WAYE AM 860 was owned by D.C. lawyers Warren Adler and John Buza with the studios located in a penthouse at 1111 Park Avenue in Sutton Place. The format was originally MOR (middle of the road pop music) and Mutual News. In the late ‘60s Harvey Tate was brought in as GM and the station began its transformation to providing a mix of album cuts, hits and local music.
WAYE bumper stickers courtesy of Jay Trotta collection
WAYE became the first Baltimore area AM station to feature progressive and underground rock music. Known as “The Rock of Baltimore” the station operated from dawn to dusk. Personalities included Pete Larkin, Marti McLain (“Your Mellow Morning Mama”), Joe Buccheri, Chris Emry, Larry Allen, Scott Harris, Colin Lewis, Chuck DuCoty, Bob Showacre, Tom O’Connor, Dave Ross… Ty Ford was Program Director for a year before moving on the WHFS…
In summer of 1973 WAYE sponsored a local drummer competition for the longest vigorous drum solo. The award went to Nightingale member Jerry Nitzberg who put in a 20-hour performance!
Pete Larkin went on to help launch WKTK. Other Program Directors included Frank Adair, and Barry Richards. Many of these personalities continued on the air at WKTK, WIYY, WHFS, WPOC…
WAYE later became known as WBGR.
