Tag Archives: WTOP

News, The Daily Feed
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WTOP, WFED sold to Minnesota-based Hubbard Broadcasting

Photo courtesy of
‘Newseum WTOP Microphone’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

The famous “glass-enclosed nerve center” of WTOP, and its partner WFED, were sold by Bonneville broadcasting yesterday to St. Paul-based Hubbard Broadcasting as part of a 17-station deal worth $505M, according first to DCRTV and then the Business Journal’s Jeff Clabaugh.

The expansion by Hubbard is significant, as the group owns just four radio and twelve TV outlets, which means this effectively doubled the size of their footprint, station-wise, and given that they’re primarily in secondary and tertiary markets like Albuquerque, New Mexico and Duluth, Minnesota, the purchase of St. Louis, Cincinnati, DC and Chicago radio outlets is a significant move for the group.

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Adventures, The Daily Feed
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PG County Boy Rescued From Ravine

Photo courtesy of
‘ACC Mountaineering Course: Gummi Bear Crevasse Rescue’
courtesy of ‘iwona_kellie’

According to WBAL and WTOP, last night a PG County teenager slipped down a snow covered hill, near Marlton Center Drive, and landed 100ft down the ravine. Fortunately, the boy managed to keep himself out of the nearby creek and was unharmed after the fall.  The boy then struggled to get a little more than half way back up the steep incline. Exhausted, he secured himself to a stable tree branch and began calling for help.  After about two hours, local residents heard his cries and directed rescue crews to his location.  Emergency services rescued him from the ravine and transported him to the nearby hospital, where last night he was being evaluated and treated for hypothermia.

News, The Daily Feed
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VA gets $75M, MD $70M for Railway Improvements

Photo courtesy of
‘Tomix EF66 41 Hauling Hayabusa’
courtesy of ‘foolish adler’

Both Virginia and Maryland will received funds from the federal government’s American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to improve local railway infrastructure and services.

Virginia’s $75 million dollars in funding will build an additional 11 mile track to the current railway service between Woodbridge and Quantico.  The new track will allow freight and passenger trains to simultaneously navigate this bottle-necked section and will allow trains to reach speeds up to 100mph. Improving this stretch is only part of a proposed $1.8 billion dollar project to create a Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.

According to WTOP, the $70million awarded to Maryland will rebuild a highly-traversed Baltimore tunnel and will speed both commuter and freight  traffic.

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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WTOP: Ride Metro at Your Own Risk

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Mark Segraves and Adam Tuss over at WTOP.com filed a report this morning covering the fact that since 2004, Metro bus and train operators have been cited over 4,000 times for endangering the lives of their passengers. Most of the incidents involve illegal behavior including speeding in residential neighborhoods, running red lights and hitting cars, people, bicycles and wheelchairs. (Update: WTOP has informed me that this will be a week-long series with reports from both Mark and Adam through Thursday.)

Shocking? To most of us, probably not. Metro downplays the numbers, citing that on an average day, 1,200 buses cover 1,500 square miles and provide 20 hours of service. I can forgive the bad eggs that happen along; it’s a sad fact of life that no service or system is perfect. It’s hardly surprising to anyone that one of the more common complaints in the report is rude and discourteous behavior by Metro employees to customers, including profanity and grabbing people.

What is incredible about the report is some of the infractions that operators have been cited for. Slewing the bus around corners hard enough to tip wheelchairs over? Leaving passengers in bus lots or trains after closing? Urinating inside the bus?

Seriously, WMATA, WTF?

The Daily Feed
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Newseum Half Price in August


Newseum WTOP Microphone by Mr. T in DC

Sorry we’re a bit late in reporting this, but thanks to WTOP, you can visit the Newseum for half price during the month of August.  Half price!  Seeing as how tickets normally run you a whopping $20, this is a great opportunity to save some cash and see all the museum has to offer.  In order to get the discount you simply have to mention “WTOP” at the ticket desk or you can purchase them online here.  With the weather being as gross as it’s been lately, this is a perfect indoor activity to keep your clothes from becoming drenched in sweat.

Is the Newseum worth $20?  Eh, not really in my opinion.  Is it worth $10?  Totally.  Go check it out.  Thanks, WTOP!