WFED (1500 AM) is a 50,000 watt Class A radio station in the Washington, D.C. region, broadcasting from just outside the District line in Wheaton, Maryland. The station broadcasts a news, talk and information format targeted towards U.S. government employees under the moniker Federal News Radio.
WFED transmits with a power of 50,000 watts continuously. While it is the most powerful AM radio station in the city, WFED has a nighttime signal oriented north-south to avoid interference with sister station KSTP in St. Paul, Minnesota; KSTP is also a 50,000 watt Class A station on 1500 AM. WFED's signal can be heard reliably on the East Coast of North America and is often heard by radio enthusiasts in Europe. In 2006, the station began broadcasting in digital "HD Radio", utilizing iBiquity Digital Corp.'s IBOC (in-band on-channel) technology.
Both stations are currently owned by Hubbard Broadcasting and its programming originates from Hubbard's broadcast complex in northwest Washington, D.C.
WBQH (1050 AM) is a radio station in the Washington, D.C. region, licensed to Silver Spring, Maryland. It broadcasts a Regional Mexican format.
The station signed on December 7, 1946 as WGAY, airing a beautiful music format. It was believed that WGAY was named for one-time owner, Connie B. Gay, though it was merely coincidental; at the time, "beautiful music" connoted a "bright and gay" happy sound. However, Gay bought the station in the late 1950s/early 1960s. It was later purported that the station initially broadcast government job openings, and that WGAY stood for "Government And You."
The original owners and operators, Ed Winton and Bob Chandler, are credited with creating the beautiful music format, which was mostly instrumental music, with orchestral covers of showtunes, soundtrack excerpts, and standard popular songs. Chandler was known to arrange for recording of music that he did not have in the station's library. In addition, on Sunday afternoons at 1:00 p.m., Matinee at One played a complete Broadway show soundtrack with an explanation of the plot.