WMMJ

WMMJ
City of license Bethesda, Maryland
Broadcast area Washington, D.C.
Branding "My Majic 102.3"
Slogan Your R&B Station
Frequency 102.3 (MHz) (also on HD Radio)
First air date November 11, 1961
Format Urban Adult Contemporary
ERP 2,900 watts
HAAT 146 meters
Class A
Facility ID 54712
Callsign meaning Washington and Maryland's MaJic
Owner Radio One
Sister stations WKYS, WOL, WPRS, WYCB
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.mymajicdc.com

WMMJ is a top-rated Urban Adult Contemporary radio station owned by Radio One in the Washington, D.C., market. It is co-owned with WKYS, WOL, WPRS, and WYCB and has studios located in Silver Spring, Maryland. It is licensed to Bethesda, but its transmitter is located in Tenleytown. During the sixties, seventies, and early eighties, the station had been home to the original "progressive rock" formatted WHFS, which later migrated to the higher powered Annapolis, Maryland, based 99.1 frequency.

History

The WMMJ calls were originally used on current radio station WXRL in Lancaster, New York, from its sign-on in 1965 until 1970.

In 1987, Cathy Hughes purchased WMMJ and changed the format from easy listening to Urban Oldies as, "Majic 102.3". The station has basically maintained this format for 18 years with it skewing its format more toward the 25-54 demographic as an Urban Adult Contemporary. During that time, Majic 102.3 has become synonymous with its Urban Oldies format in the African-American community. Majic has consistently been one of the market's leaders delivering Washington's most loyal audience. In 1999, WMMJ acquired the syndication rights of the Tom Joyner Morning Show from rival Urban AC, WHUR, and has maintained it ever since. In the summer of 2008, it also became home to Mo'Nique in the afternoon until March 18, 2009, when Mo'Nique decided leave to "further her career in television, film, and comedy".

On June 23, 2010, WMMJ's live airstaff were fired from their jobs in a surprise shakeup, despite the station posting its best numbers in the Washington Arbitrons. The shakeup began in April 2010, when its GM and PD were let go.[1] Recently, WMMJ hired former WHUR morning man John Monds to be the new afternoon drive personality from 3 to 7 PM and Courtney Hicks as the new midday personality from 10 AM to 3 PM.

WMMJ logo from 2004 to July 2010

References

  1. ↑ "Radio One's "Majic" WMMJ (102.3) Washington D.C. Cleans House". Radio-Info.com. 23 June 2010.

External links