, talk, and sports formats were on AM. Around the country, FM stations did not have many spoken-word formats at that time. On this episode, Joel takes us behind the scenes on the steps he took to convince the station owne...

Steve Allan was the Program Director who launched Oldies 100 (WBIG) when Colfax Communications bought the radio station in 1993. On this episode, Steve talks about the other formats they considered and why they decided on Oldies. Steve shares his strategy to beat direct competitor Extra 104 (WXTR), how he hired the original airstaff before the station's launch, and how they kept the new format a s...

David Sproul retired from WMAL & WRQX in 2014 after 41 years with the radio stations. On this episode, David shares inside stories about what was happening behind the scenes at the radio stations. Our conversation covers a range of fascinating topics, including the old NABET union, in which DJs weren't allowed to hit a record button or run their own board. We also talk about the technical intr...

On this episode of the DCRTV Podcast, Joe Thomas shares his story of buying WTON in Staunton. We discuss his being fired from his previous radio station when they found out he was buying the radio station. We also talk about how he found out WTON was for sale, how he raised the money for the purchase, and his plan to use local programming. More from DCRTV: DCRTV.com Newsletter signup: https://dcrt...

Back in the days of AM radio, WOOK was a legendary urban radio station. The station had huge ratings and a loyal local following. In the 1970s, the station was involved in an illegal gambling scheme, and it ended up losing its AM license. Undeterred by the loss of its AM license, Bill Parris at United Broadcasting seized on the opportunity to move the format to United Broadcasting's FM frequency w...

On this episode of the DCRTV Podcast, Dan Lane sits down with the legendary Albie Dee as he recounts his remarkable journey from doing overnights in Hartford to becoming a powerhouse personality with a 40 share at WPGC. Albie landed at WPGC, as the station was changing from a failed AC format to Rhythmic CHR After 10 years at WPGC, he was ready for a new challenge, which led him to work mornings i...

The DCRTV Podcast interviews current and former Washington and Baltimore radio and TV personalities, sharing what happens behind the scenes at local stations. The first episode features Washington radio legend Loo Katz. Loo hosted mornings on WASH-FM for 14 years. Before that, he spent 10 years in afternoons at Mix 107.3, he did middays at WAVA, plus stops at other local stations. On this episode,...