WTSD (AM)
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{redirect|WCRW|stations that have previously used this call sign|WCRW (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WTSD
| logo = 1190wtsd.png
| logo_size = 200px
| city = Leesburg, Virginia
| country = US
| area = Washington metropolitan area
| languages = English
| branding = 1190 iHeart Sports DC
| frequency = 1190 kHz
| repeater = {{Radio Relay|101.1|WWDC-HD2|Washington, D.C.}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1958|3|6|p=y|br=yes}}
| format = Sports radio
| power = {{ubl|{{val|50000|u=watts|fmt=commas}} (day)|{{val|1200|u=watts|fmt=commas}} (night)}}
| class = B
| licensing_authority = FCC
| facility_id = 54876
| coordinates = {{coord|39|2|28.0|N|77|26|42.0|W|region:US-VA_type:landmark}}
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WAGE (1956–2011)|WCRW (2011–2023)}}
| former_frequencies = {{ubl|1290 kHz (1958–1985)|1200 kHz (1985–2011)}}
| callsign_meaning = iHeart Sports DC
| affiliations = {{ubl|Fox Sports Radio|VSiN Radio|D.C. United}}
| owner = Potomac Radio Group, Inc.
| operator = iHeartMedia
| sister_stations = {{hlist|WASH|WBIG-FM|WIHT|WMZQ-FM|WUST|WWDC}}
| webcast = {{iHeartRadio|7311}}
| website = {{URL|https://iheartsportsdc.iheart.com}}
}}
WTSD (1190 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Leesburg, Virginia, and serving the Washington metropolitan area with a sports radio format. Owned by Potomac Radio Group, Inc., the station has been operated by iHeartMedia since January 2023, as part of that broadcast chain's cluster of stations. WTSD's transmitter site is located in Ashburn, Virginia. It is a Fox Sports Radio network affiliate.
History
=WAGE=
The station first signed on the air on March 6, 1958. Its original call sign was WAGE, broadcasting on 1290 kHz. For its first 37 years on the air, WAGE was a 1,000-watt daytimer, required to go off the air at sunset to protect other stations on 1290 AM. It was started by Richard Field Lewis Jr., who also founded WINC in Winchester and WFVA in Fredericksburg. The original studio and transmitter site was a field behind Loudoun County High School in Leesburg. To this day, the street on which the studio stood is named Wage Drive.{{cite news|last1=Hager|first1=Hannah|title=WAGE Radio, once dark, may soon see the light|url=https://www.loudountimes.com/news/wage-radio-once-dark-may-soon-see-the-light/article_693b38b8-adff-5dad-95a1-7a1f1a871da2.html|work=Loudoun Times-Mirror|date=May 25, 2010|language=en}}
An anecdotal story claims that CBS TV and radio host and Leesburg resident Arthur Godfrey was the original owner, and the call sign stood for Arthur Godfrey Enterprises.{{cite web|last1=White|first1=Thomas|title=Washington, D.C. AM Station History|url=https://earlyradiohistory.us/hist-dc.htm|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717084028/http://earlyradiohistory.us/hist-dc.htm|archive-date=July 17, 2018|url-status=live}} In fact, the construction permit was owned by Lewis and passed to his widow upon his death in 1957. The call sign was reassigned from what is now WHEN in Syracuse, New York, and was almost certainly sequential as it had no known meaning in either city.{{cite news |title=From Hogs to Hurricanes, WAGE Stays Tuned to the County |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/03/03/from-hogs-to-hurricanes-wage-stays-tuned-to-the-county/7b17ecb2-f504-44a3-8c34-6f2402d2c8cf |newspaper=Washington Post |date=March 3, 2002 |access-date=November 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106132304/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/03/03/from-hogs-to-hurricanes-wage-stays-tuned-to-the-county/7b17ecb2-f504-44a3-8c34-6f2402d2c8cf/ |archive-date=November 6, 2018 |url-status=live}} Once built, the station was sold first to William T. Stubblefield and again in 1962, to a group headed by James and Valeria Symington.{{cite web|title=WCRW History Grid|url=https://fccdata.org/?facid=54876&hview=1|website=FCCData|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530035039/https://fccdata.org/?facid=54876&hview=1|archive-date=May 30, 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Changing hands|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1962/1962-04-02-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=April 2, 1962|page=131}}
In 1985, WAGE moved to 1200 kHz, allowing the use of a stronger full-time signal. While WAGE covered local news throughout its history, the format changed over the years, going from classical music, to easy listening, to country music, to middle of the road.
WAGE was sold to WUST owner New World Radio Group, through its subsidiary Potomac Radio, Inc., in 2005. Local programming ended in 2007.
=Increase in power=
On October 29, 2008, WAGE received a permit from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to move to 1190 kHz and increase its power to 50,000 watts. This would require existing station WBIS, which operated on the same frequency in Annapolis, Maryland, to shut down.
On August 2, 2009, WAGE fell silent due to "tough economic conditions" and an ongoing attempt to move the station to AM 1190 and up the power to 50,000 watts. On April 21, 2010, the FCC approved WAGE's application to increase its daytime power to 50,000 watts and its nighttime power to 1,300 watts from different antenna sites, along with the frequency shift to 1190 kHz. The station was also forced to move out of Leesburg as the existing transmitter site was not large enough to accommodate the required towers.
=China Radio International=
The station returned to the air on April 11, 2011, with programming from China Radio International (CRI), the Chinese state broadcaster, and a designated foreign mission in the U.S.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46557096|title=The churchgoing patriot who spied for China|last=McKelvey|first=Tara|date=January 15, 2019|work=BBC News|access-date=November 2, 2019|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49834304|title=An invisible battle between China and US|last1=Feng|first1=Zhaoyin|date=October 11, 2019|work=BBC News|access-date=November 2, 2019|last2=McKelvey|first2=Tara|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028075917/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49834304|archive-date=October 28, 2019|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last1=Jakes|first1=Lara|last2=Myers|first2=Steven Lee|date=February 18, 2020|title=U.S. Designates China's Official Media as Operatives of the Communist State|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/world/asia/china-media-trump.html|access-date=July 5, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=March 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324074500/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/world/asia/china-media-trump.html|url-status=live}} The call sign was switched to WCRW to reflect this programming. On November 2, 2015, it was reported that the FCC would investigate allegations of whether WCRW was controlled by CRI.{{Cite news|date=November 2, 2015|title=FCC, Justice Department investigate covert Chinese radio network|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-radio-fcc-idUSKCN0SR2AI20151102|access-date=July 5, 2020|archive-date=July 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706005351/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-radio-fcc-idUSKCN0SR2AI20151102|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/index.do?document=336156|title=EDOCS Search « EDOCS « FCC|first=Federal Communications Commission -|last=FCC|website=apps.fcc.gov|access-date=October 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026220342/https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/index.do?document=336156|archive-date=October 26, 2017|url-status=live}} At the same time, the United States Department of Justice announced an investigation to determine whether CRI was in compliance with legal obligations under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Reuters reported that 60 percent of the station's airtime was leased by a subsidiary of CRI.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-radio/special-report-exposed-beijings-covert-global-radio-network-idUSKCN0SR1KM20151102|title=Special Report: Exposed - Beijing's covert global radio network|date=November 2, 2015|access-date=October 26, 2017|newspaper=Reuters|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026214243/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-radio/special-report-exposed-beijings-covert-global-radio-network-idUSKCN0SR1KM20151102|archive-date=October 26, 2017|url-status=live}}
WCRW was granted 1,200 watts of nighttime power in 2017, upgrading from class D to class B in the process. The station received permission to begin test operations at night on May 4, 2018.{{cite web|title=WCRW Facility Data|url=https://fccdata.org/?appid=1746039&facid=54876|website=FCCData|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530035535/https://fccdata.org/?appid=1746039&facid=54876|archive-date=May 30, 2018|url-status=live}}
New World Radio Group sold WCRW to the unrelated Potomac Radio Group, Inc., partially owned by Marquee Broadcasting owners Brian and Patricia Lane, in September 2018.{{cite web |title=D.C. AM Pair Sold |url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/180072/d-c-am-pair-sold |website=All Access |language=en |date=September 19, 2018 |access-date=November 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105202916/https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/180072/d-c-am-pair-sold |archive-date=November 5, 2018 |url-status=live}} The sale was consummated on January 2, 2019, at a price of $750,000.{{cn|date=May 2023}}
In January 2022, Potomac Radio Group dropped CRI and changed to a generic brokered programming format as "New World Radio". This followed an investigation by the Small Business Administration over the receipt of more than $100,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). PPP loans were prohibited for entities subject to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, under which Potomac Radio registered in December 2021.{{cite news |last1=Dunleavy|first1=Jerry |title=SBA investigating PPP loan to Virginia radio company paid millions to broadcast CCP propaganda |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/sba-investigating-ppp-loan-to-virginia-radio-company-paid-millions-to-broadcast-ccp-propaganda/ |access-date=January 1, 2022 |work=Washington Examiner |date=December 31, 2021}} Potomac Radio's required FARA disclosures revealed CRI and China Global Television Network had paid the company over $4 million between 2019 and 2021, to broadcast its programming.{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2022 |title=Report: Washington DC AM Station Drops Chinese Programming Following Scrutiny. |url=https://www.insideradio.com/free/report-washington-dc-am-station-drops-chinese-programming-following-scrutiny/article_d66ce7ee-7cee-11ec-8c24-5b4d51cd342e.html |access-date=May 21, 2023 |website=insideradio.com |language=en}}
=Operation by iHeartMedia=
On December 30, 2022, WCRW announced that it would end its "New World Radio" brokered programming; under a three-year local marketing agreement, iHeartMedia began operating the station on January 4, 2023, concurrent with a call sign change to WTSD. Potomac Radio Group had previously sold WUST to iHeartMedia in 2020. iHeartMedia used WTSD to launch a sports format, branded as "iHeart Sports DC" and featuring programming from Fox Sports Radio and Vegas Stats & Information Network; this programming is also simulcast on the HD2 channel of WWDC, replacing talk radio station "WONK-FM".[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/247000/1190-104-7-iheart-sports-dc-debuts-in-washington/ 1190/104.7 iHeart Sports DC Debuts in Washington] Radioinsight - January 5, 2023
References
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite web|url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SP15&band=am&callLetter=WCRW|title=Arbitron Station Information Profiles|access-date=July 8, 2015|work=Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709114215/http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SP15&band=am&callLetter=WCRW|archive-date=July 9, 2015|url-status=live}}
{{cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=54876&Callsign=WTSD|title=Call Sign History|access-date=July 8, 2015|work=Federal Communications Commission, audio division|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709133329/http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=54876&Callsign=WTSD|archive-date=July 9, 2015|url-status=live}}
{{cite web|url=http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=WTSD|title=WTSD Facility Record|access-date=July 8, 2015|work=Federal Communications Commission, audio division}}
}}
External links
{{AM station data|54876|WTSD}}
{{Washington Radio}}
{{Sports Radio Stations in Virginia}}
{{iHeartMedia}}
{{Fox Sports Radio stations}}
Category:1958 establishments in Virginia
Category:Fox Sports Radio stations
Category:iHeartMedia radio stations