WMET

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WMET is a radio station broadcasting on 1160 kHz in the mediumwave AM band. The station moved from the 1150 kHz frequency in 2003. Its transmitter is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland and it serves the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. WMET has a daytime transmitter power of 50,000 watts but suffers from a low 1500 watt directional signal at night.

WMET has run through a variety of formats including an all-comedy format as WJOK in 1983. In recent years, station owner IDT had aired a conservative talk format including syndicated hosts Tony Snow & G. Gordon Liddy.

The Greaseman was hired for the morning drivetime slot in November 2005. WMET switched to a brokered (paid) ethnic programming format in March 2006 but Greaseman's show was among the few weekday programs to be retained.

WMET is the English language flagship station for D.C. United soccer and an affiliate station for James Madison University football and men's basketball.

During the 1960's, WHMC also broadcast on FM, and was known as the "500 Watt Flower-pot". 'HMC, as it was called then, hired Barry Richards away from WINX (1600AM) in nearby Rockville MD, and was the DC area's first "album rock" station. The station also sponsored a series of rock concerts underneath the towers (which were on a grassy hillside in Gaithersburg) that were well-attended by area teens.