The DJs aren't trying to appeal to a mass audience and that's good since, at 6,000 watts, its signal barely stretches from the eastern border of D.C. to Northwest Baltimore and across the bay to Easton. Like a family, WRNR contains several generations. As a Bethesda native and graduate of the University of Maryland, Cortright grew up listening to the old WHFS, which, with Einstein as a DJ, pioneered open format broadcasting in the early 1970s. It's the kind of radio station where a DJ, on signing off for the day, will tell listeners to meet him across the street at O'Brien's for a beer, as happened on a recent evening. WRNR also prides itself on its local roots, devoting time each week to playing homegrown bands, while also putting on concerts and events in the Annapolis area.
Public service is also part of the package.
Cortright says the station got a call recently from a woman who was new to the area. She said she felt lost until she found us on the dial.