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D.C.’s SPJ Inducts WTOP Traffic Reporter Into Hall of Fame

WTOP, Federal News Radio take home their own honors

WTOP(FM) long-time traffic reporter Bob Marbourg was one of four recently inducted into the D.C. Society of Professional Journalists Hall of Fame at the Washington DC Pro Chapter’s annual Dateline Awards dinner.

“Bob has long been recognized as one of the voices of wisdom, not just in the traffic center, but in the newsroom,” said WTOP Senior News Director Mike McMearty. “It’s gratifying to see him recognized by such an august group for his years of hard work and devotion ensuring Washingtonians get to and from work safely and efficiently every day.”

The criterion for membership in the Hall of Fame is strong journalism over at least 25 years in Washington — and Marbourg is overqualified by those standards. He has been covering Washington Beltway rush hours since his debut in November 1979. Marbourg started traffic reporting as vacation fill-in for Walt Starling on WASH(FM) and was the original anchor and operations manager for Metro Traffic Control when it expanded from Baltimore into Washington, according to his bio on the WTOP website.

Marbourg currently reports from his traffic studio in northwest D.C., weekdays from 1–7 p.m. But he first flew as an observer in the Cessna airplane leased by the station.

WTOP and Federal News Radio also brought home other honors. WTOP received two Dateline Awards for excellence in journalism; Chris Core won in the editorial category, and the station won for breaking news coverage of a plane crash in Gaithersburg, Md. Sister station Federal News Radio journalist Jack Moore also won a Dateline Award in the Investigative Reporting category for his special report, “Questioning Clearances.”

WTOP radio has served the Washington region since 1926 and has been Washington’s all-news radio station since 1969. Federal News Radio 1500 AM, the old WTOP signal, and FederalNewsRadio.com are primary outlets for federal managers and contractors seeking news and information about the business of the federal government. Both stations are owned by Hubbard Radio, LLC.

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