WHUR-FM

WHUR-FM (96.3 MHz) is an urban adult contemporary radio station that is licensed to Washington, D.C., and serving the Metro D.C. area.

WHUR is also the home of the original Quiet Storm program, which longtime D.C. listeners have rated number one in the evening since 1976, and which spawned the namesake music genre that now airs on many radio stations across the United States.

In May 1940, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had announced the establishment, effective January 1, 1941, of an FM band operating on 40 channels spanning 42–50 MHz.

WHUR became a jazz-formatted radio station, which it remained until April 1993, when it switched to an urban adult contemporary format.

The quiet storm format of mellow, rhythm and blues and soul music, smooth jazz and love songs often played at night on many radio stations originated at WHUR.

Then-intern Melvin Lindsey came up with the idea when he played a soothing string of songs during a particularly bad storm in 1976, even as power was cut to most other area radio stations.

Also that year, WHUR became the Washington radio and flagship affiliate of the syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show (TJMS).

However, in 1999, ABC Radio Networks did not renew its contract with WHUR and moved the show to WMMJ, thus ending its four-year relationship with the station.

In 2013, The Michael Baisden Show was cancelled due to its distributor, Cumulus Media and Baisden failing to reach an agreement; WHUR has since replaced its P.M. drive with former Baltimore and Atlanta radio personality Frank Ski, former host of the morning show on WVEE in Atlanta (where Ski still resides).

1940 Jansky & Bailey advertisement featuring the W3XO transmitter. [ 2 ]