After Penn State, Wakeman resumed his broadcasting career in Pittsburgh. In 1935, he won the H. P. Davis Memorial Announcers Award, which was awarded to the Pittsburgh announcer considered to have outstanding “personality, adaptability, diction, voice and versatility”.[2] In 1936 he called Pittsburgh Pirates games for KQV.[3]
In 1936, Wakeman joined WOL in Washington D.C.[1] He became first the play by play announcer for the Washington Redskins, when the franchise relocated to the city in 1937.[4] That same year he began announcing boxing and wrestling matches from Turner's Arena.[5] During his time as a wrestling announcer, Wakeman feuded with Laverne Baxter, which led to the two coming to blows.[6] In 1942, Wakeman moved to WINX. On August 21, 1944, he was assaulted on-air by fellow WINX personality Sam Brown. Brown hit Wakeman with a leg of a piano bench during a dispute over who should announce the results of a horse race. Brown alleged that he only hit Wakeman in self defense after Wakeman slapped him. Both men were let go by the station and Wakeman moved over to WWDC. Brown, who was indicted on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of simple assault and was given probation.[7] Wakeman hosted the Tony Wakeman All Sports Parade on WWDC until 1950, when he returned to WOL.[1] His return to WOL was short lived as he left that summer to host a television version of the All Sports Parade on WTTG.[8]
Wakeman called the 1935 Major League Baseball All-Star Game for CBS Radio. He also Games 1 & 5 of the 1936 World Series and the 1937 Major League Baseball All-Star Game for Mutual Broadcasting System.[9] He also served as a congressional correspondent for Mutual and Capitol Broadcasting Company.[10][11][12]