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Coordinates: 39°2′31.39″N 77°2′45.92″W / 39.0420528°N 77.0460889°W / 39.0420528; -77.0460889 (WFED)
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{{short description|Clear-channel news/talk radio station in Washington, D.C.}}
{{short description|Clear-channel news/talk radio station in Washington, D.C.}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{About| radio station WFED| the complete history of the Washington, D.C. 1500 kHz facility| WTOP-FM}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}

{{Infobox radio station
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WFED
| name = WFED
| logo = WFED Federal News Radio logo.png
| city = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| logo_size = 200px
| country = US
| city = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| logo = WFED Federal News Radio logo.png
| area = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| logo_upright = .8
| branding = ''Federal News Network''
| area = [[Washington metropolitan area]]
| frequency = 1500 [[kilohertz|kHz]]
| frequency = {{Frequency|1500|[[kHz]]}}
| branding = ''Federal News Network''
| translator = W283DG (104.5 [[MHz]], [[Sterling, Virginia|Sterling, VA]])
| airdate = {{start date and age|1926|9|25}}
| language = [[American English|English]]
| format = [[News talk]]
| format = [[News/talk]]
| affiliations = {{ubl|[[Associated Press]]|[[CBS News Radio]]|[[Voice of America]]|[[WUSA (TV)|WUSA]]}}
| power = 50,000 [[watt]]s
| class = A
| owner = [[Hubbard Broadcasting]]
| licensee = Washington DC FCC License Sub, LLC
| facility_id = [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=74120 74120]
| sister_stations = [[WBQH]], [[WTOP-FM|WTOP-FM, WWWT-FM]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|39|02|31|N|77|02|47|W|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:US-DC|name=WFED}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1926}}
| callsign_meaning = "Federal News Radio"
| former_callsigns = WTRC (1926–27)<br />WTFF (1927–29)<br />WJSV (1929–43)<br />WTOP (1943–2006)<br />WTWP (2006–07)<br />WWWT (2007–08)
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WTRC (1926–1927)|WTFF (1927–1929)|WJSV (1929–1943)|WTOP (1943–2006)|WTWP (2006–2007)|WWWT (2007–2008)}}
| former_frequencies = 1250 kHz (1927)<br />1470 kHz (1927)<br />1480 kHz (1927–28)<br />1460 kHz (1928–41)
| former_frequencies = {{ubl|1250 kHz (1927)|1470 kHz (1927)|1480 kHz (1927–1928)|1460 kHz (1928–1941)}}
| callsign_meaning = "Federal News Radio"
| affiliations = [[Associated Press]]<br />[[CBS News Radio]]<br />[[Voice of America]]<br />[[WUSA (TV)|WUSA]]
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| owner = [[Hubbard Broadcasting]]
| licensee = Washington DC FCC License Sub, LLC
| facility_id = 74120
| class = A
| sister_stations = [[WBQH]], [[WTOP-FM|WTOP-FM/WWWT-FM]]
| power = 50,000 watts
| webcast = {{listenlive|https://federalnewsnetwork.com/listen-live/}}
| coordinates = {{Coord|39|2|31.39|N|77|2|45.92|W|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:US-DC|name=WFED|display=inline,title}}
| website = {{URL|https://federalnewsnetwork.com/}}
| translators = {{ubl|{{Radio Relay|104.5|W283DG|[[Sterling, Virginia]]}}|{{Radio Relay|105.5|W288BS|[[Reston, Virginia]]}}}}
| webcast = {{listenlive|https://federalnewsnetwork.com/listen-live/}}
| website = {{URL|https://federalnewsnetwork.com/}}
}}
}}
'''WFED''' (1500 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a 50,000-watt [[List of broadcast station classes|Class A]] radio station in Washington, D.C. The station owned by [[Hubbard Broadcasting]], and branded "Federal News Network", broadcasts a [[news/talk]] format focused on issues and news pertaining to members and staff of the [[United States government]].


WFED's studios are located at Hubbard's broadcast complex in northwest Washington, while its transmitter site is located at a three-tower array in [[Wheaton, Maryland]]. The station transmits full-time with a power of 50,000 watts. A single transmitter tower, with a [[Omnidirectional antenna|non-directional]] signal, is used during the day. At night, all three towers are used for a [[directional antenna|directional]] pattern, with a null toward the west to protect [[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]] in [[St. Paul, Minnesota]]. WFED's signal can be heard across most of the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern Seaboard]] at night.
'''WFED''' (1500 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a 50,000-watt [[List of broadcast station classes|Class A]] radio station in the [[Washington, D.C.]] region. The station, which brands as '''Federal News Network''', broadcasts a [[news talk]] format focused on issues and news pertaining to members and staff of the [[United States government]]. Owned by [[Hubbard Broadcasting]], WFED's studios are located at Hubbard's broadcast complex in northwest Washington, while its transmitter is located at a three-tower array in [[Wheaton, Maryland]].


WFED became a Primary Entry Point station for the Emergency Alert System in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sbe37.org/index.php?action=P&page_id=448|title=SBE Chapter 37 - Prior Meetings Page - AM Revitalization - WFED 1500 AM Transmitter}}</ref>
WFED transmits with a power of 50,000 watts continuously. A single tower is used during the day, providing at least secondary coverage to large portions of [[Maryland]] (including [[Baltimore]]) and [[Virginia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WFED&service=AM&h=D|title = WFED-AM Radio Station Coverage Map}}</ref> At night, power is fed to all three towers in a directional pattern to protect Hubbard's flagship radio station, [[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]] in [[St. Paul, Minnesota]]. This results in areas of [[Northern Virginia]] getting only marginal coverage at best.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WFED&service=AM&h=N|title = WFED-AM Radio Station Coverage Map}}</ref> However, even with this restriction, WFED's signal can be heard across most of the eastern half of North America with a good radio. WFED became a Primary Entry Point station for the Emergency Alert System in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sbe37.org/index.php?action=P&page_id=448|title=SBE Chapter 37 - Prior Meetings Page - AM Revitalization - WFED 1500 AM Transmitter}}</ref> {{cns|date=June 2020|In 2006, the station began broadcasting in digital "[[HD Radio]]".}} As of July 1, 2017, WFED is also available on [[WTOP-FM]]-HD2 in the Washington, D.C. area.<ref name="dcrtv">{{cite web |url=http://www.dcrtv.com/index.html |title=Radio Sputnik Off WTOP - 6/29 |date=June 29, 2017 |website=www.dcrtv.com |access-date=July 2, 2017}}</ref>

==Programming==
WFED's weekday programming consists primarily of original news and talk content for federal government employees, the Senior Executive Service, and contractors. While most of this airs on a daily basis, various programming is rotated in the midday hours. Co-owned all-news [[WTOP-FM]] (103.5 FM) is simulcast weeknights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and all day on weekends, except for sports coverage.<ref>{{cite web |title=Daily Schedule |url=https://federalnewsnetwork.com/listen-live/}}</ref>

WFED is the flagship station for [[George Washington Colonials]] basketball. It also carries [[Navy Midshipmen]] football, basketball and lacrosse games as an affiliate station. WFED is also the flagship station of the [[Washington Wizards]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/10/12/capitals-and-wizards-announce-radio-partnership-with-wfed-1500/ |title=Capitals and Wizards announce radio partnership with WFED 1500 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 12, 2016 |accessdate=June 11, 2022}}</ref> Though dropped as both teams' flagship, the station remains an affiliate of the [[Washington Capitals]] and [[Washington Nationals]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Caps Radio 24/7 |url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/multimedia/caps-radio-247 |website=Washington Capitals |access-date=September 27, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WFED Sports Schedule |url=https://federalnewsnetwork.com/sports-schedule/}}</ref>

==Translator==
{{RadioTranslators
| call1 = W283DG
| freq1 = 104.5
| watts1 = 190
| class1 = D
| fid1 = 202258
| city1 = Sterling, Virginia
| coord1 = {{coord|39|1|3.4|N|77|25|47|W|region:US-VA_type:landmark|name=W283DG}}
| call2 = W288BS
| freq2 = 105.5
| city2 = Reston, Virginia
| fid2 = 140589
| watts2 = 99
| haat2 = 188
| class2 = D
| coord2 = {{Coord|38|57|50.4|N|77|6|16.9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:US-VA|name=W288BS}}
| notes2 = Relays WTOP-FM-HD2
}}


==History==
==History==
===Establishment in Brooklyn, New York===
{{confusing section|date=June 2020|reason=the history before 2007 is an incoherent jumble of unsourced claims about the origins of simulcasts and other formats implied to be transferred from or to other stations around the 1990s and 2000s, with no clear timeline for this station from 1927 or its separate history, which seems to instead be covered in (mostly unsourced) [[WTOP-FM#History]]}}
The station was first licensed on September 25, 1926, as WTRC, to the Twentieth Assembly District Regular Republican Club, Inc., 62 Woodbine Street in [[Brooklyn]].<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3221818&view=1up&seq=161 "New Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', September 30, 1926, page 3.</ref> It was established during a chaotic period when most government regulation had been suspended, with new stations free to be set up with few restrictions.<ref>"WTRC", ''The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921-1996'' by Bill Jaker, Frank Sulek and Peter Kanze, 1998, page 180.</ref> As of the end of 1926, WTRC was reported to be at 1250&nbsp;kHz, with a power of 50 watts.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112106763060&view=1up&seq=463 "Broadcasting stations, alphabetically by call signals"] ''Radio Service Bulletin'', December 31, 1926, page 21.</ref> In March 1927, government oversight of radio stations was reestablished, with the formation of the [[Federal Radio Commission]] (FRC).


===Move south===
===Formation of Federal News Network===
On August 2, 1927, the station's owner was changed to the Independent Publishing Company, the call sign was changed to WTFF, reflecting its affiliation with ''The Fellowship Forum'' newspaper, in addition to a relocation to [[Mount Vernon, Virginia|Mount Vernon Hills, Virginia]], a southern suburb of Washington, D.C. In the fall of 1928, the call sign was changed to WJSV,<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3221818&view=1up&seq=722 "Alterations and Corrections"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', October 31, 1928, page 8.</ref> the initials of the ''Fellowship Forum'' publisher, James S. Vance, who was controversial due to ties he and his newspaper had to the [[Ku Klux Klan]]. On November 11, 1928, under the provisions of a major national reallocation by the FRC's [[General Order 40]], WTFF was assigned to a "high-powered regional" frequency of 1460&nbsp;kHz, with a power of 10,000 watts. The only other station assigned to this frequency was [[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]] in Saint Paul, Minnesota.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3221814&view=1up&seq=250 "Broadcasting Stations, by Wave Lengths, Effective November 11, 1928], ''Commercial and Government Radio Stations of the United States'' (edition June 30, 1928), page 176.</ref>
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2020}}
The format was launched by [[Bonneville International]], former owners of terrestrial-based all-news station [[WTOP-FM|WTOP]], as FederalNewsRadio.com—the first Internet-only all news station, and the first Internet station to make the jump to terrestrial radio—on February 22, 2000. For some time before then, WTOP had significant listenership among federal employees, and many of them had emailed the station asking for more coverage tailored to federal employees. The programming concept has changed little to this day, except that the [[Associated Press]]' All News Radio service originally filled in during the overnight hours, as a complement to WTOP.


[[File:Advertisement for radio station WJSV announcing CBS acquisition (1932).gif|thumb|In 1932 the Columbia Broadcasting System assumed control of WJSV<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting13unse/page/n802/mode/1up WJSV] (advertisement), ''Broadcasting'', October 1, 1932, page 4.</ref>]]
It is one of a few radio stations that originated on the Internet prior to moving onto a traditional broadcasting signal. It first found a home on the radio dial in 2004, on the 1050&nbsp;kHz frequency licensed to [[Silver Spring, Maryland]]; that station was founded in 1946 as [[beautiful music]] station WGAY, but had become business radio station WPLC by 2004, when Bonneville bought the station and converted it to Federal News Radio and the WFED call letters.
In late 1931, the [[Columbia Broadcasting System]] (CBS) applied to construct a 250 watt "booster" station in Washington, retransmitting the signal of its New York City station, however this request was denied by the FRC.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting13unse/page/n127/mode/1up "Commission Denies Application of CBS For Washington Booster by 3-to-2 Vote"], ''Broadcasting'', December 1, 1931, pages 6, 34.</ref> As an alternative, CBS next made arrangements to lease WJSV, and took over all of WJSV's programming and engineering costs, with an option to renew or purchase the station after five years. This resulted in the transfer of the local CBS network affiliation from [[WSBN|WMAL]] to WJSV.<ref name=CBS>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting13unse/page/n840/mode/1up "WJSV, New CBS Outlet, Opens Oct. 20 as WMAL Plans Added Features"], ''Broadcasting'', October 15, 1932, page 10.</ref> CBS also moved the transmitter site to Potomac Yards in Alexandria to boost power and improve the coverage pattern.


In June 1932, CBS exercised its option to purchase WJSV outright, and moved its operations to [[Alexandria, Virginia]]. After three months off the air, WJSV resumed broadcasting on October 20, 1932.<ref name=CBS/> In 1936, with the elimination of the jurisdictional quotas that had been imposed by the [[Davis Amendment]], the station's studios were moved from Alexandria to the [[Warner Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Earle Building]] in Washington.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting11unse/page/n719/mode/1up "Painless Moving"], ''Broadcasting'', November 1, 1936, page 32.</ref> On September 21, 1939, WJSV recorded its entire broadcast day for posterity. The [[WJSV broadcast day]] recordings still exist and copies can be found at the [[Internet Archive]] and various [[old time radio]] websites.
When AP All News Radio was terminated, the station began an affiliation with [[CNN Headline News]], which itself was phased out in 2007 by provider [[Westwood One (1976–2011)|Westwood One]]. In November 2007, the 1050 frequency increased its daytime power from 1&nbsp;kW to 3.5&nbsp;kW in order to better reach the government office workers in Washington, D.C. who comprise its core audience.


[[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. WJSV was also a key training ground for pioneering newsman [[Bob Trout]] in the 1930s before he became a network correspondent. (One of his broadcasting mentors was Wells (Ted) Church, who later became a [[CBS News]] executive.) Longtime Los Angeles-area TV newscaster [[George Putnam (newsman)|George Putnam]] worked at WJSV in 1938 and continued to work in radio for seven decades until his death in 2008. [[Frank Blair (anchor)|Frank Blair]], who later became an NBC News correspondent and later was a long time news anchor on the ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today]]'' show during the 1960s and early 1970s, worked at WJSV. [[John Charles Daly|John Daly]], longtime host of game show "[[What's My Line?]]" and 1950s anchor on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]-TV news, also got his start on WJSV.
The 1050 frequency is now used by Hubbard as [[regional Mexican]] station [[WBQH]].


===Washington Post Radio===
===1940s===
[[File:Advertisement announcing radio station call sign change from WJSV to WTOP (1943).gif|thumb|In 1943 the station's call letters were changed to WTOP<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting24unse/page/n728/mode/1up WTOP] (advertisement), ''Broadcasting'', April 5, 1943, page 5.</ref>]]
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2020}}
In 1940, power was increased to 50,000 watts from a new transmitter site in [[Wheaton, Maryland]]. In March 1941, as part of the implementation of the [[North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement]], the station was assigned to its current "clear channel" frequency of 1500&nbsp;kHz, with the provision that it and KSTP, both "Class I-B" stations, had to maintain directional antennas at night to mutually protect each other from interference.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32437010939748&view=1up&seq=586 "Assignments of United States Standard Broadcast Stations Listed by Frequency"], page 1442.</ref>
The current WFED, along with [[WWFD]], WWWT-FM and W282BA, were former frequencies and simulcasts of WTOP. On March 30, 2006, WTOP transitioned entirely to FM, with 1500 AM (previously the main frequency) and 107.7 becoming "[[Washington Post Radio]]" under the calls WTWP and WTWP-FM, respectively.


The station's call letters were changed from WJSV to WTOP on April 4, 1943. The new call sign was selected to be easier to remember. In addition, at this time the highest [[AM broadcasting|AM band]] frequency in the U.S. was 1500&nbsp;kHz, so the new call sign reflected the station's position near "the top of the dial" on radio receivers.<ref>[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1943-04-04/ed-1/seq-54/ "WJSV Becomes WTOP Beginning Today"], ''Washington, D.C. Evening Star'', April 4, 1943, page E-3.</ref>
The primary AM station was one of the oldest frequencies in the capital. It had originally been founded as [[Brooklyn, New York]] station WTRC in 1926, moving to Washington in 1927 as WJSV. A series of power increases culminated in its current 50,000-watt facility in Wheaton in 1940. The call letters became WTOP in 1943.


CBS sold 55 percent majority control of WTOP to ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in February 1949; this deal was made so CBS could acquire full control of [[KCBS (AM)|KQW]] in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-05-24-BC.pdf|title=WTOP-KQW: CBS Sells 55% D. C.; Planning TV|date=May 24, 1948|work=Broadcasting|access-date=December 5, 2019|pages=27, 105}}</ref> As part of the transaction, ''The Post'' divested [[WOOK (AM)|WINX (1340 AM)]], but retained WINX-FM, which was renamed WTOP-FM, through a legal maneuver.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1949/1949-01-24-BC.pdf|title=WINX AM, FM: FCC Asked to Okay Sale to Banks, 'Post'|date=January 24, 1949|work=Broadcasting|access-date=December 5, 2019|page=50}}</ref> ''The Post'' took over the remainder of WTOP in December 1954.
WWWT-FM had operated as a simulcast of WTOP since 1998. WWFD had simulcast WTOP since 2000 (and carried the WTOP calls on the AM band following the sign-on of WTWP) before switching to a simulcast of WTWP as WTWT on June 28, 2007.


===1960s and 1970s: All-news===
As WTWP, these stations provided news and commentary during the weekday hours in a long-form style similar to that of [[National Public Radio]], but on a commercial station staffed and programmed jointly by the ''[[Washington Post]]'' and WTOP. From 8 PM to 5 AM ET, the station was programmed as a general interest [[talk radio]] station, featuring hosts such as [[Clark Howard]], [[Larry King]] and [[Jim Bohannon]]. On weekends, WTWP rebroadcast programs produced by [[Radio Netherlands]] and [[George Washington University]].
After its signature personality Arthur Godfrey left WTOP in 1948 to concentrate on his television and midday network radio shows, the station gradually faded in popularity as it faced competition from ''[[The Washington Star]]'''s [[WSBN|WMAL]] with the morning team of Harden and Weaver, and NBC-owned [[WTEM|WRC]] which featured future [[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today Show]] personality [[Willard Scott]]. In the 1960s, after a series of failed music formats, WTOP phased out its music programming for a combination of newscasts and phone-in talk shows.

A switch to all-news – at first only during the week – came in March 1969.<ref name="pointer">{{cite web |last1=Pointer |first1=Jack |title='You turn us on and we're there': Looking back at 50 years of news on WTOP |url=https://wtop.com/local/2019/04/you-turn-us-on-and-were-there-looking-back-at-50-years-of-news-on-wtop |publisher=WTOP |date=April 2019 |page=April 1, 2019 |access-date=April 29, 2019 |archive-date=April 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405230133/https://wtop.com/local/2019/04/you-turn-us-on-and-were-there-looking-back-at-50-years-of-news-on-wtop/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.

WTOP studios were apparently a critical link in [[Emergency Broadcast System]] activation scenarios during the Cold War era.<ref>[http://www.ae5d.com/images/EBS2089.jpg NIAC Order No. 1, Dec 1970] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707090719/http://www.ae5d.com/images/EBS2089.jpg |date=July 7, 2011 }}. Retrieved October 22, 2010.</ref>

In 1971 the ''Post'' donated the original WTOP-FM at 96.3&nbsp;MHz to [[Howard University]], to "stimulate the intellectual and cultural life of the whole community and to train more people for the communications industry". On December 6, 1971, this station changed its call letters to [[WHUR-FM]].

The ''Post'' sold WTOP to [[The Outlet Company]] in June 1978, in reaction to the FCC's concerns that common ownership of newspapers and broadcasting outlets in the same city was an unhealthy consolidation of local media. One month later, WTOP-TV was swapped with the [[Detroit News]]'s [[WDIV|WWJ-TV]], and became WDVM-TV. The station is today [[WUSA-TV]], owned by [[Tegna, Inc.|Tegna]].

===1990s–2020s===
Outlet re-organized and sold WTOP to Chase Broadcasting in 1989, who in turn sold it to Evergreen Media (which eventually became Chancellor Broadcasting) in November 1992. In April 1997, Evergreen's newly acquired 94.3&nbsp;MHz facility in [[Warrenton, Virginia]], began simulcasting the WTOP signal for better coverage in the sprawling [[Northern Virginia]] suburbs. Shortly afterward, on October 10, 1997, [[Bonneville International Corporation]] purchased WTOP.

On April 1, 1998, 94.3 was swapped for a stronger signal at 107.7, also licensed to Warrenton. (The 94.3 facility is now [[K-Love]] station [[WLZV]].) Then in December 2000, WTOP gained another simulcast in [[Frederick, Maryland]], with WXTR at 820 [[kHz]], establishing the "WTOP Radio Network", a name it used until 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tophour.com/audio/index.php?q=f&f=%2FWashington+DC |title=Washington, D.C. |work=TopHour |year=2014 |access-date=March 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321145315/http://www.tophour.com/audio/index.php?q=f&f=%2FWashington+DC |archive-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>

Over its first three decades, WTOP commonly broke the all-news format for sports – including, at various times, the [[Washington Capitals]], [[Washington Wizards|Washington Bullets/Wizards]], and [[Baltimore Orioles]] – and, in its early years, overnight and weekend talk shows. As listeners increasingly indicated a desire for uninterrupted news, this programming dwindled over the years; WTOP completed the transition to 24/7 news when it dropped the Orioles in 1999.<ref name="pointer" />

In 2005, the station began providing [[podcasts]] of selected broadcast programs, and in 2006, WTOP began broadcasting in digital "[[HD Radio]]", using [[iBiquity|iBiquity Digital Corp.'s]] IBOC ([[in-band on-channel]]) technology. When AP All News Radio was terminated, the station began an affiliation with [[CNN Headline News]], which itself was phased out in 2007 by provider [[Westwood One (1976–2011)|Westwood One]].

On January 4, 2006, Bonneville International announced that WTOP would move to a new primary frequency of 103.5 FM, then held by classical station [[WGMS (Washington)|WGMS]] (which would move to 103.9 and 104.1 FM). WTOP's longtime facility at 1500 AM, as well as both FM translators (107.7 in Warrenton and low-powered 104.3 in [[Leesburg, Virginia|Leesburg]]), would be reassigned to the new "[[WTWP|Washington Post Radio]]" for a March 30, 2006, launch date. This new partnership meant the ''Post'''s was reacquiring the station it had previously operated as WTOP. The station has been dominant in the 25-54 demographics since moving to FM. 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 assumed the WTOP calls.

===WTWP: "Washington Post Radio"===
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2020}}
The current WFED, along with [[WWFD]], WWWT-FM and W282BA, were former frequencies and simulcasts of WTOP. On March 30, 2006, WTOP transitioned entirely to FM, with 1500 AM (previously the main frequency) and 107.7 becoming "[[Washington Post Radio]]" under the calls WTWP and WTWP-FM, respectively. The historic WTOP call sign was transferred for a year to a station on 820 AM in Frederick, Maryland, which switched to a ''[[Washington Post Radio]]'' simulcast on June 28, 2007. WWWT-FM had operated as a simulcast of WTOP since 1998. WWFD had simulcast WTOP since 2000 (and carried the WTOP calls on the AM band following the sign-on of WTWP) before switching to a simulcast of WTWP as WTWT on June 28, 2007.

As WTWP, these stations provided news and commentary during the weekday hours in a long-form style similar to that of [[National Public Radio]], but on a commercial station staffed and programmed jointly by the ''[[Washington Post]]'' and WTOP. From 8&nbsp;pm to 5&nbsp;am ET, the station was programmed as a general interest [[talk radio]] station, featuring hosts such as [[Clark Howard]], [[Larry King]] and [[Jim Bohannon]]. On weekends, WTWP rebroadcast programs produced by [[Radio Netherlands]] and [[George Washington University]].


===WWWT: "Talk Radio 3WT"===
===WWWT: "Talk Radio 3WT"===
{{For|the radio station in [[Johnson City, New York]] that formerly uses the callsign and slogan|WLTB}}

The ''Washington Post'' reported that they would discontinue the ''Washington Post Radio'' service after Bonneville decided to pull the plug, citing financial losses and low ratings.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/27/AR2007082701332.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | first=Paul | last=Farhi | title=With Low Ratings, Post Radio Venture To End Next Month | date=August 28, 2007}}</ref>
The ''Washington Post'' reported that they would discontinue the ''Washington Post Radio'' service after Bonneville decided to pull the plug, citing financial losses and low ratings.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/27/AR2007082701332.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | first=Paul | last=Farhi | title=With Low Ratings, Post Radio Venture To End Next Month | date=August 28, 2007}}</ref>


Bonneville International officially launched personality driven talk format ''Talk Radio 3WT,'' with the WWWT call letters on September 20, 2007 (with 820 using the call letters WWWB). The call letters stood for "Whatever We Want" talk radio from the station's [[Radio imaging|imaging]]. The morning show with David Burd and Jessica Doyle was retained along with all live sporting events, ''[[The Tony Kornheiser Show]]'' and automotive commentator [[Pat Goss]]. Syndicated talkers [[Neal Boortz]], [[Bill O'Reilly (commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]], [[Randi Rhodes]] and [[Phil Hendrie]] were initially added to the lineup, as was a simulcast of sister station [[KSL (AM)|KSL]]'s ''Nightside with [[Michael Castner]]'' overnight program. [[Stephanie Miller]] was added in November after the [[Washington Nationals]]' season ended, and [[Glenn Beck]] was added, replacing Randi Rhodes on the 1500 and 107.7 frequencies, in January 2008. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071009083647/http://www.3wtradio.com/]{{verification needed|date=June 2020}}
Bonneville International officially launched personality driven talk format ''Talk Radio 3WT,'' with the WWWT call letters on September 20, 2007 (with 820 using the call letters WWWB). The call letters stood for "Whatever We Want" talk radio from the station's [[Radio imaging|imaging]]. The morning show with David Burd and Jessica Doyle was retained along with all live sporting events, ''[[The Tony Kornheiser Show]]'' and automotive commentator [[Pat Goss]]. Syndicated talkers [[Neal Boortz]], [[Bill O'Reilly (commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]], [[Randi Rhodes]] and [[Phil Hendrie]] were initially added to the lineup, as was a simulcast of sister station [[KSL (AM)|KSL]]'s ''Nightside with [[Michael Castner]]'' overnight program. [[Stephanie Miller]] was added in November after the [[Washington Nationals]]' season ended, and [[Glenn Beck]] was added, replacing Randi Rhodes on the 1500 and 107.7 frequencies, in January 2008. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071009083647/http://www.3wtradio.com/]{{verify source|date=June 2020}} WWWT was one of the few talk stations in America, at least in major markets, in which the lineup was nearly equally divided among liberal and conservative hosts.


Like WTWP, WWWT remained a member of the [[CBS Radio Network]], and retransmitted the audio portion of the CBS television shows ''[[Face the Nation]]'' and ''[[60 Minutes]]''. Also surviving the change in format were [[Larry King]] and [[Jim Bohannon]], who were carried in the late-night time slots, although King's show was phased out (as part of a nationwide phaseout of all CNN television simulcasts) by [[Westwood One (1976–2011)|Westwood One]] in 2008.
{{cns|date=June 2020|WWWT was one of the few talk stations in America, at least in major markets, in which the lineup was nearly equally divided among [[Liberalism|liberal]] and [[conservative]] hosts.}}


===WFED: "Federal News Network"===
{{cns|date=June 2020|WWWT remained a member of the [[CBS Radio Network]] (WTOP was a charter affiliate and formerly owned by in the 1930s and 1940s, and WTWP was also an affiliate in its short life), and retransmitted the audio portion of the CBS television shows ''[[Face the Nation]]'' and ''[[60 Minutes]]''. Also surviving the change in format were [[Larry King]] and [[Jim Bohannon]], who were carried in the late-night time slots, although King's show was phased out (as part of a nationwide phaseout of all CNN television simulcasts) by [[Westwood One (1976–2011)|Westwood One]] in 2008.}}
{{refimprove section|date=May 2024}}
The Federal News Network format was launched by [[Bonneville International]], as FederalNewsRadio.com—the first Internet-only all news station, and the first Internet station to make the jump to terrestrial radio—on February 22, 2000. In 2004 the network began being carried on a radio station, initially on a [[Silver Spring, Maryland]] station broadcasting on 1050&nbsp;kHz, which was assigned the call letters WFED. In November 2007, this original WFED increased its daytime power from 1&nbsp;kW to 3.5&nbsp;kW to better reach the government office workers in Washington, D.C. comprising its core audience. However, its nighttime coverage was severely limited, as it had to reduce power to an all-but-unlistenable 44 watts at sunset.


On August 11, 2008, Bonneville announced the discontinuation of ''3WT'', and the transfer of the Federal News Radio programming and WFED call letters to AM 1500. This move to the capital's most powerful AM facility resulted in significantly improved daytime and especially nighttme coverage. WWWT-FM began simulcasting [[WTOP-FM]] (which kept its two other frequencies), while WFED took over WWWT and WWWB's signals. August 11 was the last day for the morning show, ''The Inner Loop'', with David Burd and his team.
[[File:WFEDradio.jpg|thumb|left|"Federal News Radio" logo from 2011 through 2018]]

{{cns|date=June 2020|On August 11, 2008, Bonneville announced the discontinuation of ''3WT''. WWWT-FM began simulcasting [[WTOP-FM]] (which kept its two other frequencies), while WFED took over WWWT and WWWB's signals. August 11 was the last day for the morning show, ''The Inner Loop'', with David Burd and his team. Even with the 2007 power increase, WFED's nighttime coverage was severely limited on 1050 AM; it had to reduce power to an all-but-unlistenable 44 watts at sunset. The move to the capital's most powerful AM facility also significantly improved WFED's daytime coverage as well.}}
For some time before then, WTOP had significant listenership among federal employees, and many of them had emailed the station asking for more coverage tailored to federal employees. The programming concept has changed little to this day, except that the [[Associated Press]]' All News Radio service originally filled in during the overnight hours, as a complement to WTOP.


Sports that had been broadcast on ''3WT'' continued on 1500&nbsp;kHz and 820&nbsp;kHz. The stations remained the flagships of [[Washington Nationals]] baseball until 2011, when the team changed its primary station to [[WJFK-FM]].<ref>[http://www.3wtradio.com/?sid=1457419&nid=24 Federal News Radio Expands to Full Market Signal (3wtradio.com)]</ref>
Sports that had been broadcast on ''3WT'' continued on 1500&nbsp;kHz and 820&nbsp;kHz. The stations remained the flagships of [[Washington Nationals]] baseball until 2011, when the team changed its primary station to [[WJFK-FM]].<ref>[http://www.3wtradio.com/?sid=1457419&nid=24 Federal News Radio Expands to Full Market Signal (3wtradio.com)]</ref>


Bonneville announced the sale of WFED and WWFD, as well as 15 other stations, to [[Hubbard Broadcasting]] on January 19, 2011; this put WFED under common ownership with KSTP, Hubbard's flagship station and the other [[clear-channel station]] on 1500&nbsp;kHz.<ref name=ri-saletohubbard>{{cite news|title=$505M sale: Bonneville sells Chicago, D.C., St. Louis and Cincinnati to Hubbard|url=http://www.radio-info.com/news/505m-sale-bonneville-sells-chicago-dc-st-louis-and-cincinnati-to-hubbard|access-date=January 19, 2011|newspaper=Radio-Info.com|date=January 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122010447/http://www.radio-info.com/news/505m-sale-bonneville-sells-chicago-dc-st-louis-and-cincinnati-to-hubbard|archive-date=January 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011907031.html WTOP news radio to be sold to Minnesota broadcaster]</ref> The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.<ref name=ri-hubbardtakeover>{{cite news|title=Hubbard deal to purchase Bonneville stations closes|url=http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2174844&spid=24698|access-date=May 2, 2011|newspaper=[[Radio Ink]]|date=May 2, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312055419/http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2174844&spid=24698|archive-date=March 12, 2012}}</ref>
Bonneville announced the sale of WFED and WWFD, as well as 15 other stations, to [[Hubbard Broadcasting]] on January 19, 2011; this put WFED under common ownership with KSTP, Hubbard's St. Paul, Minnesota station, which was the other [[clear-channel station]] on 1500&nbsp;kHz.<ref name=ri-saletohubbard>{{cite news|title=$505M sale: Bonneville sells Chicago, D.C., St. Louis and Cincinnati to Hubbard|url=http://www.radio-info.com/news/505m-sale-bonneville-sells-chicago-dc-st-louis-and-cincinnati-to-hubbard|access-date=January 19, 2011|newspaper=Radio-Info.com|date=January 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122010447/http://www.radio-info.com/news/505m-sale-bonneville-sells-chicago-dc-st-louis-and-cincinnati-to-hubbard|archive-date=January 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=WTOP news radio to be sold to Minnesota broadcaster |website=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309215238/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011907031.html |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |url-status=live |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011907031.html}}</ref> The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.<ref name=ri-hubbardtakeover>{{cite news|title=Hubbard deal to purchase Bonneville stations closes|url=http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2174844&spid=24698|access-date=May 2, 2011|newspaper=[[Radio Ink]]|date=May 2, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312055419/http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2174844&spid=24698|archive-date=March 12, 2012}}</ref>

WFED was dropped as the flagship of the [[Washington Nationals Radio Network]] in favor of [[WJFK-FM]] in 2011, but remains as an affiliate station. WJFK-FM also replaced WFED as the flagship of the [[Washington Capitals]] radio network beginning in the 2012-13 season, though WFED also continues to carry that team's games. WFED temporarily returned as the Capitals' flagship in the 2016-17 season when the team and WJFK-FM owner [[CBS Radio]] could not extend their agreement.<ref>{{cite web|title=Capitals 2012-13 Regular-Season Schedule|url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-2012-13-regular-season-schedule/c-649956|publisher=National Hockey League}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Dan|title=Capitals radio broadcasts will return to 106.7 The Fan this season|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/10/04/capitals-radio-broadcasts-will-return-to-106-7-the-fan-this-season/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 4, 2017}}</ref>


In October 2018, WFED rebranded from ''Federal News Radio'' to ''Federal News Network'', as part of an effort to rebrand the station as a multi-platform outlet.<ref name="rw-federalnewsnetwork">{{cite news |last1=McLane |first1=Paul |title=Federal News Radio Loses the "Radio" Tag |url=https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/federal-news-radio-loses-the-radio-tag |access-date=October 9, 2018 |work=[[Radio World]] |date=October 9, 2018 |language=en-us}}</ref>
In October 2018, WFED rebranded from ''Federal News Radio'' to ''Federal News Network'', as part of an effort to rebrand the station as a multi-platform outlet.<ref name="rw-federalnewsnetwork">{{cite news |last1=McLane |first1=Paul |title=Federal News Radio Loses the "Radio" Tag |url=https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/federal-news-radio-loses-the-radio-tag |access-date=October 9, 2018 |work=[[Radio World]] |date=October 9, 2018 |language=en-us}}</ref>


From July 2017 to December 2022, WFED was also available on [[WTOP-FM]]-HD2 in the Washington, D.C. area and WTLP-HD2 in [[Braddock Heights, Maryland]].<ref name="dcrtv">{{cite web |url=http://www.dcrtv.com/index.html |title=Radio Sputnik Off WTOP - 6/29 |date=June 29, 2017 |website=dcrtv.com |access-date=July 2, 2017}}</ref>
===Cully Stimson controversy===
On January 11, 2007, while being interviewed on WFED's morning program ''The Federal Drive'', then-Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs [[Charles Stimson|Charles "Cully" Stimson]] criticized some major U.S. law firms for representing detainees at [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay]] ''[[pro bono]]''. Stimson further suggested that U.S. corporations who retained these same U.S. law firms should reconsider their associations with those firms. His comments drew immediate criticism from legal scholars, professional legal associations and the [[ACLU]], and even [[the Pentagon]] itself sought to distance itself and the [[George W. Bush administration|Bush administration]] from Stimson's comments. Although he apologized a few days later, on February 2, 2007 Stimson resigned his position with the Pentagon, saying he believed the flap would prevent him from effectively doing his job. The controversy heightened the profile of the station, however, as the station's morning hosts and reporters were interviewed by news organizations around the world about the controversy.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/02/AR2007020201575.html "Pentagon Official Who Criticized Detainee Lawyers Quits"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'' (February 7, 2007), p. A06.</ref><ref>[http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=1032140&nid=278 "'Cully' Stimson Stepping Down"], ''Federal News Radio'' (February 2, 2007).]</ref>


==Cully Stimson controversy==
==Programming==
On January 11, 2007, while being interviewed on WFED's morning program ''The Federal Drive'', then-Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs [[Charles "Cully" Stimson]] criticized some major U.S. law firms for representing detainees at [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay]] ''[[pro bono]]''. Stimson further suggested that U.S. corporations who retained these same U.S. law firms should reconsider their associations with those firms. His comments drew immediate criticism from legal scholars, professional legal associations and the [[ACLU]], and even [[the Pentagon]] itself sought to distance itself and the [[George W. Bush administration|Bush administration]] from Stimson's comments. Although he apologized a few days later, on February 2, 2007, Stimson resigned his position with the Pentagon, saying he believed the flap would prevent him from effectively doing his job. The controversy heightened the profile of the station, however, as the station's morning hosts and reporters were interviewed by news organizations around the world about the controversy.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/02/AR2007020201575.html "Pentagon Official Who Criticized Detainee Lawyers Quits"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'' (February 7, 2007), p. A06.</ref><ref>[http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=1032140&nid=278 "'Cully' Stimson Stepping Down"], ''Federal News Radio'' (February 2, 2007).</ref>
{{cns|date=June 2020|WFED's weekday programming consists primarily of original news and talk content for federal government employees, the Senior Executive Service, and contractors. While most of this programming airs on a daily basis, various programming is rotated in the midday hours.}} {{cns|date=June 2020|This programming, in the past, has included several [[Voice of America]] programs, including ''Issues in the News,'' ''Press Conference USA,'' and ''Our World.'' WFED also carries [[Radio syndication|syndicated]] host [[Jim Bohannon]], which was carried over from WWWT after its discontinuation. Most weekend programming on WFED is a mix of brokered programming and replays of weekday programming.}}


==See also==
WFED is the flagship station for [[George Washington Colonials]] basketball. It also carries selected [[Navy Midshipmen]] football, basketball and lacrosse games as an affiliate station. WFED is the flagship station of the [[Washington Wizards]].<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/10/12/capitals-and-wizards-announce-radio-partnership-with-wfed-1500/</ref> The station was dropped as the flagship of the [[Washington Nationals Radio Network]] in favor of [[WJFK-FM]] in 2011, but remained as an affiliate station through the 2020 season, allowing the Nationals' run to the [[2019 World Series]] to be heard along most of the East Coast at night.
* [[1926 in radio]]

WJFK-FM also replaced WFED as the flagship of the [[Washington Capitals]] radio network beginning in the 2012-13 season. WFED temporarily returned as the Capitals' flagship in the 2016-17 season when the team and WJFK-FM owner [[CBS Radio]] could not extend their agreement.<ref>{{cite web|title=Capitals 2012-13 Regular-Season Schedule|url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-2012-13-regular-season-schedule/c-649956|website=NHL.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Dan|title=Capitals radio broadcasts will return to 106.7 The Fan this season|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/10/04/capitals-radio-broadcasts-will-return-to-106-7-the-fan-this-season/|newspaper=Washington Post|date=4 October 2017}}</ref> The station remained on the Capitals' network as an affiliate station,<ref>{{cite web |title=Caps Radio 24/7 |url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/multimedia/caps-radio-247 |website=Washington Capitals |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref> allowing fans up and down the East Coast to hear the Capitals' run to the [[2018 Stanley Cup Finals]].


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|30em}}


==External links==
==External links==
*{{Official website|https://federalnewsnetwork.com/}}
* {{Official website|https://federalnewsnetwork.com/}}
{{AM station data|WFED}}
{{AM station data|74120|WFED}}
* {{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=67712 |title= History Cards for WFED|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}} ([[Wikipedia:WikiProject Radio Stations/History Cards|Guide to reading History Cards]])<!--Converted from {{FCC letter}}--> (covering 1927-1981 as WTRC / WTFF / WJSV / WTOP)
*[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=67712 FCC History Cards for WFED]

==Further reading==
* {{URL|https://boundarystones.weta.org/2015/01/13/klan-leaves-its-mark-washingtons-airwaves|"The Klan Leaves Its Mark on Washington's Airwaves" by Mark Jones, January 12, 2015}}
* {{URL|https://dcmemories.com/wjsv/WJSVHistory.html|"WJSV History" by James Snyder}}
* {{URL|www.signalalpha.com/WJSV_schedule.html|WJSV schedule for September 21, 1939}}


{{Washington Radio}}
{{Washington Radio}}
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{{Clear Channel AM}}
{{Clear Channel AM}}


[[Category:Radio stations in Washington, D.C.|FED]]
[[Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Hubbard Broadcasting]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1926]]
[[Category:1926 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1926 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1927 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:1927 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Clear-channel radio stations]]
[[Category:Clear-channel radio stations]]
[[Category:Hubbard Broadcasting]]
[[Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1926]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Washington, D.C.|FED]]

Latest revision as of 21:24, 25 December 2024

WFED
Broadcast areaWashington metropolitan area
Frequency1500 kHz
BrandingFederal News Network
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatNews/talk
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WBQH, WTOP-FM, WWWT-FM
History
First air date
1926; 99 years ago (1926)
Former call signs
  • WTRC (1926–1927)
  • WTFF (1927–1929)
  • WJSV (1929–1943)
  • WTOP (1943–2006)
  • WTWP (2006–2007)
  • WWWT (2007–2008)
Former frequencies
  • 1250 kHz (1927)
  • 1470 kHz (1927)
  • 1480 kHz (1927–1928)
  • 1460 kHz (1928–1941)
Call sign meaning
"Federal News Radio"
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID74120
ClassA
Power50,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
39°2′31.39″N 77°2′45.92″W / 39.0420528°N 77.0460889°W / 39.0420528; -77.0460889 (WFED)
Translator(s)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitefederalnewsnetwork.com

WFED (1500 AM) is a 50,000-watt Class A radio station in Washington, D.C. The station owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, and branded "Federal News Network", broadcasts a news/talk format focused on issues and news pertaining to members and staff of the United States government.

WFED's studios are located at Hubbard's broadcast complex in northwest Washington, while its transmitter site is located at a three-tower array in Wheaton, Maryland. The station transmits full-time with a power of 50,000 watts. A single transmitter tower, with a non-directional signal, is used during the day. At night, all three towers are used for a directional pattern, with a null toward the west to protect KSTP in St. Paul, Minnesota. WFED's signal can be heard across most of the Eastern Seaboard at night.

WFED became a Primary Entry Point station for the Emergency Alert System in 2014.[2]

Programming

[edit]

WFED's weekday programming consists primarily of original news and talk content for federal government employees, the Senior Executive Service, and contractors. While most of this airs on a daily basis, various programming is rotated in the midday hours. Co-owned all-news WTOP-FM (103.5 FM) is simulcast weeknights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and all day on weekends, except for sports coverage.[3]

WFED is the flagship station for George Washington Colonials basketball. It also carries Navy Midshipmen football, basketball and lacrosse games as an affiliate station. WFED is also the flagship station of the Washington Wizards.[4] Though dropped as both teams' flagship, the station remains an affiliate of the Washington Capitals and Washington Nationals.[5][6]

Translator

[edit]
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
W283DG 104.5 FM Sterling, Virginia 202258 190 D 39°1′3.4″N 77°25′47″W / 39.017611°N 77.42972°W / 39.017611; -77.42972 (W283DG) LMS
W288BS 105.5 FM Reston, Virginia 140589 99 D 38°57′50.4″N 77°6′16.9″W / 38.964000°N 77.104694°W / 38.964000; -77.104694 (W288BS) LMS

History

[edit]

Establishment in Brooklyn, New York

[edit]

The station was first licensed on September 25, 1926, as WTRC, to the Twentieth Assembly District Regular Republican Club, Inc., 62 Woodbine Street in Brooklyn.[7] It was established during a chaotic period when most government regulation had been suspended, with new stations free to be set up with few restrictions.[8] As of the end of 1926, WTRC was reported to be at 1250 kHz, with a power of 50 watts.[9] In March 1927, government oversight of radio stations was reestablished, with the formation of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC).

Move south

[edit]

On August 2, 1927, the station's owner was changed to the Independent Publishing Company, the call sign was changed to WTFF, reflecting its affiliation with The Fellowship Forum newspaper, in addition to a relocation to Mount Vernon Hills, Virginia, a southern suburb of Washington, D.C. In the fall of 1928, the call sign was changed to WJSV,[10] the initials of the Fellowship Forum publisher, James S. Vance, who was controversial due to ties he and his newspaper had to the Ku Klux Klan. On November 11, 1928, under the provisions of a major national reallocation by the FRC's General Order 40, WTFF was assigned to a "high-powered regional" frequency of 1460 kHz, with a power of 10,000 watts. The only other station assigned to this frequency was KSTP in Saint Paul, Minnesota.[11]

In 1932 the Columbia Broadcasting System assumed control of WJSV[12]

In late 1931, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) applied to construct a 250 watt "booster" station in Washington, retransmitting the signal of its New York City station, however this request was denied by the FRC.[13] As an alternative, CBS next made arrangements to lease WJSV, and took over all of WJSV's programming and engineering costs, with an option to renew or purchase the station after five years. This resulted in the transfer of the local CBS network affiliation from WMAL to WJSV.[14] CBS also moved the transmitter site to Potomac Yards in Alexandria to boost power and improve the coverage pattern.

In June 1932, CBS exercised its option to purchase WJSV outright, and moved its operations to Alexandria, Virginia. After three months off the air, WJSV resumed broadcasting on October 20, 1932.[14] In 1936, with the elimination of the jurisdictional quotas that had been imposed by the Davis Amendment, the station's studios were moved from Alexandria to the Earle Building in Washington.[15] On September 21, 1939, WJSV recorded its entire broadcast day for posterity. The WJSV broadcast day recordings still exist and copies can be found at the Internet Archive and various old time radio websites.

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. WJSV was also a key training ground for pioneering newsman Bob Trout in the 1930s before he became a network correspondent. (One of his broadcasting mentors was Wells (Ted) Church, who later became a CBS News executive.) Longtime Los Angeles-area TV newscaster George Putnam worked at WJSV in 1938 and continued to work in radio for seven decades until his death in 2008. Frank Blair, who later became an NBC News correspondent and later was a long time news anchor on the Today show during the 1960s and early 1970s, worked at WJSV. John Daly, longtime host of game show "What's My Line?" and 1950s anchor on ABC-TV news, also got his start on WJSV.

1940s

[edit]
In 1943 the station's call letters were changed to WTOP[16]

In 1940, power was increased to 50,000 watts from a new transmitter site in Wheaton, Maryland. In March 1941, as part of the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, the station was assigned to its current "clear channel" frequency of 1500 kHz, with the provision that it and KSTP, both "Class I-B" stations, had to maintain directional antennas at night to mutually protect each other from interference.[17]

The station's call letters were changed from WJSV to WTOP on April 4, 1943. The new call sign was selected to be easier to remember. In addition, at this time the highest AM band frequency in the U.S. was 1500 kHz, so the new call sign reflected the station's position near "the top of the dial" on radio receivers.[18]

CBS sold 55 percent majority control of WTOP to The Washington Post in February 1949; this deal was made so CBS could acquire full control of KQW in San Francisco.[19] As part of the transaction, The Post divested WINX (1340 AM), but retained WINX-FM, which was renamed WTOP-FM, through a legal maneuver.[20] The Post took over the remainder of WTOP in December 1954.

1960s and 1970s: All-news

[edit]

After its signature personality Arthur Godfrey left WTOP in 1948 to concentrate on his television and midday network radio shows, the station gradually faded in popularity as it faced competition from The Washington Star's WMAL with the morning team of Harden and Weaver, and NBC-owned WRC which featured future Today Show personality Willard Scott. In the 1960s, after a series of failed music formats, WTOP phased out its music programming for a combination of newscasts and phone-in talk shows.

A switch to all-news – at first only during the week – came in March 1969.[21] 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.

WTOP studios were apparently a critical link in Emergency Broadcast System activation scenarios during the Cold War era.[22]

In 1971 the Post donated the original WTOP-FM at 96.3 MHz to Howard University, to "stimulate the intellectual and cultural life of the whole community and to train more people for the communications industry". On December 6, 1971, this station changed its call letters to WHUR-FM.

The Post sold WTOP to The Outlet Company in June 1978, in reaction to the FCC's concerns that common ownership of newspapers and broadcasting outlets in the same city was an unhealthy consolidation of local media. One month later, WTOP-TV was swapped with the Detroit News's WWJ-TV, and became WDVM-TV. The station is today WUSA-TV, owned by Tegna.

1990s–2020s

[edit]

Outlet re-organized and sold WTOP to Chase Broadcasting in 1989, who in turn sold it to Evergreen Media (which eventually became Chancellor Broadcasting) in November 1992. In April 1997, Evergreen's newly acquired 94.3 MHz facility in Warrenton, Virginia, began simulcasting the WTOP signal for better coverage in the sprawling Northern Virginia suburbs. Shortly afterward, on October 10, 1997, Bonneville International Corporation purchased WTOP.

On April 1, 1998, 94.3 was swapped for a stronger signal at 107.7, also licensed to Warrenton. (The 94.3 facility is now K-Love station WLZV.) Then in December 2000, WTOP gained another simulcast in Frederick, Maryland, with WXTR at 820 kHz, establishing the "WTOP Radio Network", a name it used until 2006.[23]

Over its first three decades, WTOP commonly broke the all-news format for sports – including, at various times, the Washington Capitals, Washington Bullets/Wizards, and Baltimore Orioles – and, in its early years, overnight and weekend talk shows. As listeners increasingly indicated a desire for uninterrupted news, this programming dwindled over the years; WTOP completed the transition to 24/7 news when it dropped the Orioles in 1999.[21]

In 2005, the station began providing podcasts of selected broadcast programs, and in 2006, WTOP began broadcasting in digital "HD Radio", using iBiquity Digital Corp.'s IBOC (in-band on-channel) technology. When AP All News Radio was terminated, the station began an affiliation with CNN Headline News, which itself was phased out in 2007 by provider Westwood One.

On January 4, 2006, Bonneville International announced that WTOP would move to a new primary frequency of 103.5 FM, then held by classical station WGMS (which would move to 103.9 and 104.1 FM). WTOP's longtime facility at 1500 AM, as well as both FM translators (107.7 in Warrenton and low-powered 104.3 in Leesburg), would be reassigned to the new "Washington Post Radio" for a March 30, 2006, launch date. This new partnership meant the Post's was reacquiring the station it had previously operated as WTOP. The station has been dominant in the 25-54 demographics since moving to FM. 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 assumed the WTOP calls.

WTWP: "Washington Post Radio"

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The current WFED, along with WWFD, WWWT-FM and W282BA, were former frequencies and simulcasts of WTOP. On March 30, 2006, WTOP transitioned entirely to FM, with 1500 AM (previously the main frequency) and 107.7 becoming "Washington Post Radio" under the calls WTWP and WTWP-FM, respectively. The historic WTOP call sign was transferred for a year to a station on 820 AM in Frederick, Maryland, which switched to a Washington Post Radio simulcast on June 28, 2007. WWWT-FM had operated as a simulcast of WTOP since 1998. WWFD had simulcast WTOP since 2000 (and carried the WTOP calls on the AM band following the sign-on of WTWP) before switching to a simulcast of WTWP as WTWT on June 28, 2007.

As WTWP, these stations provided news and commentary during the weekday hours in a long-form style similar to that of National Public Radio, but on a commercial station staffed and programmed jointly by the Washington Post and WTOP. From 8 pm to 5 am ET, the station was programmed as a general interest talk radio station, featuring hosts such as Clark Howard, Larry King and Jim Bohannon. On weekends, WTWP rebroadcast programs produced by Radio Netherlands and George Washington University.

WWWT: "Talk Radio 3WT"

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The Washington Post reported that they would discontinue the Washington Post Radio service after Bonneville decided to pull the plug, citing financial losses and low ratings.[24]

Bonneville International officially launched personality driven talk format Talk Radio 3WT, with the WWWT call letters on September 20, 2007 (with 820 using the call letters WWWB). The call letters stood for "Whatever We Want" talk radio from the station's imaging. The morning show with David Burd and Jessica Doyle was retained along with all live sporting events, The Tony Kornheiser Show and automotive commentator Pat Goss. Syndicated talkers Neal Boortz, Bill O'Reilly, Randi Rhodes and Phil Hendrie were initially added to the lineup, as was a simulcast of sister station KSL's Nightside with Michael Castner overnight program. Stephanie Miller was added in November after the Washington Nationals' season ended, and Glenn Beck was added, replacing Randi Rhodes on the 1500 and 107.7 frequencies, in January 2008. [1][verification needed] WWWT was one of the few talk stations in America, at least in major markets, in which the lineup was nearly equally divided among liberal and conservative hosts.

Like WTWP, WWWT remained a member of the CBS Radio Network, and retransmitted the audio portion of the CBS television shows Face the Nation and 60 Minutes. Also surviving the change in format were Larry King and Jim Bohannon, who were carried in the late-night time slots, although King's show was phased out (as part of a nationwide phaseout of all CNN television simulcasts) by Westwood One in 2008.

WFED: "Federal News Network"

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The Federal News Network format was launched by Bonneville International, as FederalNewsRadio.com—the first Internet-only all news station, and the first Internet station to make the jump to terrestrial radio—on February 22, 2000. In 2004 the network began being carried on a radio station, initially on a Silver Spring, Maryland station broadcasting on 1050 kHz, which was assigned the call letters WFED. In November 2007, this original WFED increased its daytime power from 1 kW to 3.5 kW to better reach the government office workers in Washington, D.C. comprising its core audience. However, its nighttime coverage was severely limited, as it had to reduce power to an all-but-unlistenable 44 watts at sunset.

On August 11, 2008, Bonneville announced the discontinuation of 3WT, and the transfer of the Federal News Radio programming and WFED call letters to AM 1500. This move to the capital's most powerful AM facility resulted in significantly improved daytime and especially nighttme coverage. WWWT-FM began simulcasting WTOP-FM (which kept its two other frequencies), while WFED took over WWWT and WWWB's signals. August 11 was the last day for the morning show, The Inner Loop, with David Burd and his team.

For some time before then, WTOP had significant listenership among federal employees, and many of them had emailed the station asking for more coverage tailored to federal employees. The programming concept has changed little to this day, except that the Associated Press' All News Radio service originally filled in during the overnight hours, as a complement to WTOP.

Sports that had been broadcast on 3WT continued on 1500 kHz and 820 kHz. The stations remained the flagships of Washington Nationals baseball until 2011, when the team changed its primary station to WJFK-FM.[25]

Bonneville announced the sale of WFED and WWFD, as well as 15 other stations, to Hubbard Broadcasting on January 19, 2011; this put WFED under common ownership with KSTP, Hubbard's St. Paul, Minnesota station, which was the other clear-channel station on 1500 kHz.[26][27] The sale was completed on April 29, 2011.[28]

WFED was dropped as the flagship of the Washington Nationals Radio Network in favor of WJFK-FM in 2011, but remains as an affiliate station. WJFK-FM also replaced WFED as the flagship of the Washington Capitals radio network beginning in the 2012-13 season, though WFED also continues to carry that team's games. WFED temporarily returned as the Capitals' flagship in the 2016-17 season when the team and WJFK-FM owner CBS Radio could not extend their agreement.[29][30]

In October 2018, WFED rebranded from Federal News Radio to Federal News Network, as part of an effort to rebrand the station as a multi-platform outlet.[31]

From July 2017 to December 2022, WFED was also available on WTOP-FM-HD2 in the Washington, D.C. area and WTLP-HD2 in Braddock Heights, Maryland.[32]

Cully Stimson controversy

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On January 11, 2007, while being interviewed on WFED's morning program The Federal Drive, then-Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs Charles "Cully" Stimson criticized some major U.S. law firms for representing detainees at Guantanamo Bay pro bono. Stimson further suggested that U.S. corporations who retained these same U.S. law firms should reconsider their associations with those firms. His comments drew immediate criticism from legal scholars, professional legal associations and the ACLU, and even the Pentagon itself sought to distance itself and the Bush administration from Stimson's comments. Although he apologized a few days later, on February 2, 2007, Stimson resigned his position with the Pentagon, saying he believed the flap would prevent him from effectively doing his job. The controversy heightened the profile of the station, however, as the station's morning hosts and reporters were interviewed by news organizations around the world about the controversy.[33][34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WFED". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "SBE Chapter 37 - Prior Meetings Page - AM Revitalization - WFED 1500 AM Transmitter".
  3. ^ "Daily Schedule".
  4. ^ "Capitals and Wizards announce radio partnership with WFED 1500". The Washington Post. October 12, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "Caps Radio 24/7". Washington Capitals. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  6. ^ "WFED Sports Schedule".
  7. ^ "New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, September 30, 1926, page 3.
  8. ^ "WTRC", The Airwaves of New York: Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921-1996 by Bill Jaker, Frank Sulek and Peter Kanze, 1998, page 180.
  9. ^ "Broadcasting stations, alphabetically by call signals" Radio Service Bulletin, December 31, 1926, page 21.
  10. ^ "Alterations and Corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, October 31, 1928, page 8.
  11. ^ "Broadcasting Stations, by Wave Lengths, Effective November 11, 1928, Commercial and Government Radio Stations of the United States (edition June 30, 1928), page 176.
  12. ^ WJSV (advertisement), Broadcasting, October 1, 1932, page 4.
  13. ^ "Commission Denies Application of CBS For Washington Booster by 3-to-2 Vote", Broadcasting, December 1, 1931, pages 6, 34.
  14. ^ a b "WJSV, New CBS Outlet, Opens Oct. 20 as WMAL Plans Added Features", Broadcasting, October 15, 1932, page 10.
  15. ^ "Painless Moving", Broadcasting, November 1, 1936, page 32.
  16. ^ WTOP (advertisement), Broadcasting, April 5, 1943, page 5.
  17. ^ "Assignments of United States Standard Broadcast Stations Listed by Frequency", page 1442.
  18. ^ "WJSV Becomes WTOP Beginning Today", Washington, D.C. Evening Star, April 4, 1943, page E-3.
  19. ^ "WTOP-KQW: CBS Sells 55% D. C.; Planning TV" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 24, 1948. pp. 27, 105. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  20. ^ "WINX AM, FM: FCC Asked to Okay Sale to Banks, 'Post'" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 24, 1949. p. 50. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  21. ^ a b Pointer, Jack (April 2019). "'You turn us on and we're there': Looking back at 50 years of news on WTOP". WTOP. p. April 1, 2019. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  22. ^ NIAC Order No. 1, Dec 1970 Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  23. ^ "Washington, D.C." TopHour. 2014. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  24. ^ Farhi, Paul (August 28, 2007). "With Low Ratings, Post Radio Venture To End Next Month". The Washington Post.
  25. ^ Federal News Radio Expands to Full Market Signal (3wtradio.com)
  26. ^ "$505M sale: Bonneville sells Chicago, D.C., St. Louis and Cincinnati to Hubbard". Radio-Info.com. January 19, 2011. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  27. ^ "WTOP news radio to be sold to Minnesota broadcaster". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021.
  28. ^ "Hubbard deal to purchase Bonneville stations closes". Radio Ink. May 2, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  29. ^ "Capitals 2012-13 Regular-Season Schedule". National Hockey League.
  30. ^ Steinberg, Dan (October 4, 2017). "Capitals radio broadcasts will return to 106.7 The Fan this season". The Washington Post.
  31. ^ McLane, Paul (October 9, 2018). "Federal News Radio Loses the "Radio" Tag". Radio World. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  32. ^ "Radio Sputnik Off WTOP - 6/29". dcrtv.com. June 29, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  33. ^ "Pentagon Official Who Criticized Detainee Lawyers Quits", The Washington Post (February 7, 2007), p. A06.
  34. ^ "'Cully' Stimson Stepping Down", Federal News Radio (February 2, 2007).
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Further reading

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