One of the alltime great radio stations anywhere died an ignominious death this week changing to latin pop without notice. WHFS (Washington High Fidelity Stereo) hasn't been much for a while being owned by Infinity. But even in the recent years when it was trying to be alternative rock for the folks in their twenties they still put on a major rock festival in DC each summer.
In their heyday of the seventies and early eighties they were as good as radio got. No playlists, DJs with astounding knowledge who TAUGHT you about good new stuff rather than playing what surveys said you liked. Hour long sets. Fabulous segues. Commercial free Mondays. Ads looking for workers at the US Bong factory in Rockville (great benefits!). Although the audience was small, about 1% of the ratings, it accounted for 5% of the records purchased in the area which more than once helped keep the struggling station on the air. I used to leave the radio on all night because the overnight DJ Weasel was so good that there was a chance I would wake up and hear something incredible. This was my introduction as a teenager to Joni Mitchell, Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Van Morrison, Hot Tuna, Mose Allison, Taj Majal, Dexter Gordon et al rarely if ever heard on the more conventional stations of the day.
They haven't been so great the last twenty years when they sold to corporate owners, steadily going downhill. Some of the old Djs still play at WRNR in Annapolis but they lack the power to reach my home. Still check out 103.1 if you are passing through Maryland on I-95. It may be the last good commercial radio station in America.
RIP my old friend.
