Donnie Simpson’s Morning show leaves WPGC 95.5 Online
Donnie Simpson’s Morning Show leaves 95.5 WPGC today. Donnie Simpson is leaving 95.5 WPGC, final show today, after decades on air.
Celebrities from across the country called in to say farewell and thank you to the radio pioneer.
It is reported that contract negotiations for Simpson fell through with CBS Radio. Simpson is not allowed to work on air in Washington for 13 1/2 months per the non-compete clause in his contract with CBS.
“This is a temporary separation until February 2011,” Simpson told his listeners Friday morning, but did not reveal his future plans.
Donnie Simpson is a longtime American radio DJ as well as a television and movie personality. He has hosted The Donnie Simpson Morning Show on Washington, D.C. radio station WPGC-FM since March 1993. Simpson is the first urban-format radio personality to have an annual salary over $1 million without being syndicated.[citation needed] He was Billboard’s “1998 Air Personality of the Year”. He is also known by the nickname “Dr. Green Eyes” for his luminous light green eyes.
Simpson began his career at age 15 at Urban Contemporary radio station WJLB in Detroit, Michigan, where he remained for eight years. In 1977 he relocated to Washington, D.C., where he began working at WRC-FM, known as “Disco 93.9″ (now WKYS), as morning drive host and program director. He remained with WKYS for 15 years through its format migration from Disco-based Rhythmic Contemporary Hits to Urban Contemporary in the 1980s. In 1981, he was hired as back-up anchor for the George Michael Sports Machine sports show on NBC’s Washington television outlet, WRC-TV.
Simpson has a twin brother, Lonnie Simpson, who resides in Detroit.
