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This article is about radio station WTOP. For the complete history of the Washington, D. C. 103. 5 MHz facility, see WGMS (FM). WGMS was a Radio station in Washington DC that maintained a Classical music format from 1946 to 2007.
WTOP-FM
Image:WTOP WTLP.JPG
City of license WTOP: Washington, D.C.
WTLP: Braddock Heights, Maryland
Broadcast area Washington, D.C.
Frequency WTOP: 103. A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting is the community that a Radio station or Television station Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Braddock Heights is a Census-designated place (CDP in Frederick County, Maryland, Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Frequency is a measure of the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit Time. 5 MHz
(Also on HD Radio)
WTLP: 103. The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. HD Radio is the name used by iBiquity for a system of digital transmission for audio broadcast stations 9 MHz
WJLA-DT2
First air date frequency:
January 4, 2006
1951 as WGMS-FM
September 18, 1948 as WQQW
Format News
ERP WTOP: 44,000 watts
WTLP: 350 watts
HAAT WTOP: 158 meters
WTLP: 292 meters
Class WTOP: B
WTLP: A
Facility ID WTOP: 11845
WTLP: 47105
Callsign meaning "At the TOP of your dial" (note: was originally at 1500 kHz, then regarded as the "top end" of the AM band)
Former callsigns WTOP:
WGMS (1951-2006)
WQQW (1948-1951)
WTLP:
WGYS (2006-2007)
WWVZ (1996-2006)
WXVR (1995-1996)
WZYQ (1980-1995)
Affiliations CBS Radio
WJLA-TV
Owner Bonneville International
Sister stations WFED, WWWT/WWWT-FM/WWWB, WPRS (sale pending to Radio One)
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.wtopnews.com

WTOP is the only all-news radio station in the Washington, D.C. area. The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. WJLA-TV, channel 7 is the ABC television affiliate in Washington D Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. WGMS was a Radio station in Washington DC that maintained a Classical music format from 1946 to 2007. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about Broadcast radio, for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. All-news radio is a Radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of News. In radio Telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power (ERP is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency (RF The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. Height above average terrain ( HAAT) (or less popularly EHAAT, Effective Height Above Average Terrain is used extensively in FM Radio and This is a list of broadcast station classes applicable in much of North America under international agreements between the United States, Canada and The facility ID number or FIN is a unique positive integer assigned by the United States Federal Communications Commission to each domestic and international In Broadcasting and Radio communications a call sign (also known as a callsign or call letters, or abbreviated as a call, or otherwise WGMS was a Radio station in Washington DC that maintained a Classical music format from 1946 to 2007. This article is about the radio group for the radio network see CBS Radio Network. WJLA-TV, channel 7 is the ABC television affiliate in Washington D History Bonneville International was formed with approval of the LDS First Presidency in 1964. In Broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels (or "sibling stations" in gender-neutral form are radio and/or Television stations WFED is a full-power radio station in the Washington DC region broadcasting on the Mediumwave AM band on 1500 kHz from just outside the District WPRS, known on air as Praise 1041, is an Urban Gospel Radio station in the Washington D Radio One Inc is an US company which owns and operates 69 Radio stations in 22 American cities and programs a channel on XM Satellite Radio A webcast is a media file distributed over the Internet using Streaming media technology A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages All-news radio is a Radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of News. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The station's primary signal is a monaural FM broadcast at 103. Monaural (often shortened to mono) sound reproduction is single-channel 5 MHz under the call sign WTOP-FM. The primary WTOP antenna and transmitter are located on the campus of American University in northwest Washington, with a backup transmission facility located on University Blvd. in Wheaton, Maryland. Wheaton is an unincorporated urbanized area in Montgomery County Maryland, USA, north of Washington D A secondary FM outlet WTLP-FM (formerly WGYS) at 103. 9 MHz from Braddock Heights, Maryland also now airs the WTOP feed. Braddock Heights is a Census-designated place (CDP in Frederick County, Maryland,

WTOP is a 24-hour news station with traffic and weather every ten minutes "on the 8s" (8, 18, 28, 38, 48, and 58 minutes after the hour). It is affiliated with the CBS Radio Network, and many of its reporters (including Neal Augenstein, Hank Silverberg and Tom Foty) also appear on the network. The CBS Radio Network provides news sports and other programming to more than 1000 radio stations throughout the United States

WTOP is owned by Bonneville International Corp, a broadcasting company wholly owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church). History Bonneville International was formed with approval of the LDS First Presidency in 1964. For the band see Broadcast (band Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or Video signals which transmit The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Besides WTOP, in Washington Bonneville also owns WWWT AM & FM (Talk Radio 3WT) and WFED (Federal News Radio, formerly an online-only service of WTOP), and is in the process of selling WPRS (Praise 104. WFED is a full-power radio station in the Washington DC region broadcasting on the Mediumwave AM band on 1500 kHz from just outside the District WPRS, known on air as Praise 1041, is an Urban Gospel Radio station in the Washington D 1) to Radio One, which currently operates the station under a Local Management Agreement (LMA). Radio One Inc is an US company which owns and operates 69 Radio stations in 22 American cities and programs a channel on XM Satellite Radio In US and Canadian Broadcasting, a local marketing agreement (or local management agreement, or LMA) is an Agreement

In 2005, the station began providing podcasts of selected broadcast programs. A podcast is a series of audio or Video digital-media files which is distributed over the Internet by syndicated Download In 2006, the station began broadcasting in digital "HD Radio", utilizing iBiquity Digital Corp.'s IBOC (in-band on-channel) technology. HD Radio is the name used by iBiquity for a system of digital transmission for audio broadcast stations iBiquity Digital Corporation is a company formed by the Merger of USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio, with the goal of creating In-band on-channel ( IBOC) is a method of transmitting Digital radio and Analog radio broadcast signals simultaneously on WTOP also offers alternative programming on 2 digital subchannels; WTOP-HD2 features Bonneville International's "iChannel" music format, which features unsigned, independent rock bands. WTOP-HD3 features a continuous loop of the most recent traffic and weather reports broadcast on WTOP's main signal.

As of April 2008, WTOP is ranked #1 in the Arbitron ratings among radio stations in the Washington, DC area. Arbitron ( is a Radio audience research company in the United States which collects listener data on radio audiences similar to that collected by Nielsen Media

In May of 2007, WTOP sold the naming rights to its "Glass Enclosed Nerve Center" (its nickname for its studio) to area business Ledo Pizza. Ledo Pizza is a pizzeria restaurant chain in the Southern United States, with the heaviest concentration in Maryland and Virginia. [1] That sponsorship concluded at the end of 2007.

In December of 2007, WTOP began simulcasting on WJLA-TV's "Weather Now" digital sub-channel. WJLA-TV, channel 7 is the ABC television affiliate in Washington D

Contents

History

1920s: Born in Brooklyn

WTOP's origins trace back to Brooklyn, New York, as station WTRC (operated by the Twentieth [District] Republican Club), going to air September 25, 1926, on 1250 kilocycles with a power of 50 watts. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Twentieth Republican Club, and the station, were run by the Ku Klux Klan; pressure by the federal government on the Klan forced WTRC to move out of the New York area. Ku Klux Klan ( KKK) is the name of several past and present secret domestic terrorist organizations in the United States, generally in the southern states that are Ironically, the station moved to the feds' backyard; on August 2, 1927, WTRC migrated to Mount Vernon Hills, Virginia as WTFF (which stood for the Klan's newspaper "The Fellowship Forum") at 1470 kHz. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mount Vernon is a Census-designated place (CDP in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. In November 1927, the power of WTFF was increased to 10,000 watts and the frequency changed to 1480 kilocycles.

On January 10, 1929, the call sign was changed to WJSV, reflecting the initials of James S. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Vance, who was publisher of "The Fellowship Forum" and a Grand Wizard in Virginia. Grand Wizard was the title given to the overall leader of the earliest form of the Ku Klux Klan, which formed during Southern Reconstruction. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Realizing the expense of running a 10,000-watt radio station, Vance quickly worked out a deal with the nascent Columbia Broadcasting System to become the new network's primary station in Washington, DC. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D CBS took over all of WJSV's programming and engineering costs, with an option to renew or purchase the station after five years. Soon realizing they were in bed with the Klan, negotiations began for CBS to purchase the station outright. [2]

1930s: CBS O&O

In June 1932, CBS finally purchased WJSV and moved it from Mount Vernon Hills to Alexandria, Virginia. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Alexandria is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. After three months off the air, WJSV resumed broadcasting on October 20, 1932. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Arthur Godfrey, who later hosted a variety program on CBS Radio and CBS Television, hosted a program on WJSV called The Sundial on which he honed a laid-back, conversational style that was unusual on radio at the time but came to be common practice for disc jockeys. Arthur Morton Leo Godfrey ( August 31 1903 &ndash March 16 1983) was an American Radio and Television broadcaster A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience

On September 21, 1939, WJSV recorded its entire broadcast day for posterity. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. The famous "One Day In Radio" tapes still exist and copies can be found at various Old Time Radio websites. Old-Time Radio (OTR and the Golden Age of Radio refer to a period of Radio programming lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until

WJSV was also a key training ground for pioneering newsman Bob Trout in the 1930s before he became a network correspondent. Robert (Bob Trout ( October 15, 1909 - November 14, 2000) was an American broadcast news reporter best known for his radio work before and during (One of his broadcasting mentors was Wells (Ted) Church, who later became a CBS News executive. CBS News is the news division of American Television and Radio network CBS. ) Longtime Los Angeles-area TV newscaster George Putnam began his career at WJSV in 1938, and is still working in radio nearly seven decades later. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West George Putnam ( July 14, 1914 – September 12, 2008) was an American Television News reporter and Talk

1940s

In 1940, WJSV's operating power was increased to 50,000 watts, with a new transmitter site built in Wheaton, Maryland. Wheaton is an unincorporated urbanized area in Montgomery County Maryland, USA, north of Washington D (That site is still in use today. )[3] On March 29, 1941, with the implementation of NARBA, WJSV moved its broadcast frequency from 1460 to 1500 kHz. Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement, usually referred to as NARBA, is a treaty made in 1941 between the United States Canada Mexico Cuba the Dominican The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second.

On March 16, 1943, after paying the Tiffin, Ohio police department $60,000 for the privilege, the calls were changed to the current WTOP because its new frequency was now at the "top" of the mediumwave AM band. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tiffin is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Seneca County. Medium Wave (MW is a part of the Medium frequency (MF radio band used mainly for AM broadcasting. The Washington Post bought a 55% share in WTOP from CBS in February 1949 and took over the remainder of the station in December 1954. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D

1960s and 70s: All-news

In the 1960s, WTOP phased out its music programming for a combination of newscasts and phone-in talk shows; eventually the call-in shows were dropped in favour of an all-news format. Among those working for WTOP during this time were Sam Donaldson, later on ABC-TV; Jim Bohannon, who took Larry King's place on his all-night radio network talk show after King went to CNN; and including Ralph Begleiter and Jamie MacIntyre, both of whom went to CNN. Samuel Andrew "Sam" Donaldson (born March 11 1934, El Paso Texas) is a reporter and News anchor for ABC News, substitute James E "Jim" Bohannon (born January 7, 1944) is a broadcaster who has worked in both Television and Radio. Larry King (born November 19, 1933) is an American television/radio host

The Post sold WTOP to The Outlet Company company in June, 1978 amid the FCC wanting to break up the Post/WTOP cross-ownership arrangement. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The Outlet Company was a corporation based in Providence, Rhode Island which owned holdings in both retail and broadcasting One month later, WTOP-TV was swapped with the Detroit News's WWJ-TV, and became WDVM-TV. The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the US WDIV-TV, channel 4 is the NBC Television station based in Detroit Michigan, United States. The station is today WUSA-TV, owned by Gannett. For the former Minneapolis TV station see KARE. WUSA is a television station broadcasting on channel 9 in Washington D Gannett Company Inc ( is a publicly-traded media Holding company based in the United States. The original FM frequency for WTOP-FM was 96. 3 MHz, but that frequency was donated to Howard University. Howard University is a private, Coeducational Nonsectarian University located in Washington D That station became WHUR in 1971, a commercially run radio station. "963 WHUR" is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station that serves the Washington D

1990s and 2000s: Move to FM

By the early 1990s, WTOP eventually acquired a Warrenton, Virginia, frequency (94. Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. 3 FM) for better coverage in the sprawling Virginia suburbs. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state On April 1, 1998, that frequency was swapped for a stronger signal at 107. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) 7, also licensed to Warrenton. Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. Then in December 2000, WTOP gained another simulcast in Frederick, Maryland with WXTR at 820 kHz, establishing the "WTOP Radio Network. Frederick is the County seat of Frederick County Maryland, United States. The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. "

On January 4, 2006, WTOP station owner Bonneville International announced that the station would move to a new primary frequency of 103. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. History Bonneville International was formed with approval of the LDS First Presidency in 1964. 5 FM, then held by classical station WGMS (which would move to 103. WGMS was a Radio station in Washington DC that maintained a Classical music format from 1946 to 2007. 9 and 104. 1 FM). The frequencies long-used by WTOP, 1500 kHz and 107. 7 MHz (and the low-powered 104. 3 FM translator in Leesburg), would be reassigned to the new "Washington Post Radio" for a March 30, 2006 launch date. Leesburg is a historic town in and County seat of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America Fittingly, this new partnership also signaled the Post's re-emergence into the radio scene on the very same dial spot WTOP once held. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D

The stations' respective call signs were changed as of January 11, 2006: the former WTOP pair became WTWP (The Washington Post) and WTOP's new primary stations (formerly WGMS-FM and WXTR) assumed the WTOP calls. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. WGMS was a Radio station in Washington DC that maintained a Classical music format from 1946 to 2007. An HD Radio digital subchannel of the 103. HD Radio is the name used by iBiquity for a system of digital transmission for audio broadcast stations In broadcasting digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same Digital radio or Digital television station 5 carrier currently broadcasts Bonneville International's "iChannel" music format, which features unsigned, independent rock bands.

In 2006 WTOP dropped its long-standing association with The Weather Channel and began airing weather reports exclusively from WJLA-TV (ABC-7) all day long. The Weather Channel (also TWC) is a commercially-sponsored US WJLA-TV, channel 7 is the ABC television affiliate in Washington D Previously, WTOP had used weather reports from WJLA chief meteorologist Doug Hill during morning and evening rush hours and The Weather Channel all other times. Doug Hill is the Chief Meteorologist for ABC 7 News/ WJLA-TV in Washington D The station now uses all WJLA meteorologists, not just Doug Hill. WJLA-TV, channel 7 is the ABC television affiliate in Washington D WJLA's "Live Super Doppler 7" has and continues to be featured in weather reports as necessary. WJLA-TV, channel 7 is the ABC television affiliate in Washington D

In 2007 the WTOP radio configuration was realigned once again. WTLP-FM (formerly WGYS) at 103. 9 picked up the WTOP simulcast on April 6, 2007 after the adult hits "George 104" format was pulled, adopted the WTLP calls on July 5, 2007. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. WTOP-AM changed its calls to WTWT and has switched to the Washington Post Radio simulcast on June 28, 2007. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. On September 20, 2007, the 1500/107. 7/820 multicast changed format over to a general talk format as "Talk Radio 3WT" under the WWWT/WWWT-FM/WWWB call letters.

In March of 2008 WTOP completed a year-long, $2. 5-million state-of-the-art renovation of its newsroom and studios, the first since 1989 when the station moved into the building it presently occupies in northwest Washington.

Awards

References


External links


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