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Caps, Nats, Wiz all willing to talk to WJFK

By: Jim Williams
Examiner Sports Columnist
July 4, 2009

As it continues to look more and more like WJFK (106.7 FM) is headed toward a format change from “guy talk” to all sports, it seems that the FM powerhouse is getting interest from Washington sports franchises.

Three local industry sources have told me that the Capitals, Wizards and Nationals are all looking at having conversations with WJFK about what they may have to offer the local pro teams.

Clearly not all three teams are moving to WJFK, but it is clear that all three teams are looking for an outlet that could provide them the promotion and support they are looking for and perhaps are not getting from their present partners.

The Nationals are with WFED (1500 AM), the Caps are also with WFED and the Wizards are part of the ESPN 980 AM team. The Wizards and Caps buy their airtime and are no doubt looking for the best bang for their buck.

The Nats–Bonneville relationship is a little more complicated with revenue share/rights fees involved.

But the Nationals will also be open to looking for the best deal, just like the Wiz and the Caps.

It is very likely that WJFK will be able to score one of the three teams to anchor their play-by-play programming.

What we can expect to see is the Caps, Wiz and Nats all having their own radio outlet to themselves. With WJFK, WFED and ESPN 980 all having a team — but at this point we don’t know who will be where.

With WJFK in the game it will make the Nationals, Caps and Wizards all able to get better deals and in the end that should be good news for the fans.

A name that I would like to throw into the mix is George Michael — as the drive time host for WJFK.

No one in Washington has the Rolodex that the King has. He was a radio legend long before he was on TV at NBC4.

So let the King hand-pick his partner, we know he has a feeling for talent, and he would be a great addition to any new all-sports station and also add instant credibility.

Michael loves to mix it up and he can get guests that no one else in town can score so I would bring the King out to be my big name to give the station credibility.

Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.





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Reader Comments

All comments on this page are subject to our Terms of Use and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Examiner or its staff. Comment box is limited to 250 words.

freddie

Jul 4, 2009

"sources have told me that the Capitals, Wizards and Nationals are all looking at having conversations with WJFK." Well there's ratings gold... We all know there is only one team in this town anyone cares about and I don't see it in that list...

 

rob

Jul 5, 2009

Wow. I can't believe CBS would blow up the first-ever FM talk-radio station for sports. WJFK was the flagship for this type of format. Do they REALLY think sports-talk will get the higher ratings? Right now they have amazing synergy between all three shows (Junks, Big O & Dukes, Mike O'Meara) and they're going to throw that away. And right as the Mike O'Meara Show AND Big O & Dukes have had their best ratings ever?! Man, maybe radio really is a dead market. I know that, for me, if they make this shift, they will have lost a 18-year listener (from when I was 16 and the Don and Mike Show switched to JFK, to now). So much for loyalty. R.I.P. WJFK.

 

francis

Jul 5, 2009

This is a horrible decision, just when JFK actually has a strong and sane lineup.

 

lisa

Jul 6, 2009

come on, this is the worst idea EVER. WJFK is the only format of its kind on FM right now. Why throw it away? Trust me when I say that people are going to be very angry if there is a switch, and they are going to lose a LOT of listeners. big o and dukes is radio gold. good luck guys!

 

dan

Jul 6, 2009

The only reason I listen to the radio at all is for the great variety of WJFK. Junks, Big O and Dukes, and The Mike O'Meara show. All 3 get me through my entire work day. Why would I want to hear 3 different shows in the same time slots talk about what Bret Farve is doing? Sports talk is available elsewhwere if that is what you are in to. If you are into intelligent AND fun talk radio than WJFK is where its at. Why change a proven formula? Im talking to you Michael Hughes (WJFK general manager) Everyone call and e-mail!

 

Amy

Jul 6, 2009

Wow. What a stupid decision. Very, very stupid.

 

dan

Jul 6, 2009

Jim Williams...do you really think anyone is going to listen to George Michael? "The King"? Please... that's just silly. I don't care how big his roladex is, he would be radio poison. Unless I wanted rodeo updates, and that doesn't translate to DC radio! "The King"? really? The King is dead! Long live the Junks, Fukes and Mike! Paint your bald spot?

 

Chris

Jul 6, 2009

If this tragic event does happen I for one will be boycotting WJFK. Long live Junks and Big O' and Dukes.

 

Zacharias

Jul 6, 2009

Man, this stinks. Aren't there enough sports stations in DC already?

I have to agree with the others… The lineup is as good as it's been in eons and the ratings were supposed to be up. PERFECT time to cancel everything, eh CBS suits?

Friggin' morons, I swear. They ditch the talk for sports and all I'll have left is my XM radio. Which, I might note, has also been mostly ruined by a radio guy, who also used to work for CBS.

Must be a trend. CBS = radio destroying suits!

 

Dave

Jul 6, 2009

Awful idea. The sports teams in DC stink, and they will not be made better by listening to how bad they stink 24/7 from another sports station. If this flip occurs, I am done with WJFK.

 

Patrick Peartree

Jul 6, 2009

I hope the Nat's stay on 1500 am.
Signal is good up and down the east coast at night. The best would be to have some Nat's games on 1500 and 106.7 FM

 

E

Jul 6, 2009

The Junkies belong on sports, all the time, not doing typical morning DJ garbage. Big O and Dukes is radio for illiterate children, and Mike is so/so. JFK can't go to sports fast enough.

 

Jul 6, 2009

"What we can expect to see is the Caps, Wiz and Nats all having their own radio outlet to themselves....With WJFK, WFED and ESPN 980 all having a team." Hmmm, whoever lands on ESPN 980 would not have an outlet to themselves. There's another team on that station. What are they called? Ledskins? Medskins?....

 

ij

Jul 6, 2009

@Zacharias: Man, this stinks. Aren't there enough sports stations in DC already?


One? One station....and its owned by the Redskins? By contrast, talk -- you know, WJFK's format -- is available on 88.5, 570, 630, 1050 and 1580. So, in other words, no. There aren't enough sports stations.

 

Alex35332

Jul 6, 2009

It will be sad to see the death of the "Inch Deep Mile Wide, talk format". Its disingenuous to try and compair that to the Talking head news formats or NPR, as ij does. Nothing wrong with that NPR format, but its when was the last time you heard a porn start interview followed by a redskin followed by an economist?

 

CraigV

Jul 6, 2009

This is awful. The market goes soft and CBS goes running for cover! WJFK is a unique station with content unlike anything else on terrestrial radio. Now we get to listen to box scores and horrible second rate Sportscenter shtick. This is sad news for Washington and for talk radio overall.

 

RJmanners

Jul 6, 2009

Who keeps making up these rumors that WJFK might be making a format change? I have heard these for years, and yet they still have Talk, this writer should stop spreading rumors?

 

Mark

Jul 6, 2009

I'd like to echo the sentiments expressed in the comments above. Screw WJFK if they make this switch. O'Meara is basically gone already, but O&D and the Junkies too? C'mon.

 

bartleby

Jul 6, 2009

I can't imagine anything more fun than listening to the Nationals lose 115 games. If the Wizards pop-up on WJFK they should have Arenas do the commentary. He'll be injured during the regular season so he will have plenty of free time. The Caps got plenty of playoff airtime on WJFK, and seriously, does anyone care about them before then anyway? I would rather stick railroad spikes into my ears and listen to my muffled screams than any local sports garbage.

 

cbssucks

Jul 14, 2009

great, another vanilla sports talk station... HUGE MISTAKE... WJFK was the only station keeping me from switching to satellite... I listen in the mornings, all day at work, and during my commute from DC to Baltimore every night... and when I loose WJFK outside of College Park, I use an app on my blackberry to listen all the way into b'more... It’s proof of how dumb people are that these stations that take no risks and all sound exactly the same do so well while the best radio has to struggle for an outlet... Thanks for everything guys... hope to see you on satellite... the DB that wrote this article needs to go pound sand...

 


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