 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Washington metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 980kHz |
| Branding | The Team 980 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Sports radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | August 1, 1923 (102 years ago) (1923-08-01) |
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies |
|
Call sign meaning | "Team" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 25105 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 38°57′43″N76°58′24″W / 38.96194°N 76.97333°W /38.96194; -76.97333 |
| Repeater | 106.7 WJFK-HD2 (Manassas) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (via Audacy) |
| Website | www |
WTEM (980AM) is a commercialsportsradio station licensed to serveWashington, D.C. Owned byAudacy, Inc., the station services theWashington metropolitan area. WTEM is the co-flagship station of theMaryland Terrapins (shared with Audacy-ownedWJZ-FM inBaltimore), and is the Washington affiliate ofFox Sports Radio.
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The station was originally licensed in April 1923 as WRC—thecall sign having represented the original owner's name, theRadio Corporation of America (RCA). The station's original frequency was 469 meters (equal to 640 kHz). It was shared time with another Washington station,WCAP. The time-sharing arrangement between the two stations continued until 1926, when RCA purchased WCAP's share.
WRC was a charternetwork affiliate of theNational Broadcasting Company when it launched in November 1926. NBC split its programming into two networks two months later and WRC was assigned to theRed Network. NBC's other radio chain, theBlue Network, had no affiliate in the national capital until RCA entered into a lease agreement withWMAL in 1933. WRC and WMAL would becomede factosister stations during the lease term, which ran for eight years. WRC moved its frequency to 950 AM in 1928, and then shifted to 980 AM in 1941 as a result of theNorth American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA).[3]
RCA/NBC later launched WNBW television (channel 4, nowWRC-TV) and WRC-FM (93.9 MHz, nowWKYS), with both stationssigning on in 1947. For its first couple of decades, WRC-FM mostlysimulcast WRC. One popular WRC show featuredWillard Scott andEd Walker as theJoy Boys from 1955 to 1972. WRC also carried theMonitor radio program on weekends. From 1972 to 1975, WRC broadcast aTop 40 format and was known as theGreat 98. A popular DJ on WRC wasDoug Tracht, known as the "Greaseman," who would later host mornings for many years onWWDC-FM and inradio syndication.
WRC switched to anall-news radio format, using the "NBC News and Information Service" (NIS) from 1975 to 1977. After the NIS network was discontinued, the station aired its own all-news format, competing with established all-news stationWTOP. It switched to anews/talk format in 1979. The talk programming included the first pairing of political writersPat Buchanan andTom Braden, who became the original hosts ofCNN'sCrossfire, as well as satiristMort Sahl, psychologist Karen Shanor and former Philadelphia talk-show host Jerry Williams. Jack Doniger hosted an evening sports-talk show.
The AM's former Top 40 format was moved to WRC-FM and later evolved into adisco music format in the late 1970s as WKYS "Kiss FM." When the disco format cooled, WKYS evolved to anUrban Contemporary format.
NBC sold WRC toGreater Media in 1984 as it began its exit from radio ownership. FCC rules at the time did not allow two separately-owned stations to share a call sign. Since NBC retained WRC-TV and the right to the call sign, the AM station became WWRC. The station remained the Washington affiliate of the NBC Radio Network well into the late 1980s. With the sale, the station changed to afull-servicemiddle of the road format, of popular music, talk and information, on September 1, 1984.[4] During the early 1990s, WWRC was the home to popular shows hosted byJoe Madison,Mark Davis and Joel A. Spivak. It was also one of the brief homes for the last radio show to be hosted byMorton Downey, Jr. (the other being WRC's former sister stationWTAM inCleveland). By the mid-1990s, WWRC was a full-time talk station.
Two weeks prior to swapping call signs and formats, in February 1998, WWRC dropped its talk radio format for a financial news and talk format, one that would last over to a second dial position move to1260kHz.
Before moving to 980 kHz, WTEM was known asSports Radio 570 - The Team and on the frequency of 570 kHz. It previously had been used byclassical music stationWGMS. WTEM made its debut at 3:30 p.m. on May 24, 1992, right after theIndianapolis 500.[5][6] At the beginning, WTEM emulated the program lineup and even imported the jingles fromNew York City'sWFAN, the first all-sports radio station in the United States.
At the beginning, Paul Harris hosted the morning show between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.Washington Post columnistTony Kornheiser took over in late mornings, andCBS Sports announcer/WUSA sportcasterJames Brown hosted early afternoons.Kevin Kiley and Rich "The Coach" Gilgallon hostedKiley and the Coach during afternoondrive time, which emulated WFAN's highly successfulMike and the Mad Dog radio program.Jean Fugett and Ira Mellman anchored the night-time hours. WTEM also acquired the radio rights to broadcast theWashington Redskinsfootball between 1992 and 1994.
However, the ratings of WTEM struggled in the beginning. Harris was quickly replaced byBruce Murray and Bob Berger in late 1992. WTEM introduced the syndicatedImus in the Morning on July 19, 1993, to replace Murray and Berger in the 6–10 a.m. morning slot. For cost-cutting reasons, WTEM canceledKiley and the Coach, and shows hosted by Phil Wood (8 p.m. to midnight) and Rob Weingarten (midnight to 6 a.m.) at the end of 1994.[7] AfterKiley and the Coach was canceled, WTEM tried several afternoon-drive shows before it settled on Kornheiser live between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and then replayed between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to boost the afternoon drive-time ratings until the show moved toESPN Radio in January 1998. After his contract not renewed by WMAL,Ken Beatrice and his show,Sports Call, moved to WTEM in late 1995.
WhenThe Tony Kornheiser Show launched in 1992, because Tony needed to focus on writing his "Style" column in theWashington Post weekly, he usually did not host the show on Thursdays. UsuallyAndy Pollin, the Sports Director at WTEM, would guest-host Tony's show on Thursdays. Between November 1995 and December 1996,Warner Wolf was named the guest host ofThe Tony Kornheiser Show on Thursdays until he moved to New York as a sports anchor onWCBS-TV.[8] Tony started to host on Thursdays when he was onESPN Radio.
WhenThe Tony Kornheiser Show was on hiatus between November 14, 1997, and January 5, 1998, WTEM filled the 10 a.m.-1 p.m. slot with Kevin Kiley and the 4–7 p.m. slot with comedian Chuck Booms and Scott Linn. Booms joined WTEM as part of a stunt revolving theComedy Central showComics on Delivery, where viewers were asked write in and enlist the aid of comedians to help them get through experiences from daily life. Because of on-air wildness and inexperience, Booms was later paired with the experienced Kiley.
WhenThe Tony Kornheiser Show onESPN Radio debuted on January 5, 1998, the show aired between 1–4 p.m. WTEM filled the 10 a.m.–1 p.m. time slot withRick "Doc" Walker andAl Koken hostingThe Doc and Al Show and the 4–7 p.m. time slot with Kiley and Booms.
On March 9, 1998, WTEM and WWRC swapped dial positions, with WTEM moving to the stronger 980 frequency.[9] After the move, WTEM was branded asSportsTalk 980. The lineups on March 9, 1998, areImus in the Morning (6–10 a.m.),The Doc and Al Show (10 a.m.–1 p.m.),The Tony Kornheiser Show onESPN Radio (1–4 p.m.), Kevin Kiley and Chuck Booms (4–7 p.m.) andKen Beatrice'sSports Call (7–10 p.m.).
Because of poor ratings,Kiley and Booms were canceled on November 13, 1998, which happened to be Friday.[10] WTEM moved the highly ratedThe Tony Kornheiser Show to the 4–7 p.m. slot as atape delay show to replace Kiley and Booms. Kornheiser did not like the idea because he would lose the callers from the WTEM broadcasting area. WTEM movedThe Doc and Al Show into the 1–4 p.m. slot and created a new show hosted by Rich Cook and Kris O'Donnell in the 10 a.m.–1 p.m. slot.
WhenJohn Thompson resigned as the head coach of the men's basketball team atGeorgetown University, WTEM movedThe Doc and Al Show into the 10 a.m.–12 p.m. slot and invited Thompson to host a one-hour show withinThe Doc and Al Show (10:30-11:30 a.m.) calledTimeout with Thompson starting March 3, 1999, before the 1999NCAA Tournament began. At the same time, WTEM introducedThe Jim Rome Show, assigned it into the 12–3 p.m. slot. BetweenThe Jim Rome Show andThe Tony Kornheiser Show, there was a one-hour program calledThe Playground hosted by WTEM news anchors.
After the 1999NCAA Tournament, because of the positive reviews, Thompson was named the host ofThe John Thompson Show airing 10 a.m.–12 p.m. with Walker and Koken as co-hosts, replacingThe Doc and Al Show.
On September 13, 1999,ESPN Radio movedThe Tony Kornheiser Show to his favorite 10 a.m.–1 p.m. slot to make room forThe Dan Patrick Show. WTEM accommodated the move by movingThe John Thompson Show to 3–5 p.m., reducingThe Jim Rome Show to 2 hours and creating a new program calledThe Sports Reporters hosted by Andy Pollin between 5–7 p.m.
After the new lineup announced,Jim Rome voiced his displeasure on the air, attacked Kornheiser and demanded WTEM to get his third hour back. InThe Sports Reporters,Steve Czaban began as a news anchor. Later on, Czaban became the co-host with Andy Pollin.
On April 20, 2000, veteran sports talk personalityKen Beatrice retired.[11] His show,Sports Call, was replaced bySteve Czaban in the 7 p.m.-10 p.m. slot.
On April 9, 2001, WTEM became a secondaryFox Sports Radio affiliate, picking up ESPN'sMike and Mike in the Morning (6–9 a.m.) and Fox'sTheTony Bruno Extravaganza (9–10 a.m.). Both shows replacedImus in the Morning, which moved toWTNT to boost the station's ratings.[12] Czaban's evening program would also be picked up nationwide byFox Sports Radio later that year; the show would be moved by the network to morning drive in January 2005, with WTEM followed suit later that year.
On May 23, 2002, WTEM celebrated its tenth anniversary as a sports talk station with a specialSports Reporters show starting at 5 p.m.
From December 2003 until January 2005,WWRC, by this point on the 1260 kHz frequency, carried a complementary sports/talk format as "SportsTalk 1260." WWRC carried the majority of Fox Sports Radio's lineup, simulcast WTEM's afternoon programming, and picked up Jim Rome in its entirety, enabling WTEM to become an exclusive ESPN Radio outlet (save for Czaban's syndicated program).
In December 2005, the station's studios were moved from Bethesda, Maryland, to 1801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, to consolidate Clear Channel's Washington operation.
Because ofTony Kornheiser's preparation for ESPN'sMonday Night Football,The Tony Kornheiser Show on WTEM ended on April 28, 2006, and Kornheiser eventually left forWTWP. Starting on May 1, 2006,The Sports Reporters with Andy Pollin andSteve Czaban filled in the 9 a.m.-12 p.m. slot, a new show hosted byBrian Mitchell andBram Weinstein aired between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., andThe John Thompson Show was extended through 7 p.m.[13]
In early June 2006,The Brian Mitchell Show changed again. Bram Weinstein left WTEM and was replaced by Kevin Sheehan.
Starting February 12, 2007,The Brian Mitchell Show moved to the 10 a.m.–1 p.m. slot,The John Thompson Show moved to the 1 p.m.–4 p.m. slot andThe Sports Reporters with Andy Pollin andSteve Czaban filled in the 4 p.m.–7 p.m. slot.[14]
On April 30, 2007, Doc Walker went solo and hostedThe Doc Walker Show from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.WTTG's Dave Feldman andComcast SportsNet's Carol Maloney hosted a new show calledFeldman and Maloney between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Brian Mitchell moved toThe John Thompson Show as co-host.[15][16] Regarding going solo, Walker said, "Management came to me and I thought that it was time to do my own show. If you are lucky enough to get a chance to do your own show you would be foolish not to take it. I will miss Al and Coach, but it was a perfect time for me to go out on my own."
On May 26, 2007, Phil Wood returned to WTEM, and hosted a weekly baseball show from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.[17] Then, on October 22, 2007,The Dan Patrick Show, syndicated by theContent Factory, was back on WTEM in the 11 a.m.–1 p.m. slot as a tape delay show, replacingFeldman and Maloney. Both hosts were dropped following the merger of WTEM with Triple X ESPN Radio.
In 2006, WBZS-FM (92.7 FM,Prince Frederick, Maryland), along with sister stations WBPS-FM (94.3 FM,Warrenton, Virginia) andWKDL (730 AM,Alexandria, Virginia), were sold toRed Zebra Broadcasting—a company controlled by Washington Redskins ownerDaniel Snyder. On July 17, 2006, the two FM stations' Spanisholdies format ended to make way forESPN Radio. The three stations became known asWWXT,WWXX, andWXTR, and the stations were collectively promoted asTriple X ESPN Radio. The newtrimulcast cleared most of ESPN Radio's weekday programming, as well as a local show hosted by former RedskinJohn Riggins.
Red Zebra Broadcasting then purchased WTEM,WTNT (570 AM,Gaithersburg, Maryland) andWWRC (1260 AM, Washington) from Clear Channel in a deal announced in 2008.[18] WTEM became the new flagship of the Triple X ESPN Radio network, while WXTR became the Washington outlet forESPN Deportes. The deal also marked the return of Redskins football to WTEM; as mentioned above it had fronted the Redskins radio network from 1992 to 1994 while it was on 570 AM.
When WTEM merged with Triple X ESPN Radio, the last hour ofThe Herd with Colin Cowherd was eliminated, as well as the entire network show hosted byMike Tirico andScott Van Pelt (the latter of whom graduated from theUniversity of Maryland, College Park in the local area). WXTR temporarily remained in the simulcast until assuming a separate format as the Washington, DC affiliate ofESPN Deportes Radio on September 1, 2008. WXTR also served as the Spanish-language home ofWashington Redskins games in 2008 and 2009.[19]
Due to the new contract with ESPN Radio that guaranteed a full clearance forMike and Mike in the Morning, Steve Czaban's morning show on Fox Sports Radio was dropped. That show, however, continued to be produced from WTEM's studios until Fox Sports Radio canceled the program in December 2009.
On September 8, 2009,The Tony Kornheiser Show returned to WTEM in the 10am-noon slot, dropping Cowherd's show entirely.
Red Zebra flipped WTNT (570 AM) from its conservative talk format to sports/talk to "SportsTalk 570" on September 20, 2010, running the ESPN Radio network feed all day as a complement to WTEM. The station changed call signs to WSPZ on October 18, 2010, after Red Zebra sold WXTR to Metro Radio. WSPZ was the primary Washington-area affiliate of theVirginia Cavaliers radio network and acted as a backup station in the case of any play-by-play scheduling conflicts with WTEM.
Red Zebra sold off all of its radio properties in 2017-18. WWXT went toUrban One on April 20, and the station is nowWDCJ and runs a simulcast ofWMMJ.[20] WWXX was sold toEducational Media Foundation and runs theK-Lovecontemporary Christian music network asWLZV.[21] WSPZ was also sold toSalem Media Group, and now airs a conservativetalk asWWRC. Rights to University of Virginia sports remained with the new WWRC.
On January 31, 2018, WTEM rebranded asThe Team 980.[22]
On May 21, 2018, Urban One announced its purchase of WTEM for $4.2 million, pending regulatory approval. As part of the sale, Urban One agreed to a rights deal with the Redskins to maintain the station's relationship with the team.[23][24] Urban One told theWashington Post that it would keep sports programming on WTEM.[25] The purchase was consummated on August 9, 2018.
On June 13, 2019,Cumulus Media announced that ESPN Radio would move toWMAL on July 1, 2019, as that station changed to full-time sports programming.[26][27] Concurrently, WMAL announced it would carry Washington Redskins broadcasts, though WTEM remained the team's flagship station.[28] Following the loss of ESPN Radio, WTEM rejoined Fox Sports Radio, airing its evening, overnight, and weekend lineups, while still featuring local hosts during the day on weekdays.[29]
In September 2019, WTEM added a 250 wattFM translator,W240DJ, broadcasting fromSilver Spring, Maryland at 95.9 MHz.[30]
On November 5, 2020, Urban One announced that it would swap WTEM and three other stations in Philadelphia and St. Louis toEntercom, in exchange for itsCharlotte, North Carolina stations. Entercom took over the stations under alocal marketing agreement on November 23. FM translator W240DJ was not included in the sale and remained with Urban One.[31] The swap was consummated on April 20, 2021.
On March 24, 2021, WTEM lost its longtime status as the Washington home of theBaltimore Orioles to WSBN.[32] On September 14, WTEM became the flagship station for theWashington Wizards.[33]
On October 13, 2025, it was announced that sister stationWJFK-FM would once again be the flagship station for the Washington Wizards, with any games overlaping with the Capitals airing on WTEM andWDCH. In addition, it was announced the station would be among those airing tv audio ofWashington Mystics games along with WJFK-FM, WDCH andWJFK (AM).[34]
| Preceded by WGMS | AM 570 kHz in Washington, D.C. May 24, 1992-March 8, 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | AM 980 kHz in Washington, D.C. March 9, 1998–Present | Succeeded by Incumbent |