ABC's decision in early 1979 to convert WMAL-FM (by then WRQX) from the losing end of the album rock battle with DC-101 to TOP 40 was largely made with one primary objective: protect WMAL's #1 ranking in the market.  

The Back Story: NBC's move to blow up TOP 40 WRC in 1975 and place its 'News & Information Service' on the formerly 'Great 98' left Washingtonians with effectively only one TOP 40 station, that being WPGC.  

True, there were other stations in the market that did share a portion of the contemporary audience, among them WASH and WMOD.  But neither station ever posed a serious threat, as evidenced by the conversion of the latter to Country formatted WMZQ in 1977.  

WPGC's unparalleled cume continued to grow to new heights as a result.  Inevitably, the gap between cume leader WMAL and WPGC continued to narrow so that by the Spring of 1979, WPGC's combined AM/FM figures (633,000 cume, 11 share 12+) surpassed the long time market leader.  

Uncharacteristic of most TOP 40 stations of the era, WPGC's Adult numbers were well above the industry norm.  Whereas many AM TOP 40 giants were by then fading away, losing significant chunks of cume to FM upstarts in their respective markets, WPGC-FM had successfully converted the majority of its once teen exclusive base that had driven WPGC-AM in the '60's over to the FM band, thus insulating it from other FM competitors in the market.  

Hence, ABC's only real window of opportunity was to attack WPGC's younger end of next generation teens, a demo historically far more willing to sample whatever is new and of the moment than Adults set in their ways (and listening habits).  

To that end, Q-107, supported with its massive quarter million dollar TV campaign (featuring Chuck Blore's memorable 'Talking Lips' spots) did indeed siphon off significant teen cume from WPGC, and by extension, preserve WMAL's standing as #1 in Adults.  

Ironically, WPGC's strength with young Adults (particularly 18-34) was underestimated by ABC management.  Ultimately, whatever teenage cume lost to Q-107 was more than replenished with additional Adults (defecting primarily from WASH), enabling WPGC to rebound and regain the TOP 40 crown in Washington, a position it maintained despite fierce competition until the ill fated decision by First Media to shift the station to Gold based AC in the Fall of 1982.

 

Client Letter	Schedule	A Brief History	Specifically
Our Audience Was	So We Found	Introducing Q107	Q107 Audience
On A Closer Look	Why We're Going To Be Successful	How Is It Done?	What Is Musicradio?
What Is The Purpose?	Buy Musicradio	Add It All Up	Sounds That'll Really Grab You!

m

 

 

Playlists

April 13, 1980

 

 

Articles

Title Of Article	Date Of Publication	Originally Appeared In
"Q-107 D.J. Shake-Up"	1979	The Washington Star
"Uncle Johnny: New Favorite"	1980	The Washington Star
"At the Top of the Rock Pile"	May 5, 1983	Washington Times Magazine
"DJs Rank On PG County"	August 26, 1983	The PG County Sentinel
"Beach Boys Set For July 4th"	February 1, 1985	Radio & Records
"Finally, A Respectable Guest"	February 23, 1985	Radio & Records
"Merger, But No Madness"	March 22, 1985	The Washington Post

 

 

Uncle Johnny '80

Beach Party  Lake Fairfax Park in 1980

 

Program Director, Alan Burns in 1983

Scott Woodside -'83

Jim Elliott in 1983

Jim Elliott with Gladys in 1983

 

Beach Party at Lake Fairfax Park in 1984

Beach Boys On The Mall in 1984

 

Jim Elliott with Ronald Reagan in 1985

Marty Wall & Vivianne Vaughn in 1985

 

 

Window Sticker

 

Bumper Sticker

 

New Logo, Circa 1985

 

 

 

Sale To Cap Cities

Click on image to see enlargement.

 

 

WPGC Air Personalities Who Went To Q-107

Don Bishop

Jim Elliott

Scott Woodside

J.J. Jackson (as Shadow Smith)

Lee Chambers (as Lee Collins)

 

 

Q-107 Air Personalities Who Went to WPGC

Don Bishop

Dude Walker

Greg Cole

 

Sound Files

Airchecks

January 1980	Dude Walker - First Night	2:41
January 23, 1980	Dude Walker - Mornings	20:20
January 23, 1980	Sandy Weaver	5:57
April 14, 1980	Dave Thompson	5:30
June 25, 1980	Uncle Johnny	6:46
March 2, 1981	Uncle Johnny	5:07
Spring 1985	Lee Collins	1:56

Imaging Elements

Summer 1980

Don Bishop

:37

 

Miscellaneous Audio

Early '80's

Joe Cipriano & Willard Scott

:08

 

Jingles

Hit After Hit © 1985

JAM Creative Productions

1:18

(Special thanks to Jonathon Wolfert for the above). 

 

Stinger

EFX

Brothers Johnson

:01

 

 

 

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