Airchexx.com » Washington DC

Uncle Johnny on WRQX "Q107″ Washington DC | December 26, 1983

Steve West — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 04:10:30 +0000

So I’m thinking, maybe we should have waited till after Thanksgiving to post the Christmas holiday airchecks, no? Back to the day after Christmas, 1983 for a great, original recording of Uncle Johnny (WZOU) at play on Q107. Listen for plenty of overplayed CHR stiffs, like Shannon’s “Let The Music Play”, Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” and more… only the intros, gang, to keep us out of hot water with the copyright police.

Unique, if not plastic sounding jingles, dead segues and the talent of Uncle Johnny… A real mix of music on a station that today blandly calls itself “Mix”. In so many ways, a breath of fresh air from today’s sameness… from 1983, HitRadio Q107!

Uncle Johnny on WRQX “Q107″ Washington DC | December 26, 1983 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Celeste Clark on WRQX "Q107″ Washington DC | December 26, 1985

Steve West — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 04:01:02 +0000

In 1985, WRQX was one of a number of stations which today are playing in the Adult Contemporary world but then were hot CHR stations. Courtesy of contributor Robyn Watts, we have an original recording now of Celeste Clark, working away part of her four day Christmas Holiday (and probably wishing she was returning gifts with half the city).

Noteables here, for those who listen for the tiny details… There’s a few dead segues, and listen for Wham’s “Last Christmas” – except for the All-Christmas stations, who plays Christmas songs AFTER Christmas day? Listen for some unique Q107 jingles and notice that their commercial production is outstanding… in a day when they still used a reel to reel machine and a razor blade.

It’s short, but a pretty good scope of one of Washington’s great CHR stations of the past!

Celeste Clark on WRQX “Q107″ Washington DC | December 26, 1985 is a post from: Airchexx.com

The Terry Knight Show on WEAM 1390 Arlington VA | January 1964

Steve West — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:41:54 +0000

Here’s one that will make you go WOW!… Terry Knight on WEAM – this sounds like a big station, and being that it is in the now-Washington Metro market, it probably was back in ‘67. But at only 1,000 watts, who woulda thought?

Big town sound on the station that later would become WMZQ, Washington’s Country station. This relatively flea powered AM served the suburb of Arlington Virginia.

Apparently pulled right off the master reel, this comes to you in stunning audio quality for such an old aircheck. Runs about 5 minutes.

The Terry Knight Show on WEAM 1390 Arlington VA | January 1964 is a post from: Airchexx.com

QuickCheck: J. R. Russ on WAVA Arlington VA | 1985

Steve West — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 03:12:46 +0000

Our newest contributor fits right in on this powerhouse CHR station. It’s vintage 80s on one of DC’s most legendary 80s stations!

QuickCheck: J. R. Russ on WAVA Arlington VA | 1985 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Tom Kent on 105 WAVA Arlington | March 27, 1984

Steve West — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 13:07:55 +0000

Here’s one of our favorites – Tom Kent, heard elsewhere here on WLS & G98, serving up some high-energy Top 40, with all the fixin’s! WAVA is in the early stages of CHR here, once having been a big Rock station. We all know what this station preaches today… but way back when (over 20 years now), this was THE station to listen to in the Washington DC area!

Tom Kent on 105 WAVA Arlington | March 27, 1984 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Alex Mitchell on 1540 WDON Washington

Steve West — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 16:56:16 +0000

From the late-70s (I’m guessing 1977) when Jimmy Carter was still president and the Nation’s Capitol still had music on AM, here’s Oldies WDON. Alex Mitchell sounds excellent in this, a very AC sounding Oldies-based station.

WDON bills itself as “Washington’s Gold Rush”. Well, this is unique. You’ll never hear The Partridge Family played on any of the remaining Oldies stations today!

Alex Mitchell on 1540 WDON Washington is a post from: Airchexx.com

Jim Elliot & Don O'Day on WPGC AM & FM Morningside

Steve West — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 16:17:13 +0000

This is Musicradio WPGC! From sometime in the 70s, a really GREAT morning show featuring lots of elements to make you smile. A Gong Show type contest at just before the hour… Dan O’Day and “Choose Your News” (some may remember this feature at WLS Chicago), and more!

Overall, this apparently right out-of-the-skimmer tape is fantastic! WPGC would eventually morph into an Urban station in the 80s, but untl then, what an amazing Top 40 station this was!

Jim Elliot & Don O’Day on WPGC AM & FM Morningside is a post from: Airchexx.com

Donnie Simpson on 93.9 WKYS Washington

Steve West — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:30:26 +0000

The beginnings of format fragmentation. The end of traditional Top 40. Whatever you call it, this is how it sounded when Disco stations popped up all over the country.

This is an interesting sounding station. Apparently from 1978, or so we’d guess, 93-KYS calls itself the all disco station, but the playlist is not exclusively disco. You’ll hear a portion of “Love Won’t Let me Wait” by Major Harris… that’s a bit slow for this format… and you’ll also hear KC & The Sunshine Band and a few mainstream disco crossovers in this format. Overall, it sounds good, but your webmaster remembers when Ritchie Balsbaugh launched WXKS-FM (Kiss 108) in Boston back in late ‘78, and there wasn’t a slow song in rotation at that station. Also, 93-KYS runs NBC network news, as you’ll hear at the end of this aircheck.

This is a much different sounding station than the Urban flavor that WKYS evolved into, but it’s very interesting and very laid-back for a Disco station. Definitely worth your quarter-hour!

Donnie Simpson on 93.9 WKYS Washington is a post from: Airchexx.com

Steve Wayne for Lou Katz on 1260 WWDC Washington

Steve West — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 14:41:49 +0000

Here’s a short look at the AM side of WWDC from approximately the mid-1970s. While the exact date is unknown (we’ve had good luck with listeners doing research of their own for us – so have at it and post it in the ‘comments’ section below, if you wish), we think this is from a time when there were just two Top 40 AM stations in the nation’s Capitol. The other was the more recognizable WPGC.

This was apparently an ABC O&O station, featuring news from the “American Contemporary Radio” network, and jocks like Lou Katz and Jack Casey. You’ll hear a promotion for the WWDC ‘Something Special’ contest, a few full length commercials and part of a network newscast.

Steve Wayne for Lou Katz on 1260 WWDC Washington is a post from: Airchexx.com

WPIK Alexandria VA signoff

Steve West — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 13:39:05 +0000

Included on another tape in the ‘annonymous’ donation from Christmas ‘04, this is part of the sign off of WPIK Alexandria VA. It invites listeners to tune to their FM station for more Country music all night.

A bit of research turns up that WPIK was on 730 in Alexandria VA, the Washington DC market. Signed on in 1945 and changed call letters to WPKX in 1980 (and those calls have been on 97.9 in Springfield Mass since 1989). You can research the entire AM band history in Washington by going to this website.. Thanks to Thomas A. White for the information.

Very few stations sign off at midnight anymore, but years ago, it was common practice for class C AMs to go off the air at midnight, or at dusk, if they had to protect a clear channel (FCC Designation, not the company) AM station’s night contour. Even some FM stations would sign off at Midnight thinking there wasn’t enough audience to support the light bill during the overnight. So, we bring you a signoff as a part of radio history not often repeated anymore.

WPIK Alexandria VA signoff is a post from: Airchexx.com