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Why A Radio Station Failed – The Rise And Fall Of WOOK With Mike Burke (Ep 3)
Episode 3
Published 2 years, 2 months ago
Description
Back in the days of AM radio, WOOK was a legendary urban radio station. The station had huge ratings and a loyal local following.
In the 1970s, the station was involved in an illegal gambling scheme, and it ended up losing its AM license.
Undeterred by the loss of its AM license, Bill Parris at United Broadcasting seized on the opportunity to move the format to United Broadcasting's FM frequency when the AM signed off.
In the following years, WOOK enjoyed even better ratings as FM began to take off in Washington.
However, at some point, the station lost its way and became one of the area's lowest-rated stations.
On this episode, Mike Burke, a fifteen-year veteran of the station, guides us through the changes the station implemented in its quest to reclaim its glory days.
We also speculate on what the station could have done differently to rise back to the top.
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In the 1970s, the station was involved in an illegal gambling scheme, and it ended up losing its AM license.
Undeterred by the loss of its AM license, Bill Parris at United Broadcasting seized on the opportunity to move the format to United Broadcasting's FM frequency when the AM signed off.
In the following years, WOOK enjoyed even better ratings as FM began to take off in Washington.
However, at some point, the station lost its way and became one of the area's lowest-rated stations.
On this episode, Mike Burke, a fifteen-year veteran of the station, guides us through the changes the station implemented in its quest to reclaim its glory days.
We also speculate on what the station could have done differently to rise back to the top.
More from DCRTV:
DCRTV.com
Newsletter signup: https://dcrtv.com/newsletter
Follow DCRTV on Facebook
Support DCRTV on Patreon
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dcrtv-washington-radio-and-tv-podcast--6152954/support.