For anyone living in the D.C. metropolitan area, WPGC 95.5 has long been a staple of the urban music community — it is the self-professed "#1 for hip-hop and R&B" in D.C. Only recently have listeners begun to hear artists like Katy Perry, Adele, and LMFAO in addition to the usual Chris Brown, Trey Songz, and Wiz Khalifa on 95.5 — but according to the station's program director, Jason Kidd, this is actually WPGC returning to its roots. "From 1987 to 1997, and off and on in the early 2000’s, WPGC was known as an urban crossover station, mixing urban hits with pop hits," said Kidd.
According to Kidd, the most recent decision to diversify was made based on slipping ratings. The transition has been gradual, and has been undetected by many listeners — possibly because many of the pop songs played on WPGC still have a hip-hop or R&B element to it. Take for example Katy Perry's top-40 hit "E.T." featuring Kanye West, or Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," which is widely classified as Soul music.
Area radio station WKYS 93.9 has for many years been the primary competition for WPGC, as they both played similar artists and songs — sometimes even at the same time. By beginning again to play pop songs like Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are," WPGC seems to be reaching out to a broader audience, something more radio stations may feel the need to do in the near future. With more and more sources of music arising in the wake of a new technological age, radio stations may not find it in their best interest to cater to very narrow, specific genres of music.
Kidd says that a recent tech study conducted by radio consultant Fred Jacobs showed that FM radio was still the top source for discovering new music. But with YouTube, Pandora, and other online sources of music so readily available, what is going to keep the radio industry afloat?
"We can do what Pandora can’t do," said Kidd. "We can entertain, inform, educate and excite the audience with our passions for what we play."
