Friday was the end of an era for DC radio. MIX 107.3 (WRQX) will no longer exist. The company was sold to another radio group and is now a Christian station (K-LOVE).
As many of you know, I was born and raised in the DMV. I grew up listening to WRQX (known back in the day as “Q-107”…then later became MIX 107.3). I’ll never forget my first day on the Jack Diamond Morning Show. I was in my early 20s. It was a dream come true. Jack's co-host, Jimmy Alexander, and I quickly became best friends. I spent nearly a decade learning about the business from a legend. I learned how to tell stories the audience could relate to. I learned how to laugh at myself. And most importantly, I learned how to keep moving forward after every setback.
I spent 17-years working at WRQX (I switched to afternoons after leaving the morning show). I STILL have people who mention my days with Jack and the gang. So many of my life’s milestones were shared on the air…From falling in love to losing a parent. Every high and every low. Listeners STILL bring up my days on MIX.
Jack invited me to be a part of their "farewell show" on Friday morning. His last show was filled with voices from the past. Many former MIX 107.3 radio personalities stopped by to share their favorite moments. It was a bittersweet trip down memory lane. It's still hard to believe that a station that had been a part of our lives for 30-years is gone.
You can watch Jack's farewell show below. My appearance can be found at the 2:45:30 mark.
I was asked to share some of my favorite memories from my time on MIX. I loved our annual “Slice of Paradise” trips where we traveled to exotic locations with listeners and broadcast live on location. I’ll also never forget how the events of 9-11 unfolded while we were on the air. We leaned on each other to get through the most emotionally challenging day of our lives. We felt an obligation to keep our listeners informed...to be a calming and reassuring voice in the middle of all the chaos.
Then there was “Free for All Friday.”Every Friday morning, we did the show in front of a live audience. A dozen listeners joined us in the studio every week to watch us to the show and participate in fun segments. We got to meet some incredible people…some of whom became friends.
Some of the recurring jokes about me were how HUGE my head is (we all weighed our heads on the show...and mine was the biggest by far)...my inexperience with relationships (I was a late bloomer when it came to dating.)...and my strict upbringing (I wasn't allowed to go to Prom, so Jack and the gang had me attend a local prom with a high school student).
Even though I left MIX six years ago, that station will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart. I wouldn’t be where I am today professionally without my experience there. Jack gave me my big break in morning radio. So, if you don’t like listening to me, blame him. LOL.
Here are some photos from past and present...
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