John Chester Retires from WETA

Washington DC’s classical music station is bidding farewell to its afternoon on-air host John Chester at the end of this year.  Here’s the press release:

John Chester to Retire from Classical WETA 90.9 FM  

Washington, D.C. — John Chester, afternoon host at Classical WETA 90.9 FM, will retire at the end of December. He has hosted his signature afternoon drive slot at Classical WETA since February 2007 – a few weeks after Classical WETA became the exclusive classical music station in Greater Washington.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been very fortunate to share the music that I love with devoted radio listeners,” said Chester.  “I thank WETA for keeping classical music alive in Greater Washington and am grateful to the station’s dedicated audience for their ongoing support.”

“John has been a tremendous asset to Classical WETA, a vital presence on our air, a wonderful companion to listeners and a great colleague at the station,” commented Sharon Percy Rockefeller, president and CEO of WETA. “A true icon of Washington radio and a leader of his craft, he has created an extraordinary legacy of remarkable broadcasts. We will miss his wisdom and superb baritone on the air each afternoon.”

“One of the most pleasant outcomes of becoming Classical WETA, almost six years ago, was the good fortune of having John join us as a member of the on-air staff,” shared Dan DeVany, vice president and general manager of Classical WETA. “A long-time fixture in Washington’s classical music radio scene, John has brought his experience, wit, warm on-air presence and general good will all to the betterment of Classical WETA.  We’ve all enjoyed having John here, and our audience has certainly shown their affection for him as well.”

Chester currently hosts afternoons and overnights on Classical WETA. He will continue to host the overnight shift remotely after he relocates to North Carolina with his wife and his tenure as afternoon host concludes.

Chester came to WETA in February 2007; he has worked in the radio business for more than three decades. After serving in the Air Force, Chester attended Southern Illinois University where he received a B.A. in Communications. He started his radio career working for WFRL in Freeport, Illinois and then worked for public radio station WILL-AM/WILL-FM at the University of Illinois for four years. Chester then moved to Greater Washington in 1981 for an opportunity to work at former WGMS as assistant program director where he eventually became a full-time announcer for the station. He worked for former WGMS for twelve years and then moved to Boston in 1993 to work for WCRB. In 1996, Chester returned to former WGMS as afternoon host until he joined Classical WETA in 2007.

Classical WETA 90.9 FM is the exclusive classical music radio station in the nation’s capital.