View source for WBIG-FM

{{short description|Classic rock radio station in Washington, D.C.}}
{{Distinguish||text=Aurora, Illinois, radio station [[WBIG (AM)]]}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name               = WBIG-FM
| logo               =
| logo_size          =
| city               = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| country            = US
| area               = [[Washington metropolitan area]]
| branding           = Big 100
| rds                =
| frequency          = 100.3 [[Megahertz|MHz]] {{HD Radio}}
| airdate            = {{Start date and age|1948|p=fy}}
| languages          = [[American English|English]]
| format             = [[Classic rock]]
| subchannels        = HD2: Now and Then ([[The Beatles|all-Beatles]])
| erp                = {{ubl|50,000 [[watt]]s (analog)|500 watts (digital)}}
| haat               = {{Convert|149|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class              = B
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| facility_id        = 54459
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|53|13.4|N|77|12|1.9|W|region:US-DC_type:landmark|name=WBIG-FM}}
| callsign_meaning   = "Big"
| affiliations       = [[Washington Commanders]]
| former_callsigns   = {{ubl|WOOK-FM (1951)|WFAN (1951&ndash;76)|WOOK (1976&ndash;84)|WDJY (1984&ndash;91)|WJZE (1991&ndash;93)<ref name="HC">{{cite web|title=FCC History Cards for WBIG-FM|url= https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=82500}}</ref>}}
| former_frequencies = 95.9 MHz (1951&ndash;52)
| owner              = [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]]
| licensee           = iHM Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations    = [[WASH (FM)|WASH]], [[WIHT]], [[WMZQ-FM]], [[WUST]], [[WWDC (FM)|WWDC]]
| webcast            = [https://www.iheart.com/live/big-100-2505/ Listen Live]
| website            = [https://wbig.iheart.com/ wbig.iheart.com]
}}
'''WBIG-FM''' (100.3 [[Hertz|MHz]]), branded as '''Big 100''', is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]] licensed to [[Washington, D.C.]]  It has a [[classic rock]] [[radio format]] and is owned by [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]]  The [[radio studio|studio]]s and offices are in [[Rockville, Maryland]].
WBIG-FM has an [[effective radiated power]] of 50,000 [[watt]]s.  Its [[transmitter]] is off Tower Street in [[Falls Church, Virginia]], unusually within a dense residential neighborhood with single-family housing surrounding it on all sides.<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/info/WBIG-FM Radio-Locator.com/WBIG-FM]</ref>  Besides a standard [[analog transmission]], WBIG broadcasts using [[HD Radio]] technology, and is also available online via [[iHeartRadio]]. The station is the official radio partner of the NFL's [[Washington Commanders]].
==History==
===WOOK-FM, WFAN===
The station first broadcast on 95.9, signing on the air in 1948.  It was owned by the United Broadcasting Company and had the [[call sign]] WOOK-FM, as the companion to [[WOOK (AM)|WOOK]] (1340 AM).<ref>[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1954/Radio%20All%20BC%20YB%201954.pdf Information] from [[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting Yearbook]] 1954 page 102</ref>  The two stations largely [[simulcast]] their programming.
The FM station soon changed call signs to WFAN, apparently to emphasize its status as the flagship of the [[Washington Senators (1901-60)|Washington Senators]] radio network.<ref>{{cite news|title=WOOK-FM Now WFAN (FM)|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1951/BC-1951-05-07.pdf|work=Broadcasting-Telecasting|date=May 7, 1951|page=52}}</ref> The station moved to 100.3&nbsp;MHz and upgraded power in 1952. WFAN broadcast in both English and Spanish, featuring [[tropical music]] programs for Washington's growing Latino population, mostly from [[Puerto Rico]], [[Cuba]] and the [[Dominican Republic]].  By the late 1960s, WFAN was running its Spanish-language format full time, the first in the Washington area.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brand loyalty|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1966/1966-09-19-Spanish-Media-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=September 19, 1966|page=88}}</ref>
===FCC trouble===
In the mid-1970s, United Broadcasting, the owner of WFAN-FM, WOOK and [[WOOK-TV|WFAN-TV]], along with semi-satellite [[WMET-TV]], was beset by legal issues.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Richards|first1=K.M.|title=WOOK-TV/14, Washington, DC|url=https://uhfhistory.com/articles/wook.html|website=The History of UHF Television|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref> In September 1975, the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) cited WOOK for broadcasting fraudulent advertising and denied renewal of its license.<ref>{{cite news|title=FCC denies renewal to Eaton's WOOK, adding another jeopardy to woes of broadcast group|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1975/1975-09-15-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=September 15, 1975|page=30}}</ref>
Faced with losing one of its two radio signals, United decided to preserve the more popular [[R&B]] format of WOOK.  In December 1976, it moved the R&B format and WOOK call letters to 100.3 FM.  Meanwhile, the WFAN call sign and Spanish tropical format, which had a smaller audience, moved to 1340 AM.<ref name="HC" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Call letters|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1977/BC-1977-01-10.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=January 10, 1977|page=68}}</ref> The AM station's license expired April 22, 1978, and the 1340 AM allocation was turned over to [[WYCB]]. The decision to sacrifice the Spanish-language format led to complaints to the FCC from the local Hispanic community. Unlike equivalent bodies such as the [[Canadian Radio and Television Commission]], the FCC does not concern itself with the type of programming broadcast by licensed stations, so it did not take action.<ref>{{cite news|title=The switcheroo in Washington|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1978/1978-05-01-BC.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=May 1, 1978|page=38}}</ref> In February 1984, WOOK rebranded as WDJY calling itself "DJ 100".<ref>{{cite news|title=Call letters|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1984/BC-1984-02-27.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=February 27, 1984|page=72}}</ref>
Starting in October 1990, the station began playing [[smooth jazz]] as "Jazzy 100", and would subsequently change its call letters to WJZE.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Yorke|first1=Jeffrey|title=WDJY, at a jazz juncture|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/10/23/wdjy-at-a-jazz-juncture/548ec13d-4f66-4eda-9892-a75b61586422/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=23 October 1990}}</ref>
===Oldies WBIG-FM===
WJZE was acquired by Colfax Broadcasting and adopted an [[oldies]] format as WBIG-FM "Oldies 100" at 4 p.m. on June 3, 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sec.edgar-online.com/katz-media-corp/s-4-securities-registration-business-combination/1998/12/23/section81.aspx|title=S-4 SEC filing|publisher=[[EDGAR]] Online|access-date=2010-02-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/18594250.html?dids=18594250:18594250&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+17%2C+1995&author=Jeffrey+Yorke&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=WJZW-FM%3A+A+Jump+for+Jazz&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025082352/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/18594250.html?dids=18594250:18594250&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+17,+1995&author=Jeffrey+Yorke&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=WJZW-FM:+A+Jump+for+Jazz&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 25, 2012|title=WJZW-FM: A Jump for Jazz|last=Yorke|first=Jeffrey|date=January 17, 1995|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=3 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1993/RR-1993-06-11.pdf|title=WJZE/‘DC’s ‘BIG Format Flip|work=[[Radio & Records]]|date=June 11, 1993|access-date=January 25, 2024}}</ref> The station was sold to Chancellor Broadcasting in 1996. Chancellor then merged with Capstar Broadcasting to form AMFM, Inc. in 1998.  [[Clear Channel Communications]] purchased AMFM in October 1999.  Clear Channel later changed its name to [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]]
As an oldies outlet, WBIG-FM originally played mostly Top 40 hits from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. In the early 2000s, many 1950s and early 1960s hits were dropped from the playlist. In 2002, the station changed its name from "Oldies 100" to "Big 100". It also aired the Saturday Night dance party playing mostly 1970s disco and dance music.
===Classic Hits===
WBIG-FM "evolved" from oldies to [[classic hits]] at 5 p.m. on April 3, 2006, featuring hits of the 1970s and 1980s. The last song to be played under its oldies format was "[[Shout (Isley Brothers song)|Shout]]" by [[The Isley Brothers]], while the first song under the classic hits format was "[[You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (Bachman–Turner Overdrive song)|You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet]]" by [[Bachman Turner Overdrive]]. This was accompanied with a slight branding change to "Big 100.3".<ref>[http://formatchange.com/big-100-3-wbig-evolves-from-oldies-to-classic-hits/ Big 100.3 WBIG Evolves From Oldies To Classic Hits]</ref> The changeover was not announced, and the new format saw several of the [[disc jockey]]s removed.  Jeff "Goldy" Gold, who spent 12 years at WBIG, was the morning host at [[WMGU|WFVL]] in [[Fayetteville, North Carolina]], from September 2005 to February 2009.  In 2012, Goldy became host of Good Morning Fayetteville on [[WFNC (AM)|WFNC]].<ref>Michael Futch, "Layoffs Claim Radio Hosts," ''The Fayetteville Observer'', February 10, 2009.</ref> Kathy Whiteside moved to middays at [[WLIF]] in [[Baltimore]], Johnny Dark worked at [[WTTR]] in [[Westminster, Maryland]], until his death in September 2016, and Ira Melman worked for a while at [[WTOP-FM]], and later for [[Voice of America]] (VOA) in Washington.
WBIG was the first station in the U.S. to work directly with one of [[the Beatles]]. [[Ringo Starr]] hosted and voiced the commercials for the "BIG Ringo Starr Art Show" in March 2007. It was the first time that artwork from all four Beatles appeared in the same exhibition. Proceeds from the sales of art benefited Ringo's charity The Lotus Foundations.
===Classic rock===
After the spring 2009 format change of rival classic rock station [[WIAD|WTGB]] to [[adult contemporary]], WBIG-FM tried to appease listeners of WTGB by shifting to a musical position in between light classic hits and slightly heavier [[classic rock]], but still not becoming a full-fledged classic rock station. Four months later, [[oldies]] outlet WJZW (now [[WMAL-FM]]) flipped to [[mainstream rock]] (mostly heavy classic rock with a few newer songs). Throughout 2010, WVRX slowly siphoned listeners from WBIG, especially in WVRX's target demographic of men 25-54. By the third week of August 2010, WBIG had plummeted to 14th in the overall [[Arbitron]] radio ratings after rising to 8th place after the demise of WTGB.
On August 30, 2010, the station fired its morning show staff, host Jon Ballard and news anchor Bill Stabler. After being fired, Ballard called into [[Elliot in the Morning]] on [[WWDC (FM)|WWDC]], where Ballard worked afternoons until 2006.  He began to discuss the incident with [[Elliot Segal]]. Reportedly, although Ballard did not criticize WBIG-FM or Clear Channel, WWDC management cut off the conversation by ending the show early and "dumping" to music, a process normally used to avoid content that would garner FCC fines. After Ballard's firing, the station shifted its [[playlist]] completely to classic rock, and began promoting the fact that it was now running with no [[disc jockey]]s. By October, DJ's would return, with Lisa Berigan doing middays, Doc Reno doing afternoon drive, and Big Rig doing nights. On November 20, Tommy Griffiths became the station's morning host.<ref>{{cite web|title=After WBIG, Washington morning man is fired, he calls sister station DC101|url=http://www.radio-info.com/news/after-wbig-washington-morning-man-is-fired-he-calls-sister-station-dc101|work=Radio-Info.com|access-date=31 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Jon Ballard Exits Big 100.3/Washington, D.C. Mornings|url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/80022/jon-ballard-exits-big-100-3-washington-d-c-morning|publisher=All Access|access-date=31 August 2010}}</ref>  In July 2016, "Big 100.3" reverted to the "Big 100" branding.
Beginning with the [[2023 NFL season]], WBIG-FM took over as the broadcast home of [[Washington Commanders]] games, replacing a joint simulcast of [[WMAL-FM]], [[WSBN]], and [[WTEM]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jhabvala |first1=Nicki |title=Commanders announce new radio deal to air games on BIG 100 FM |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/04/12/commanders-iheart-radio-broadcast-partner/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=13 April 2022}}</ref> [[Don Geronimo]], at the time the station's morning host, was fired after making disparaging comments on-air about a female sports reporter for [[WUSA (TV)|WUSA]] (channel 9) during the team's 2023 training camp.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lance |last=Venta |date=July 29, 2023 |title=Don Geronimo Fired From WBIG For Comments About TV Sportscaster While At Commanders Training Camp |work=RadioInsight |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/256403/don-geronimo-fired-from-wbig-for-comments-about-tv-sportscaster-while-at-commanders-training-camp/ |access-date=2023-07-30 |language=en-US}}</ref>
WBIG-FM's last two live DJs, Berigan and new morning host Paul Jaxon, were laid off in November 2024 as part of a large round of staffing cuts at iHeartMedia. The station's broadcast day is now entirely [[voice-tracking|voice-tracked]].<ref>{{cite news |title=iHeart Making Massive Personnel Cuts |url=https://ramp247.com/programming/iheart-making-massive-personnel-cuts/ |work=RAMP |date=4 November 2024}}</ref>
==Short-spaced signal==
WBIG-FM is short-spaced to [[Media, Pennsylvania]]-licensed [[WRNB]], a [[Urban One|Radio One]] station in the [[Philadelphia]] market which transmits from the [[Roxborough, Philadelphia|Roxborough]] section of the city. The transmitters of the two stations are around {{convert|131|mi|km}} apart, {{convert|29|mi|km}} short of the FCC's minimum distance guidelines for Class B stations, which is {{convert|150|mi|km}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title47-vol4/pdf/CFR-2012-title47-vol4-sec73-207.pdf |title=Minimum distance separation between stations. 47 CFR § 73.207 (b)(1) |access-date=2020-05-16}}</ref>
The two stations are [[grandfather clause|grandfathered]] for this short spacing of their allocations, and operate with some interference between Baltimore and the Pennsylvania–Maryland state line.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://wbig.iheart.com/ Official website]
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR2006040301979.html ''Washington Post'' article examining the format change]
*{{FM station data|54459|WBIG-FM}}
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/07/29/don-geronimo-fired-commanders/ ''Washington Post'' article: “Don Geronimo fired after disparaging on-air comments at Commanders camp”]
{{Washington Radio}}
{{IHeartMedia}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Washington, D.C.|BIG-FM]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1948]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:IHeartMedia radio stations]]
[[Category:Classic rock radio stations in the United States]]