it began in bethesda in 1961 at 102.3 on the dial playing pop and jazz, then a few years later a man named Jacob Einstein became general manager and in 1969 took a gamble on station that had no audience on the concept of free form radio, meaning the djs could play whatever they felt and were not compelled to follow a play list.
the early seventies came and local dj legends Cerphe, Weasel, Bob Here, and Damien Einstein came aboard and brought their own style of music with them. needless to say it was the only station in the area where you could here yes, frank zappa, emmylou harris, the ramones, root boy slim, the diversions, and roxy music all one the same station.
in 1983 Damien Einstein took the call letters WHFS to annapolis after the station had been sold. most of the staff followed his to 99.1 and continued their free form ways. and it was at that station where i heard run dmc do walk this way with aerosmith. no other station in the area would touch that song (until it became a huge mtv hit), but HFS was the first to put it out on the airwaves. then there were the hilarious political satire skits from the daily feed long before there was a Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert.
then alternative became popular and then things went corporate. Damien Einstein had to sue to keep his job and then a few years later decided to chuck it all away and start a station of his own - WRNR 103.1 fm in annapolis. now HFS is a latin station when some clear channel corporate suit decided there were too many rock stations in the market and flipped it around without even a hint of a change.
the only thing that comes close to the old WHFS is 103.1. it doesn't always compare to the station i used to love, but it does it's very best and it's the only station around that has people who put music first and marketing in the background. there is a hint of a playlist with some newer songs getting more airtime than most, but where else are you going to hear the new pornographers, bob dylan, danny gatton, fugazi and drvie by truckers all on one station?
the only problem is that reception is weak in the dc metro area. if you are on the east side of the city the signal is not so bad. if you are on the west side, you are going to need some help. if you are in viginia - forget about it. read more
