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ALL THAT JAZZ
WCLK91.9 is one of the
longest-running jazz stations in the world
By Shandra Hill Smith
As “Atlanta’s Jazz Station,” Jazz 91.9
WCLK gears up for its Feb. 17 special
listener engagement kickoff mixer,
followed by a March membership
campaign, the station also looks back
on another event that holds even more
meaning these
days. For its 41st
anniversary benefit
show last June,
WCLK hosted the
late Natalie Cole, the
legendary songstress
who died within
months of the concert
on New Year’s Eve
2015.
“We were so
thrilled we could
actually get her after
she’d slowed down
from performing,”
says Wendy Williams,
general manager
for WCLK. “Her
performance was just
so exquisite and she
was just regal in her
presence. She was
able to sing and hit every note like she’d
always done.”
For its listener engagement kickoff,
WCLK will feature jazz keyboardist
Marcus Johnson before launching its
spring membership campaign from
March 9 to 20. During those dates, new
and renewing members will have a
chance to take part in a pledge drive by
donating online at WCLK.com or calling
in to the station.
This all falls on the heels of the station
launching new weekend programming
in January, with its contemporary jazz
on Saturdays and a focus more on
mainstream jazz on Sundays.
A station credited with introducing
and helping grow the careers of local
and national artists, WCLK introduced
Grammy Award-winning singer,
songwriter and actress India. Arie,
vocalists Lizz Wright and Greg Porter,
and musician Kamasi Washington to
the Atlanta market before they saw the
releases of their CDs.
In April 1974, WCLK began
transmitting at 54 watts as a student
training laboratory at the then Clark
College, now Clark Atlanta University.
Today it is one of the longest-running
jazz stations in the world, with 24 hours
of mainstream jazz on 91.9 FM and
streaming via WCLK.com.
The nonprofit station that provides
training opportunities for students
majoring in mass media arts credits
much of its longevity to the long-term
support of listeners. It’s those listeners
that WCLK counts on for support
through individual donations, sustaining
memberships, employee match gift
programs, car donations and more, with
60 percent of WCLK’s funding from
private sector support - listeners and
underwriters of events.
“Those listeners turned their
listenership into membership during
fundraiser campaigns and continue to
support the station in some way to this
day,” says Debb Moore, who has been
with WCLK for 25 years and is the host
of Jazz at Sundown from 7 p.m. to 10
p.m. weeknights. She also hosts Sunday
Jazz Suite from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Still, WCLK
reached a point where
its listenership had
become a bit stagnant
- leading the station
to conduct market
testing to poll its
listeners. Listenership,
says Williams, “wasn’t
growing. That also
meant that our
funding base was not
growing. We really
had to look at that
and say ‘Where do we
need to be?”’
One thing was
certain: The station
would stick to a
jazz format, what
Williams describes
as an underserved
format. Listening
to its audience, WCLK began to serve
up contemporary, smooth and neo soul
sounds. The increase in listenership,
including among males and more diverse
audiences, Williams says, was instant.
The station’s presence grew when, in
2012, it relocated its antenna from Clark
Atlanta to American Tower, a commercial
tower in Downtown. While the move
didn’t increase the station’s wattage, it did
allow WCLK “to go up higher on the FM
tower.”
“By going up higher on the FM tower,
that gave us a more omni-directional
signal around the city; that’s what
makes it appear as if we’ve increased our
wattage,” says Williams.
On the CAU campus’ AM tower,
WCLK was 250 feet up, while now it is
500 feet on the 1,000-foot commercial
tower where it relocated.
“That significantly improved our
listenership,” adds Williams, who has
been with the station 21 years. “We went
from being able to reach 1.2 million
people within our signal coverage to now
2.4 million within our signal coverage.”
Listeners have the option of tuning in
to programming hosted by seven part-
time on-air announcers. Additionally,
in partnership with CAU’s Center
for Cancer Research and Therapeutic
Development, WCLK produces and airs
a monthly live radio call-in show, “Your
Health Connection,” hosted by JaQuitta
Williams and featuring the center’s
groundbreaking research in prostate
cancer as well as a spotlight on health
disparities.
In partnership with Verizon Wireless,
the station produces the monthly call-in
show “Heart to Heart with Dr. Tartt” that
focuses on domestic violence prevention
and ways to create healthy relationships.
Continued on page 30
JAZZWCLK
91.9.
Announcer Rivablue, left,
talks with Dr. Bernice King
during a live remote
fie " '
\MMSm
PostSecret: The Show
“The level of engagement in the theatre was
intense; the response was overwhelming.”
-Vancouver Globe and Mail
Saturday, February 6 s oo P m
Mature content, not recommended for children
Cyrille Aimee
“Astonishingly creative...with a brilliant sound,
fresh ideas, impeccable rhythm and an overall
approach that honors tradition without being
Shackled to the past.” -The Wall Street Journal
Saturday, February 20 8 oo P m
Okwui Okpokwasili
Bronx Gothic
“In a voice that can be confiding or terrifying, and
movement that can be ugly or sinuous, she holds
the show together, lending her story unexpected
emotional and physical contours.” -The New York Times
Thursday, February 25 730 P m
Friday, February 26 8 00 P m
Saturday, February 27 8 00 P m
Call now for tickets! details and more events at
404-894-9600 arts.gatech.edu
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February 2016 | INtOWTL 29