Editing WPGC-FM (section)

===Programming history===
Similar to other long-time rhythmic turned urban stations including [[KMEL]] in [[San Francisco]] and [[WQHT]] in [[New York City|New York]], WPGC has evolved into a full-service urban contemporary station that is still monitored by [[Nielsen BDS]] as a rhythmic. WPGC-FM also has been a debated topic amongst radio experts about its format classification as a [[Rhythmic Airplay Chart|Rhythmic Contemporary Hit]] radio station even though it really operates musically and programmed as an Urban Contemporary. In 1987, when the current format on WPGC was introduced it was a mix of R&B, hip-hop, dance and pop titles. This came at a time when many radio stations took on the "crossover"-based format for the first time as [[Emmis Communications]] pioneered it on [[KPWR]] in Los Angeles and [[WQHT]] in New York upon acquiring those stations.  In the case of Washington, D.C., the new format niched in well with established R&B stations WKYS, WMMJ and [[WOL (AM)|WOL]] as well as top 40 stations (at the time) [[WLVW|WRQX]] and [[WAVA-FM]].

By 1997, following the departure of longtime assistant program director/music director and afternoon host Albie Dee, its playlist consisted mainly of R&B and hip-hop titles. Many critics say the ability to attract more mainstream advertisers as Rhythmic, rather than Urban, is the real reason. By the early 2000s, WPGC was regularly airing [[go-go music|go-go]], a local sub-genre of [[funk]], soul, and R&B, made popular by live performers including [[Chuck Brown]], [[Experience Unlimited]], and [[Rare Essence]] in local clubs and performance venues.

In June 2009, speculation began circulating that WPGC might be evolving towards a Top 40/CHR direction or back to its former urban-leaning Rhythmic format similar to sister station [[WZMX]]. The move might have been fueled by the recent drop in the ratings and in part due to the introduction of PPMs in the market, where it has hurt them audience-wise.<ref>[http://www.dcrtv.com/ From DCRTV.com]</ref> However, WPGC remained an urban, albeit a Mainstream Urban (in terms of programming and music playlist, although still basically considered a rhythmic), that focuses primarily on the current urban hits with some recurrents and throwbacks mixed into its playlist.

In December 2010, WPGC began to open up its playlist to include songs that they wouldn't have touched, i.e. ''[[Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)|Just The Way You Are]]'' from [[Bruno Mars]]. This issue of whether WPGC might be shifting to a broader Rhythmic sound continued to be debated on message boards like Radio-Info.<ref>[http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=145517.0 From Radio-Info Washington/Baltimore message board]</ref> Even though WPGC-FM was still considered as a rhythmic, it added more rhythmic-friendly tracks but reduced the urban lean from 2010 to 2018.

From 1992 to 1997, WPGC was an original member of the BDS Rhythmic Top 40 panel, when it was moved to BDS's R&B/Hip-Hop reporting panel in 1997. It was the only Rhythmic owned by then CBS Radio that was not listed on the [[Nielsen BDS]] rhythmic panel. From 1997 to 2012, Nielsen BDS placed WPGC-FM on the urban panel, while it remained on the rhythmic panel on [[Mediabase]], as Radio One's [[WKYS]] is its competitor, but is an urban contemporary station. On June 13, 2012, WPGC returned to the [[Nielsen BDS]] Rhythmic Top 40 panel after 15 years.<ref>[http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/public%20factsheets/Soundscan/BDS_StationsMonitored.pdf BDS monitored radio panel update]</ref>  CBS Radio moved WPGC to the Rhythmic panel from the R&B/Hip-Hop panel due to WPGC becoming more of a hit-driven Rhythmic Top 40 that is more in line with their other Rhythmic outlets and to be more competitive with Top 40/CHR rival [[WIHT]].  However, it retained a heavy urban lean to programming when compared to most rhythmic-formatted stations on the panel. Ironically, they were also the second CBS Radio Rhythmic outlet on the BDS Rhythmic panel with a R&B/Hip-Hop direction, the other being [[WZMX]]-[[Hartford, Connecticut]].

WPGC is considered the 2nd largest and co-flagship (along with WVEE) owned by Audacy within its urban/rhythmic division, based on market size (Washington, DC #8). Until August 2012, [[CBS Radio]] did list WPGC as an urban on their corporate listings, but by 2012, it was programmed as a hybrid of both formats.<ref>{{cite web|title=www.cbsradio.com/market|url=http://www.cbsradio.com/market|publisher=CBS Radio}}</ref>  As a result, Atlanta (market rank #7) sister station, [[WVEE]], is considered the largest urban station from 2012 to 2018 and again in 2023, but WVEE is still the co-flagship of the company's urban/rhythmic division.  As of January 2018, Audacy does list WPGC-FM as an urban on their station listings, making WPGC an urban station once again.<ref>{{cite web|title=Entercom Portfolio - Radio Stations|url=https://entercom.com/radio-stations/|publisher=Entercom}}</ref>

As of April 2021, [[Mediabase]] does monitor WPGC-FM as an urban on its weekly station panel.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allaccess.com/mediabase/q/report/stations/by/name/for/WPGC |title = Login to All Access {{!}} Breaking Radio News and Free New Music {{!}} AllAccess.com}}</ref>