Starting Monday, Feb. 27, WTOP will sound a bit different on air.
For years, WTOP listeners have been used to hearing our sports reports at :15 and :45, and money/business news at :25 and :55 past each hour.
Starting next Monday, our sports reports will begin airing at :25 and :55, and our money/business reports will move to :10 and :40 past each hour.
We will also be reducing the number of commercial breaks listeners hear each hour and increasing the amount of news we deliver at the same time.
These changes allow us to provide our listeners with longer, uninterrupted news segments, which we believe offer a better listening experience overall.
Our traffic and weather reports will remain “on the 8s.” No changes there.
In addition to making these logistical changes, we’ve also made a commitment as a newsroom to delivering a more balanced diet of news and compelling stories to our listeners each day.
What do I mean by that?
WTOP will always be the place you can turn to when news is breaking, but we realize news consumers want more than that — not just from WTOP but from the news industry as a whole. So, it is our commitment to balance out those serious news stories we deliver each day with news about the good things going on in the D.C. region, too. Stories that make you smile; stories that inspire hope; and stories that make you laugh or are just cool. We’re also committed to providing you with stories that can help you, your kids, your finances and your health, too.
Every time you listen, we want you to walk away with something you want to share with your friends, family or colleagues.
Ultimately, our goal with these changes is to do a better job for you. We appreciate those of you who have been loyal listeners for years and those of you who have only found us more recently. We hope these changes might even inspire some of you to tell others about the great work we’re doing on a daily basis.
We talk internally at WTOP about treating listeners like members of our family. To me, part of that is being transparent and upfront, which shows a level of respect. That is why we wanted to let you know about the sports and money news changes before they hit the air next week. My hope is that even if you don’t agree with them, you appreciate the heads-up and, in time, you come to like the benefits.
I have worked for this news organization for the past 20 years and have always appreciated the candid feedback we get from listeners. It really does help us serve you better. Please feel free to email me at any time.
— Julia Ziegler, Director of News and Programming, WTOP
