I'll never understand why WTOP dropped 1500 AM and 820 AM. I was driving south on I-95 thru Baltimore last week and wanted to check Wash DC traffic conditions. But WTOP’s three FM channels were very spotty, while their old channel — 1500 AM — was loud and clear with the super-boring “federal news radio” format.
Anyway, the availability of WMAL programming on 105.9 will certainly be welcome news for lotsa folks in the DC suburbs, since WMAL’s nighttime signal is really poor in at least a few heavily populated areas that are only 15 or 20 miles from downtown DC.
Yes, don’t know why they dropped WTOP from 1500 and 820 other than to take on an FM signal, even if it doesn’t cover as well. Not sure why they have the fed news radio format.
I’m up in Boston but do notice occasional goings on elsewhere (I did briefly pass thru DC a couple months back; saw
Newseum) and I see that 1260 AM is conservative talk
from Salem Communications. Used to be liberal talk! Similarly the AM 1200 in Boston area flopped when they were Air
America some yrs back.