Diamond Hits ‘2 & Lower’ At Mix
• It was only appropriate that 30-year DC market icon Jack Diamond bookended the final broadcast day for Cumulus Hot AC WRQX (Mix 107.3)/Washington last Friday — the final Jack Diamond Morning Show rolled from 6-9am and featured a cavalcade of special guests, some surprise former staffers from the station’s Top 40 incarnation as Q107 — Rick Fowler (Q107 MD & Promotions Director), Uncle Johnny (Q107 night jock), Q107 morning duo Dude Walker & Doug Limerick (who hadn’t been on the air together in 40 years!), and the team that replaced them in 1981 — Jim Elliot & Scott Woodside, who hadn’t been together since 1986. Other guests included former co-hosts Barbara Britt and Chilli Amar, former Mix MD Carol Parker, Cecily Knobler (Jack’s movie reviewer of 15 years); Loo Katz (who did afternoons on Mix in the ’90s), Kristie McIntyre, now with WBAL/Baltimore, who did two stints at Mix 107.3 and filled in on the JDMS; former phone girl Layla Gibbons and Jack’s former Executive Producer Jeff Shamrock (who met on the show, got married and now have a baby), and “Bilingual Aly” Jacobs, started as an intern and moved up to Associate Producer, Producer and eventually, co-host, who also met her husband through the JDMS
Jack and his castmates Jimmy Alexander, Erica Hilary and Producer Blaire then returned from 6-7pm to preside over the station’s sign-off. As expected, this day was a bittersweet, emotional and joyful affair, and ultimately, a celebratory testament to the incredible power of local radio.
• On Monday, in an emotional and heartfelt Facebook post, Jack shared his feelings (and a poignant photo) about leaving the station for the last time after 30 years, and expressed his optimism about what the future holds, as he posted, “My final picture was of the entrance, the ubiquitous 4400 Jenifer St NW, my front door, for 30 years. Today, it’s my exit door, for the final time. Walking out that door, for what is certain to be the final time, you actually cringe at the sound of the electronic lock engaging behind you. But, that exit leads out into a new world of infinite possibilities…”
Pictured, above, a post-show photo of some of Jack’s castmates past and present, (l-r): former producer Spanky, Chilli Amar, Jimmy Alexander, Jack, Aly Jacobs, Producer Blaire, Erica Hilary and Barbara Britt.
