The Bell Tolls For WRQX

• Like most of us industry insiders, DC radio icon Jack Diamond has been harboring the uncomfortable knowledge that his radio home for the past three decades, Cumulus Hot AC WRQX (Mix 107.3)/Washington is inexorably ticking down to its final moments of existence this Friday, May 31 at 7pm ET, as its transfer of control shifts over to its new owner, EMF. Yesterday morning at 7am, after promoting a major announcement, Diamond had the unenviable task of breaking the news to his longtime listeners.

When setting the stage for the announcement, Diamond, accompanied by his talented crew — Jimmy Alexander, Erica Hilary and Producer Blaire — tried to put the news in perspective, as he said, “In the overall scheme of things in the world, this is a small thing, but to those of us who have spent 30 years here at 4400 Jenifer Street, and as part of The Jack Diamond Morning Show, it’s a pretty big deal.”

Diamond proceeded to take the audience through a brief history of the station as WMAL-FM and its Top 40 run as Q107, his debut there in 1990 and the subsequent ownership changes through ABC, Disney, Citadel and Cumulus. He also reviewed the show’s latest ratings successes, and after breaking the news of the impending sale and format change, Diamond also paused to candidly express his own feelings (shared by many others) about EMF’s plans for installing its satellite-delivered Christian format onto a commercial frequency like, say, 107.3. [Spoiler Alert: NOT a fan].

Turning to Friday, Diamond promised a final show “full of surprises” from 6-9am, and a return trip between 6 and 7pm to say goodbye. Interestingly, more than once Jack said, cryptically, “The Jack Diamond Morning Show isn’t going anywhere.” You are advised to watch this space for updates.

• If you want to experience a master class in how a seasoned radio professional breaks the news of his station’s impending demise with grace and dignity, we strongly suggest you set aside 15 minutes and watch the video posted to Facebook.