On Twitter: @AkiemBailum Saunders is going (BACK) to Disney World! Short stints as program director of 95.5 WPGC seem to be a customary thing nowadays at CBS Radio in Washington, D.C. Saunders is now the 4th PD in the last 4 years to exit the station. Simply put, PGC these days is about as much a hot mess as the city it serves. 95.5 WPGC is a CBS Mainstream Urban station serving the uber-African American market of DC. In recent times, despite high ratings, PGC has been one of the most dysfunctional stations in the country, by going through plenty of program directors. Big Tigger, their morning host, was also speculated to be leaving the station when he announced that he'd be contributing to BET as well as acquiring a morning show syndicated on other CBS Radio stations. PGC's competition in the DC/Northern Virginia region include 93.9 WKYS (Kiss FM) and Hot 99.5 WIHT. Kiss is a Radio One station while Hot is a Clear Channel property. Saunders was working at WJHM 102 Jamz in Orlando before leaving Disney World for the Beltway. Jamz is another CBS property. Despite several rumours and reports that Saunders was fired from the station, he actually resigned. Whether he resigned or was canned is irrelevant to the bare facts: Saunders is the 4th man to arrive and leave WPGC before he really got acquainted with the station. He's returning to Orlando to program WCFB Star 94.5. This is an Urban Adult Contemporary station run by Cox Communications with Kevin Gardner as the current PD. Star is Orlando's affiliate for Tom Joyner and Michael Baisden's shows. As for PGC, this isn't the first time CBS Washington's Urban Contemporary has encountered rumours of tweaking its format to "Hits and Hip Hop" ala WLLD "Wild 94.1" in Tampa/St. Petersburg. The station has encountered these rumours aplenty. It's been the hottest topic on the Washington/Baltimore boards on Radio-Info.com. Such a change has, perhaps, already been in the works. PGC has, slowly but surely, snuck in more Top 40-ish tracks into its Urban-heavy rotation. Essentially your blueprint for a station that's having visions of it being a Rhythmic Top 40. In this case, PGC is sounding like it's the newborn baby of Hot 99.5 and 93.9 Kiss FM. This could further that trend to continue their Rhythmic outreach. "DC's Home of 18 Jamz In a Row!"...and about 3 of them can be heard on 99.5! Jason Kidd (no relation to the Dallas Mavericks point guard) is said to be the new PD at WPGC. He has a background, mainly, with CHRs. The ultimate result of this could be felt down the road if the Rhythmic Top 40 experiment were to fail. Perhaps we'd see 95.5 ditch the "PGC" brand and go totally Top 40 as "Amp Radio" (like their LA and Detroit sisters at 97.1 and 98.7, respectively) or "Now FM" like their New York sister at 92.3. If that were to happen, Hot 99.5 would be tough to beat. Z-104 was undressed by Hot 99.5 shortly after it launched. It is one of the highest rated outlets in Washington, D.C. The only thing that could delay the process is Big Tigger. He has one of the highest rated morning shows (if not the highest rated) in all of the District. So does Hot 99.5 with The Kane Show. Rickey Smiley meet Elvis Duran. Your Opinion...?

• published: 13 Mar 2011
• views: 1363