Steve Wayne for Lou Katz on 1260 WWDC Washington
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.
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WMAL-AM 630 is the longtime ABC O&O in DC (legendary 80’s CHR Q107 was the ABC O&O FM)… in the 70’s, the FCC would not have allowed ownership of multiple AM’s in any market. But, the genius of ABC splitting up their network into various feeds—”Information” at the top of the hour, “Entertainment” at :30, “FM” at :45, and, “Contemporary” at :55—allowed ABC to dramatically increase the number of affiliates across the country and offer advertisers targeted reach with their spots, as each “network” was targeted at a different demographic. For instance, “Information” was targeted at the traditional Male 35-64 N/T or full-service listener… “Contemporary” at 12-24… etc… IIRC, In the 80’s ABC phased out “FM” into the “Direction” network.
While I don’t know anything at all about the DC market, I believe that I can narrow down the date of the aircheck. Judging about the current music that they were playing, this can’t be any earlier than 1977. further, the regular jock was off for Yom Kippur so this must have been late September 1977.
WMAL and WMAL-FM (later WRQX) became ABC O&O in 1977 when they were bought from the Washington Star. WWDC might have been only an affiliate.
I remember listening to WWDC-AM as a kid growing up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington. Back in the 70’s WWDC was the station to listen to-way before Q107 hit the airwaves. Most of us at Rock Creek Valley Elementary School didn’t have FM radios so WPGC was out of reach. You either listened to WWDC or WINX out of Rockville, MD. I can remember learning the words to 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by listening to WWDC and to this day I can still sing the WWDC jingles.