WPGC ...changed [ f o r e v e r ]. Farewell Donnie Simpson!

I know I'm not the only one who listened to the Donnie Simpson Morning Show on their way to school every morning...for years."The Donnie Simpson show. Donnie Simpson show...Donnie in the mooorrning. Get up!  Everybody Get up!" "DONNIE! ... DONNIE!" Accompanied with, before he left for rival station WKYS, Huggy Lowdown. This past Friday, 1.29, was Donnie Simpson's last day on the waves. Donnie has been one of the most endeared DJ's for over 30 years, beginning his career in Detroit at the age of 15... it's so sad to see him go.  

It doesn't come to a surprise that his career comes to a halt by fighting to keep his originality. 

Lately radio stations have being do something called syndication, which basically means that DJ's are broadcasting in several locations simultaneously. Tom Joyner and Steve Harvey are syndicated DJ's, as they are broadcasted here in the DMV and in several other southern states.

Beyond that primary issue, the station's directors wanted to change Donnie's playlist. They wanted him to stick to a certain lists of songs and that's it. Well, that's not Donnie's style. He's known for supporting and endorsing new artists looking for a way into the industry.  As a matter of fact, Donnie hosted BET's "Video Soul"from 1983 to 1996, which was a show that highlighted music videos by African-American artists when MTV wouldn't play anything but white rock and pop musicians.

AND GUESS WHAT!?! According to the Washington Post, one of the production assistants, DJ Rico, was fired on Thursday for playing a list of songs Donnie wanted broadcasted that hadn't been improved. Donnie wasn't on air Thursday because he was protesting the termination.

Regardless of the fact, WKYS, WPGC, WHUR, etc. are all under  Radio One. They're all run by the same people, giving the same stuff. There's no difference in the artists or the music. No variety. No diversity. And if Kathty Hughes don't SHUT UP with her "Reality Radio."

I support Donnie 100 percent! He stood up for what he believed in.  At one point during the finale show Donnie said, "I believe in local... It saddens me that radio has become this homogenized thing." He also said, "It's just a different time now. I have to do it the way I do it. It's Donnie Simpson. It's my brand, and I won't compromise it." Thats RIGHT! Ha, Let's talk about it.

A lot of people called in wishing him their best wishes including Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Wyclef, LL Cool J, John Legend, and Toni Braxton. If you were listening, Mr. President Obama even sent his blessings!

CBS Radio contract prohibits Donnie from being on Washinton's radio waves until March 2011, but he says that he doesn't plan on retiring and this isn't the end of his career (without mentioning his future endeavors).

I love you Donnie! You've been a great influence and role model for my ventures into Broadcast. I wish you the best and I'm sure you'll continue to do great things.

Here's a package from Fox5 and a little of what Donnie had to say:

& those are my 6¢.