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WPGC (AM)
Encyclopedia
WNEW is a radio station broadcasting a talk
format. Licensed to the suburb of Morningside, Maryland
, it serves the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by CBS Radio
.
employee Harry Hayman received a construction permit for a radio station in Morningside
operating at 250 watt
s daytime-only on 1580 kilohertz. The call letters WPGC, representing Prince George's County
were issued soon afterwards.
In May 1954, WPGC began as a multi-formatted radio station. Maxwell Evans Richmond purchased the station from Harry Hayman for $10,000 on November 10, 1954.
On April 14, 1955, WPGC was issued a permit to raise power to 10,000 watts. It also moved its offices from Morningside to a facility in Southeast, Washington, D.C. in studios formerly used by WBUZ (95.5). In 1956, the station simulcasting its programming on 95.5, by then renamed WRNC; the station is now WPGC-FM
, which it became after WPGC bought 95.5 outright.
On June 28, 1965, the WPGC stations were granted a modification of their licenses to move their studios to Bladensburg
while continuing to identify their city of license as Morningside. By then, the station played Top-40 programming with a format similar to WABC
and WMCA
in New York City and CKLW
in Detroit, and was the most popular such station in the Washington area, rivaled only by WEAM (1390; now WZHF
). As the black population of Washington gained in influence, WPGC began to alternate playing "white" rock numbers with Motown and soul music.
After Max Richmond died in 1971, his estate received FCC approval on August 7, 1974 to sell the WPGC stations for $5.8 million to First Media Corporation. The transaction was finalized on October 17, 1974.
On April 9, 1979 the FCC granted WPGC a permit to raise power from 10 kilowatts to 50 kilowatts directional.
After 15 years in the Parkway Building in Bladensburg, the station moved to new state-of-the-art studios overlooking the Capital Beltway
in Greenbelt
in 1980; the station subsequently relocated to its current studios in Lanham.
WPGC was finally granted the permission to raise its power in 1986. First Media sold all of its properties for $177 million to Cook Inlet Partners, a group of Alaska Natives
in early 1987. That October, the station received night power, operating at 270 watts.
The station switched to a business talk format in 1988. In 1989, its night power was upgraded to 500 watts directional; the next year, it reverted to 270 watts, though still directional.
Infinity Broadcasting acquired the WPGC stations from Cook Inlet in June 1994 for $60 million. The next year, the station returned to music programming as "Flava 1580", with an all hip-hop/go-go format. The format was unsuccessful, and ultimately evolved to gospel
in November 1996 as "Heaven 1580".
WPGC dropped the gospel format October 7, 2008 and began simulcasting WPGC-FM. The simulcast ended on November 10, 2008, when the station switched to the current talk format. The station also dropped the WPGC call letters after 54 years, taking on the WHFS callsign that CBS had dropped from what is now WJZ-FM
a week before.
On December 1, 2011 WHFS chnaged their call leters to WNEW.
(whose program originates from sister station WPHT
), The Glenn Beck Program (whose host was at one time a WPGC DJ), Fred Thompson, Lou Dobbs
, and The Dr. Laura Program
. Initially, the station also carried The Radio Factor
with Bill O'Reilly
, which Westwood One
replaced with Fred Thompson several months after the format's launch.
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format. Licensed to the suburb of Morningside, Maryland
Morningside, Maryland
Morningside is an incorporated town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,295 at the 2000 census. The town developed with the establishment of nearby Andrews Air Force Base and the federal Census Bureau. The government of the town is led by a mayor and town council...
, it serves the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
.
History
On November 12, 1953, former FCCFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
employee Harry Hayman received a construction permit for a radio station in Morningside
Morningside, Maryland
Morningside is an incorporated town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,295 at the 2000 census. The town developed with the establishment of nearby Andrews Air Force Base and the federal Census Bureau. The government of the town is led by a mayor and town council...
operating at 250 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s daytime-only on 1580 kilohertz. The call letters WPGC, representing Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
were issued soon afterwards.
In May 1954, WPGC began as a multi-formatted radio station. Maxwell Evans Richmond purchased the station from Harry Hayman for $10,000 on November 10, 1954.
On April 14, 1955, WPGC was issued a permit to raise power to 10,000 watts. It also moved its offices from Morningside to a facility in Southeast, Washington, D.C. in studios formerly used by WBUZ (95.5). In 1956, the station simulcasting its programming on 95.5, by then renamed WRNC; the station is now WPGC-FM
WPGC-FM
WPGC-FM is one of the most popular among Washington, D.C.'s urban format radio station's, and has been ranked as one of its top rated radio stations for over 20 years, according to the Arbitron ratings. It has a city of license of Morningside at the 95.5 MHz frequency on the FM dial...
, which it became after WPGC bought 95.5 outright.
On June 28, 1965, the WPGC stations were granted a modification of their licenses to move their studios to Bladensburg
Bladensburg, Maryland
Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,661 at the 2000 census.Bladensburg is from central Washington, DC...
while continuing to identify their city of license as Morningside. By then, the station played Top-40 programming with a format similar to WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
and WMCA
WMCA
WMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
in New York City and CKLW
CKLW
CKLW is a 50,000 watt AM radio station broadcasting on 800 kHz and located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and serving Windsor and Detroit. Additionally, its signal can be heard as far west as Belding, Michigan; as far east as Batavia, New York; as far south as Edgewood, Kentucky; and as far...
in Detroit, and was the most popular such station in the Washington area, rivaled only by WEAM (1390; now WZHF
WZHF
WZHF is an AM radio station licensed to Arlington, Virginia, serving Metro Washington. WZHF is owned and operated by Way Broadcasting. It currently relays the English language service of the Voice of Russia. Before March 2011, it was a Spanish Contemporary station. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was a...
). As the black population of Washington gained in influence, WPGC began to alternate playing "white" rock numbers with Motown and soul music.
After Max Richmond died in 1971, his estate received FCC approval on August 7, 1974 to sell the WPGC stations for $5.8 million to First Media Corporation. The transaction was finalized on October 17, 1974.
On April 9, 1979 the FCC granted WPGC a permit to raise power from 10 kilowatts to 50 kilowatts directional.
After 15 years in the Parkway Building in Bladensburg, the station moved to new state-of-the-art studios overlooking the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
in Greenbelt
Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...
in 1980; the station subsequently relocated to its current studios in Lanham.
WPGC was finally granted the permission to raise its power in 1986. First Media sold all of its properties for $177 million to Cook Inlet Partners, a group of Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
in early 1987. That October, the station received night power, operating at 270 watts.
The station switched to a business talk format in 1988. In 1989, its night power was upgraded to 500 watts directional; the next year, it reverted to 270 watts, though still directional.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
in November 1996 as "Heaven 1580".
WPGC dropped the gospel format October 7, 2008 and began simulcasting WPGC-FM. The simulcast ended on November 10, 2008, when the station switched to the current talk format. The station also dropped the WPGC call letters after 54 years, taking on the WHFS callsign that CBS had dropped from what is now WJZ-FM
WJZ-FM
WJZ-FM is a radio station licensed to Catonsville, Maryland, and broadcasting from studios in suburban Towson, Maryland. The station is owned by CBS Radio.-History of the WJZ-FM callsign:...
a week before.
On December 1, 2011 WHFS chnaged their call leters to WNEW.
Programming
Most programming on WHFS is syndicated, including Michael SmerconishMichael Smerconish
Michael A. Smerconish is an American radio and television personality, newspaper columnist, author and MSNBC Political Analyst. His talk radio show is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at The Big Talker 1210 AM WPHT. He began his full time radio career in 2002...
(whose program originates from sister station WPHT
WPHT
WPHT is a CBS Radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1210 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it broadcasts in an omnidirectional pattern that allows it to cover most of the eastern half of North America at night. It uses the nickname "Talk Radio 1210 WPHT." The...
), The Glenn Beck Program (whose host was at one time a WPGC DJ), Fred Thompson, Lou Dobbs
Lou Dobbs
Louis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...
, and The Dr. Laura Program
Laura Schlessinger
Laura Catherine Schlessinger is an American talk radio host, socially conservative commentator and author. Her radio program consists mainly of her responses to callers' requests for personal advice and has occasionally featured her short monologues on social and political topics...
. Initially, the station also carried The Radio Factor
The Radio Factor
The Radio Factor was a nationally syndicated talk radio program, which aired from 2002–2009 and was hosted mainly by Bill O'Reilly. The program, which featured host commentary with a mix of listener call-in and guest segments was broadcast live every weekday from the Fox News Channel studios in...
with Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
, which Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
replaced with Fred Thompson several months after the format's launch.