Baltimore Radio: Iconic Personality Johnny Dark Exits WTTR

Johnny Dark  - 2012

Seasoned Baltimore radio personality Johnny Dark has resigned from suburban WTTR 1470 AM.

According to The Baltimore Sun, Dark contends that management allowed another employee to run roughshod over the then-program director, Betsy Santos -- who also happens to be Dark’s girlfriend.

“I’ve been in this business for 62-and-a-half years. I’ve never seen anything this ridiculous in all that time,” Dark said.

Dark’s girlfriend, Betsy Santos, also resigned Jan. 4.

Jeff Laird, an owner of WTTR for the past two years, declined to reveal details about the situation, which he defined as “internal," but said Dark is being immature.

“They have been replaced, and we are moving forward,” Laird said. “I wish him luck.”

WTTR 1470 AM (1 Kw, DA-N) Red=Local Coverage

The station, which is licenced to Westminster MD, is known for playing “the greatest hits of all time,” was owned for 10 years by Sajak Broadcasting Corp. -- which was partly owned by “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak. In 2013, it was sold to Hilltop Communications.

Laird said that an FM station for WTTR is in the works. The station also has plans to tweak the music, making it less “oldies-focused” in preference of classic hits.



Back in the day, Dark's ratings were routinely in the 40s and went as high as 63. That's no misprint.

His show was listened to by 63 percent of the nighttime audience, most of them young people, and the other stations divided up the remaining 37 percent.