Ethnic Radio Builds Majority and Minority Communities in DC

A diversely populated city such as Washington DC elicits an equally diverse range of radio stations serving the area. The 2010 population of our nation’s capital is 50.7 percent African American, 38.5 percent white, 3.4 percent Asian, and 9.1 percent Hispanic/Latino. Each of these communities are reached by multiple radio stations.

Correlating to the above percentages, DC’s Asian population has the fewest radio stations serving them. The most prominent is the Korean religious station WDCT which began in 1955. WDCT unites Koreans within the DC area though its broadcasts are mostly in English rather than Korean.

There are five radio stations serving African Americans in the greater DC area: WEAA 88.9FM, WKYS 93.9FM, WPGC 95.5FM, and WHUR 96.3FM. The most popular of these is WHUR, Howard University’s school station. The Washington Post first owned WHUR in the 1940’s when it was then known as WINX 1600AM. Since then, the station has undergone name changes and conversion to FM and most recently (1971), it was donated to a Historical Black University, Howard University. Today WHUR airs one of the most popular African American programs called the Tom Joyner Morning Show which invites the voice of the listeners in addressing struggles and victories within the black community.

Though the Hispanic/Latino community makes up only 9.1 percent of DC’s population, there are over nine radio stations reaching this demographic, including WBZS 92.7 FM, WBPS 94.3, WDKL 730AM, WILC 900AM, WKCW 1920, WACA 1540AM, WZHF 1390 AM WLXE 1600AM, and WACA 1540 AM. Since 2000, Alejandro Carrasco from the Dominican Republic has owned WACA. Carrasco was discovered at a wedding which led to him hosting a radio show, “Calentando la Manana” (Heating up in the Morning). A picture of the American dream, he finally bought the station which was broadcasting him, keeping Spanish as its language.