Donnie Simpson Leaves CBS WPGC-FM (95.5)

By Holly Wood

The Conan O'Brien controversy with NBC isn't the only big time break up going on between a major network and a big star. Washington, D.C. radio legend Donnie Simpson, right, just ended his 32-year tenure with WPGC-FM, which is owned by CBS.

Simpson is an institution in Washington, D.C. Simpson, 55, is under contract until March of 2011, but has sought to end his association with the CBS-owned station that has employed him as its signature morning personality since 1993. Simpson has a "non-compete clause similar to Conan's. And like Conan's conflict with NBC, Simpson's departure follows months of declining ratings for his show and internal friction between Simpson and WPGC's management.

Simpson has been a radio personality since he was a teenager in Detroit, his home town. Before joining WPGC, he spent 16 years at WKYS-FM, helping to build it into a local powerhouse. He also gained national and international attention as the host of Black Entertainment Television's "Video Soul" program for almost 15 years. (Wash Post, 1/25/10)