Dan Rudt - Business Radio 1580, WPGC-AM

Midday News Anchor

Donna Francavilla sought three individuals who understood her audience, could write and edit news, and deliver live, on-air newscasts while operating a 50,000 watt, major market radio station. It was 1989, and Francavilla was the news and program director at Business Radio 1580, WPGC-AM, in Washington, DC.

Francavilla found the talent she needed in Steve Chaconas, Victoria Ray and Dan Rudt. The news anchors brought local news and a variety of new voices to a station that had previously aired mostly pretaped content supplied by the Business Radio Network.

Rudt was soon anchoring a five-hour, round-the-clock live news program while operating the station's audio controls. He edited and voiced four live newscasts per hour, wrote, produced and voiced news features and interviewed newsmakers, news analysts and local financial professionals on air.

In 1990, Rudt obtained a Congressional press pass and added a new, "Congressional Minute" feature to the station's news lineup.

Morning and evening "drive times" usually attract radio's largest audiences, so Rudt was both pleased and surprised when, month after month, his midday news program actually earned a higher audience share than either of the station's drive time programs.

Weekend Operations Manager

When WPGC-AM Program Director, Donna Francavilla, decided in March, 1990 to convert the station's weekend lineup from network content to locally produced talk programs, she asked Dan Rudt to manage the transition.

Continuing to anchor his weekday, midday news program, Rudt now took on a new set of responsibilities.

After formatting the talk clock, Rudt trained and supervised weekend staff that included board operators, phone screeners, production assistants and news interns.

Rudt wrote, produced and voiced promotional announcements and public service announcements. He also wrote or edited program descriptions for the station's quarterly, FCC mandated, public file reports.

Rudt produced three of the weekend talk shows, including The Wise Investor, hosted by Rick Malone and Real Estate Practically Speaking, hosted by K.C. Samson.

His third production was Power Sports Talk, hosted by Tom George and taped before live, and sometimes rowdy, audiences at Washington, DC area sports bars.

Talk Show Host - Dan Rudt's Washington Forum

By February, 1991, Rudt was producing On the Garden Line on Saturday mornings for the Mutual Broadcasting System division of Westwood One. He had proposed a weekly, call-in, public affairs program to WPGC's new Program Director, Steve Chaconas, who approved the idea. Dan continued to produce Power Sports Talk, but resigned from his other responsibilities at WPGC to host Dan Rudt's Washington Forum. Executive Producer Dave George had found a sponsor, The Trump Shuttle, and Rudt was in the hot-seat every Tuesday night for the next year.

President George H.W. Bush had committed the United States to war in the Persian Gulf, and Rudt's first guests discussed US strategy and media coverage of the war. Guests included former White House Press Secretary and President of NBC Radio News, Ron Nessen, along with former Director for Plans and Policy, Military Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lt. General Herman O. Thompson, USAF Retired and former National Security Council Member, Catherine Kelleher.

Every week, until February 1992, Rudt researched current public affairs issues, selected program topics about which he believed his audience would want to hear, contacted and booked guests, wrote introductions, questions, commentary and other scripted elements, interviewed guests, mediated opposing views and responded to listener calls.