Joel Oxley will receive the 2026 NAB National Radio Award from the National Association of Broadcasters.
The president and general manager of Hubbard Radio’s operation in Washington, D.C., will be honored during the NAB Marconi Radio Awards dinner in New York in October.
Oxley has said he plans to retire early next year.
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said in the announcement, “For more than three decades at WTOP and Federal News Network, and over 15 years at Hubbard Radio, Joel has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to local journalism, innovation and public service.”
LeGeyt said that in that time WTOP has become “one of the nation’s premier news operations, setting the standard for excellence in local broadcasting while serving the Washington, D.C., community with trusted journalism. His integrity, vision and dedication have left an enduring mark on our industry.”
Radio World readers are familiar with examples of how WTOP handles business. We reported on the launch of the Federal News Radio concept, and on WTOP’s move in 2006 of its all-news format to the FM band.
Much later we featured the station’s newly constructed studios in a 2019 webinar, and engineers will be aware of the organization’s willingness to try out HD Radio for AM stations on its WWFD signal. In 2024 WTOP partnered with the NAB to help educate FCC staff about EAS technologies.
Oxley came to WTOP in 1992 as an account executive and rose to general manager in 1998.
In 2011 Hubbard acquired WTOP from Bonneville International, which had owned it since the late ’90s.
“Over the following decades, he expanded his responsibilities to oversee Hubbard Radio’s Washington, D.C., operations, including WTOP News and Federal News Network, helping guide one of the country’s most respected local media organizations,” NAB wrote. WTOP is also consistently one of the nation’s top-earning stations in revenue.
NAB said he also “has championed local broadcasting, invested in developing future leaders and remained actively engaged in community service, including many years of service on the board of the Metropolitan Police Boys & Girls Clubs.”
