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MsMusicRadio
Guest
Does anybody know why DC failed to get a major station with this format until WRC which was a bit late. Baltimore had WCAO and Philly had WIBG and WFIL. Anybody?
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The first time I visited DC in 1964 I was shocked to find that the only Top 40 was WPGC and daytime only.
Silkie said:
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MsMusicRadio
Guest
WCAO is licensed to Baltimore and broadcasts at 610. It covered some of DC, but never claimed to be a DC station. I was in DC on and off in 63 and 64. (How bizarre) and I was really surprised that the Top 40 stations included WPGC , a daytimer from Maryland, WEAM at 1390, and WEEL at 1310. Both of them were out of Virginia and virtually disappeared at night in the city. WEAM was 24/7 and sounded like the real deal, but clearly not technically able to provide city coverage outside of Arlington at night. The fun was which way to point the car to possibly bring it in. WABC came in better after dark. Later WRC went top 40 and gave Williard Scott to the world. My question is still why none of the stronger signals picked up this format even during the British Invasion ( the one with music). I've heard the case that DC was too R&B oriented, but if so, why was R&B on weak little WOOK and WOL? The bigger signals ignored that too. At one point I think Detroit had 4 top 40 stations on decent signals going all at the same time. Just seems odd that DC really had nothing much.
MsMusicRadio said:
It seemed very odd to me too. I remember listening to WPGC during the day and WABC or WLS at night.
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MsMusicRadio
Guest
I think DC had major stations at 570, 630, 980, and 1260. That wasn't much, but Pittsburgh had only 5 but had KQV and KDKA during the Sixties.
MsMusicRadio said:
Very strange that DC had no major Top 40.
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MsMusicRadio
Guest
Forgot WTOP at 50,000 Watts at 1500. They coulda been top 40, but never was.
MsMusicRadio said:
Could've been a powerhouse, but CBS wasn't into Top 40 back then.
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MsMusicRadio
Guest
If DC had an ABC or Storz station in would have been different. Might have changed radio history. :
MsMusicRadio said:If DC had an ABC or Storz station in would have been different. Might have changed radio history. :
Yes--ABC would have put Top 40 on in DC for sure.
radioman148 said:
WEAM, 1390, 5kw day and night, The Weam Team, was Top 40 most of the decade. Harry Averil was GM at the end of the decade. They had very big ratings, and a decent enough signal at the time... did not get much beyond places like Beltsville to the East, though, and not good north of Bethesda at night. Daytime, excellent everywhere in the metro and had the numbers to show it.
WPGC was daytime, but 50 kw on 1580 is really not that big. They had been Top 40 since the late 50's, and in 1969 they fired up the FM and did Top 40 there, quite successfully in later years.
WEEL in Fairfax was Top 40 a time or two, but very breeiefly. WEEL ended the decade with Jack Alix doing gold for a couple of years. WINX 1600 in suburban Rockville was Top 40, but the coverage was strictly the northern tip of the market.
570 was classical, and although owned by RKO, was "protected" by corporate from switching. WMAL and WRC were old line, as was WWDC on 1260. 1340 and 1450 were r&b,
Silkie said:
600. One of the Plough stations, along with other Top 40's WCOP in Boston, WMPS in Memphis, and, in much of the 60's, expanded daytimer WJJD in Chicago.
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MsMusicRadio
Guest
I remeber a lot of trouble getting WEAM at night right in the city center.
MsMusicRadio said:
I lived on Newark in NW, and the signal was great there... the transmitter is only a few miles from the Potomac, and at night it sends a love of about 20 kw right over the District.
DavidEduardo said:
I must have had a bad radio because the few times I was in DC in the 60s I only heard WPGC playing Top 40.
I was happy at night when I could hear WABC or WLS.
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MsMusicRadio
Guest
I know I heard them at night because I remember the Topp's Drive-in commercials, but I just don't remember a city grade signal. If they had a major signal over DC, what brought WRC into the mix?
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