Spiegel’s Story

Josh Spiegel is one of the most unique radio personalities in America.

“Is he really like that?” is the most common question asked about Josh Spiegel.  He is an enigma. Some say he's brilliant. Others say, he’s just crazy.

Josh has been on 98 Rock for four years. In 2007, "City Paper" named Spiegel "Best Radio Personality in Baltimore".  In 2007 and 2008, "Mickey, Amelia and Spiegel" were nominated by "Radio and Records" for "Personality/Show of the Year" award in the Active Rock category of its Industry Achievement Awards. Spiegel received the same honor in 2006 as part of  "Kirk, Mark and Spiegel".

Josh's honesty and openness about his social awkwardness, weight,  appearance, bathroom habits, hygiene and overall bizarre thought processes and neuroses, has endeared him to hundreds of thousands of listeners.

His roots are in the news business with 21 years of experience in writing,  reporting and anchoring. Spiegel's motto is “No boring news." He says attracting a younger audience for news (something the mass media seems to have a problem doing)  is not rocket science.  “If you talk about Iraq, high gas prices and wildfires day in and day out, you’re going to bore people to death -- unless there’s a new and compelling angle to the story. People have very short attention spans -- especially in the morning." Every story has to matter to make it onto Spiegel's newscasts. "Just because someone else is talking about it or writing about it, doesn't mean I'm going to talk about it. I have my own system and criteria and it works. Just look at my record."

Part of what makes Spiegel's on air performance stand out is his outstanding writing. "I love writing just as much as I love delivering the story on the air. I also love making the editorial decisions -- story placement, story relevancy -- I love the whole process." 

The early years

Spiegel's story began 33 years ago.  He grew up in Maryland and developed an intense interest in news and broadcasting. Determined to break into the business at a young age, Josh began as a volunteer in the newsroom of WMDO, a Spanish station in Wheaton, MD.  He was 11.  Josh quickly learned the ins and outs of a radio station and went on the air to read the weather in English. After several days of angry phone calls from Spanish speaking listeners, Josh’s on air career ended. But not for long.

In 1989, Josh landed the lead role on National Public Radio’s annual Christmas play on "All Things Considered". He read lines with Robert Siegel, Nina Totenberg and Daniel Schorr. Now, Spiegel was addicted. He went on to read the weather on a couple of other small stations in the DC area before he landed a Summer internship at WNAV in Annapolis. He was 14. Shortly after Josh’s arrival,  one of the news anchors quit.  Josh was put on the air and spent the summer anchoring the afternoon news.

When Spiegel was 16, he became the youngest person ever to intern at NBC Radio News in Washington and just a few months later, he was named News Intern at DC’s #1 radio station, WPGC-FM. David Haines was the Morning Show News Anchor and gave Josh the break of his life by putting him on the air after just two days on the job. Now, Spiegel was a Reporter and on the payroll. He spent his teenage years covering dozens and dozens of stories including murders, community meetings, severe weather and a papal visit. He attended both Clinton Inaugurations and interviewed DC’s most colorful personalities including the Director of the FBI , U.S. Surgeon General, and Mayor Marion Barry. In addition to his street reporting on WPGC, Josh anchored coverage of breaking news and special events. Spiegel is forever grateful to his mentor, David Haines, who died in 2005. "David taught me things that you don’t learn in journalism school. I learned how to write news and how to deliver it. David also taught me how to cover a story. I learned the importance of doing things differently. I learned from the master. He was one of the great ones." 

After high school, Josh continued on his path to greatness and attended college in New York City. He stayed entrenched in broadcasting with an internship at New York City's 24 hour news channel,  NY 1 TV.  In addition, Josh became the Morning Show Feature Anchor on WBLS and feature Reporter for The United Stations Radio Networks. He also interviewed some of New York’s more interesting characters for “America In The Morning” on The Mutual Broadcasting System.

In 1997, Josh accepted an offer to be the Morning Show News Anchor on WXYV, Baltimore’s new top 40 radio station. He also wrote news for WJZ-TV’s nightly newscasts. Several years later, he moved to Dallas to anchor news on the morning show at KLIF, a talk station. He quickly became one of the most controversial personalities on the station. Next, he went to Denver to anchor news on the morning show at country radio station, KYGO.  Back in the DC area in 2004,  Josh was named News Writer for the afternoon and nightly newscasts at WJLA-TV in Washington. In 2005, Josh became News Anchor at WHFS . Just six months later, 98 Rock came calling. 

Josh Spiegel lives in Baltimore. In his spare time, he likes to read on his hammock, watch "Monk", and hike with his Lab Retriever-Hound named Pumpernickel.