WASH (FM)

WASH (97.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station owned and operated by iHeartMedia and located in Washington, D.C.. Known on-air as "WASH-FM," the station airs an adult contemporary radio format. WASH switches to Christmas music from mid-November through Christmas Day (as well as on July 25 for "Christmas in July") and calls itself "Washington's Home For The Holidays" during the holiday season. The studios and offices are on Rockville Pike (Maryland Route 355) in Rockville, Maryland.

WASH
CityWashington, D.C.
Broadcast areaWashington metropolitan area
Frequency97.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding97.1 WASH-FM
SloganFM/HD1: Washington’s Variety From The '80s, '90s and Now!
HD2: "Air1" Worship Now
HD3: "The Breeze" Relaxing Favorites
Programming
FormatFM/HD1: Adult contemporary
HD2: Contemporary worship music
HD3: Soft adult contemporary
Ownership
OwneriHeartMedia, Inc.
(AMFM Radio Licenses, L.L.C.)
Sister stationsWBIG, WIHT, WMZQ, WWDC
History
First air dateDecember 17, 1946
Former call signsWSDC (1946, Construction permit)
KG2XIG (1958, part-time)[1]
Former frequencies98.9 MHz (1946–1947)
Call sign meaningWASHington, D.C.
Technical information
Facility ID70933
ClassB
ERP17,500 watts
HAAT242 meters (794 ft)
Links
WebcastFM/HD1: Listen Live
HD2: Listen Live
HD3: Listen Live
WebsiteWASHfm.iheart.com

The transmitter site is in DC's Tenleytown district, on Chesapeake Street NW off Wisconsin Avenue.[2] WASH has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 17,500 watts, broadcasting from a tower at 242 meters (794 feet) in height above average terrain (HAAT). With a good radio, WASH can be heard from Baltimore to Fredericksburg, Virginia.

WASH broadcasts in the HD digital hybrid format.[3] The HD2 subchannel carries contemporary worship music network Air1 and the HD3 subchannel plays soft adult contemporary music, known as "The Breeze." WASH streams its broadcasts on the iHeartRadio platform.

History

Early Years

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a construction permit for 101.3 MHz WSDC in September 1946. It changed its call sign to WASH two months later. While it built transmitting facilities, WASH received special temporary authority to broadcast on 98.9 with reduced power, beginning December 17, 1946, using the transmitter of experimental station W3XI in Northwest Washington. The station was reassigned to its current frequency, 97.1 MHz, in mid-1947 without ever broadcasting on 101.3.[1]

From September 16, 1947, through May 3, 1950, WASH relayed the BBC Overseas Service and thrice-daily time signals from WWV via shortwave while it constructed a studio. After it signed on the air, it was also granted unusual permission to operate as a non-commercial station (identified by the experimental call sign KG2XIG instead of its normal call sign) from September 18, 1958 through December 31, 1958.[1]

In the early era of FM broadcasting, most stations were co-owned with an AM station and often simulcast its programming, when few listeners had FM receivers. WASH was a rare stand-alone FM outlet.[4] It is among the three oldest FM stations in D.C. (along with WKYS and WWDC-FM). WASH was owned by Everett L. Dillard, who served as the president and general manager. The studios were located at 1319 F Street NW.

Metromedia Ownership

In 1968, Metromedia acquired the station, making WASH a sister station to WTTG.[5] Metromedia also owned successful radio stations across the U.S., including WNEW and WNEW-FM in New York City, WIP and WMMR in Philadelphia and KLAC and KMET in Los Angeles.

WASH has been an adult contemporary station in one form or another since the 1970s. Under Metromedia ownership, it was considered a personality-oriented middle of the road (MOR) station, similar to WNEW in New York. This was a format almost always found on AM radio, where people could hear it on kitchen radios and in the car; however, Metromedia didn't own an AM station in Washington, so WASH took on the format. Disc jockeys played the adult hits of the day, from Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand to The Carpenters and Dionne Warwick, chatting between the songs and airing hourly news updates.

For a few years in the early 1980s, the station attempted to do a Top 40/CHR format, publicized by the station's "WASH with the Stars" TV advertising campaign. Due to having little success against Washington's established Top 40 stations in WPGC-FM and WRQX, WASH would return to a full service adult contemporary format.

Outlet and AMFM Ownership

In 1986, WASH was sold to The Outlet Company, a Providence, Rhode Island-based broadcasting and retail firm which already owned All News AM 1500 WTOP. Under Outlet ownership, WASH became a more conventional AC station, reducing the DJ chatter. It was seeking office and workplace listeners.

In 1997, WASH changed hands again, this time acquired by AMFM, Inc.[6] In 1999, AMFM merged into Clear Channel Communications, which today is known as iHeartMedia.

Until late 2013, the station played disco music and related dance and pop songs (mostly 1970s hits) in a program known as "Jammin' Saturday Night" from 7 pm to midnight. After the 2013 holiday season, the program was revamped to play songs from the 1980s under the name "All 80's Saturday Night." In July 2017, that program was replaced by "Lovin' Life, Living the 80's," a similar show hosted by Tom Kent.

Air Personalities

Weekdays begin with the Toby & Chilli morning show, followed by Jenni Chase middays and Sabrina Conte in afternoons. In the evening, WASH carries the syndicated Delilah show, featuring music requests and call-ins. Weekends include the syndicated Ellen K Show and Back Trax with Kid Kelly.

References
  1. "FCC History Card for WASH".
  2. Radio-Locator.com/WASH
  3. http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=8 Archived 2015-10-02 at the Wayback Machine HD Radio Guide for Washington D.C.
  4. Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 106
  5. Broadcasting Yearbook 1980 page C-41
  6. Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-83

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