Heather Curtis
WMAL.com.
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – It’s the end of an era for D.C. radio. Mix 107.3 WRQX – WMAL’s sister station – and the Jack Diamond Morning Show are signing off after 30 years.
Cumulus – which owns Mix – sold the 107.3 frequency to Educational Media Foundation which will change the station to K-Love whose mission is “to create compelling media that inspires and encourages you to have a meaningful relationship with Christ” according to its website.
Diamond said the sale was purely a business decision.
“It wasn’t a failure of anything. In fact, our ratings have never been better, thank God, and thanks to you for listening,” Diamond said during the morning show’s last broadcast Friday.
It all started 30 years ago when Don Benson and Norm Shrutt called Diamond and said they were looking to change the station from rock to an adult contemporary format and asked him to host the morning show. Diamond agreed to sign on.
“I was in San Francisco then I had gone to San Diego, and believe me, it was a gorgeous day when he called, and I was at the beach having lunch, and I thought ‘Washington DC? San Diego?’ I had a three hour shift there, I did 6 to 9 a.m. and then I did television weather in the evening, and I’m thinking ‘I’m not sure I can do this,’” Diamond reminisced during the last show Friday.
Personalities from throughout the years came on the show to say goodbye, including former ABC News anchor and icon Doug Limerick and WMAL News anchor and reporter Barbara Britt who was one of the show’s first co-hosts.
“You’ve always made it about listeners. You’ve always told me, Jack, people listen to the radio to change their mood. They want something else,” Britt said.
Another long-time local radio favorite and former Mix personality Loo Katz, who now operates Hound Radio, also came on. Diamond and Katz met when they were 16-years-old and students at Robert E. Perry High School and John F. Kennedy High School respectively. Both wanted to get into the business together.
“I cannot believe this thing’s disappearing,” Katz said.
Diamond also remembered those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the show going, including John Martin, the station’s imaging and production director. Martin started at 107.3 as an intern with the promotions department.
“It’s tough to see this go, but it’s just been a great place,” Martin said.
Diamond also reminisced about all of the artists that had been on the show over its 30-year run including Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bon Jovi, Tina Turner and Huey Lewis and the News. But Diamond’s favorite is Montgomery County native Marc Roberge who is the lead singer of O.A.R.
WRQX was the first radio station to play O.A.R.’s “Love and Memories.”
“I remember very specifically having these dreams that maybe a radio station one day where I come from will have….will play our songs, and then it happened, and then it happened again, and then the folks that have your back stick by you, and you’ve always been that way,” Roberge said.
Diamond’s current co-hosts are Jimmy Alexander, Blaire Kelleher and Erica Hillary.
“I’m not sad, because I understand how lucky I’ve been. Between the wonderful people I’ve worked with, some who have become like family… and to those of you who listen to The Jack Diamond Morning Show…
You helped raise millions of dollars for local charities, you volunteered for countless rides, runs, and races, and would always let us know you were part of our family by saying… ‘Love Your Show’. For that I can’t thank you enough,” Alexander – who joined the show in 1997 – wrote on Facebook.
Kelleher wrote on Facebook, “It’s been such a fun 3 years and 1 month on The Jack Diamond Show! Love this team and this station! Xoxo”
DJ Dan Duran – who started at the station when he was in college – wrote on Facebook, “To be a part of it since 2004 has been an incredible honor and experience I will never, ever forget. Thank you.”
Diamond will be the last voice heard on Mix before the station switches formats. The goodbye show airs Friday night between 6 and 7.
Copyright 2019 WMAL. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: Jack Diamond)
