WASHINGTON, D.C. — The President and General Manager of the radio station that has been the nation’s top billers and one of the top all-News brands by audience multiple times in recent years has been named the 2026 NAB National Radio Award recipient.
Joel Oxley, who oversees Hubbard Radio‘s Washington, D.C., operations at has long been associated with WTOP Radio, will receive the honor during this year’s Marconi Radio Awards Dinner on October 20, at the Edison Ballroom in the City of New York.
Citing his “extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the radio industry,” NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt commented, “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. Under his leadership, 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, making him a most deserving recipient of this year’s National Radio Award.”
Oxley joined WTOP in 1992 as an account executive and steadily advanced through the organization’s leadership ranks before being named General Manager in 1998. He saw WTOP shift from 1500 kHz and a signal that can’t reach the swiftly growing communities west of the District of Columbia to a booming FM signal with a full-time simulcast partner in Northern Virginia. At the same time, the AM signal evolved to become Federal News Network, a service targeting government employees.
The award comes as Oxley plans to retire from his role at the beginning of 2027, but continue in an advisory role once his successor is in place.
