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WAOK And WIGO
Communicatin
By Joe Gray
Black historians tell ur
that traditionally, blacks
have depended on oral
communications -- from the
customary drums and griots
of Africa to the more
sophisticated methods
employed in some parts of
the black community.
Part of that tradition is
the black oriented radio
station. It has through the
years acted as a transmitter
of cultural values through
music, news and public
affairs programming from a
black perspective.
Part of that tradition-is
the black oriented radio
station. It has through the
years acted as a transmitter
of cultural values through
music, news and public
affairs programming Crmru
black perspective.
Atlanta’s two main
black oriented stations,
WAOK (1380 AM ) and WIGO
(1340 AM), hope to continue
their role as transmitters of
black culture, according to
Tom Cordy, the station
manager of WAOK and Paul
Childs, the programming
director of WIGO.
“We want to continue to
project ourselves as an
aggressive, concerned
station that cares. WAOK is
an Atlanta tradition. We
will continue to rise to the
occasion -- whatever it is,’”’
said Cordy.
The station will
celebrate its twenty-fifth
years as an Atlanta black
programmed station in
March of this year. It
became black owned in 1973
and is a member of the
Broadcast Enterprises
Network radio
conglomerate.
“W'e plan to establish a
more positive station image
in terms of community
participation and in
volvement,” said Childs of
WIGO.
The station was founded
as a black operated entity in
1965 and is owned by Emil
Mogell and Co. of New York.
It is attempting to increase
its competitiveness w'ith
other stations in the Atlanta
market.
As black community
oriented mediums, both
stations are similar in
programming and basic
demographics. However,
WIGO does emphasize a
particular audience
women in the 18 through 35
age group.
“We’re strong with teen
agers and with both sexes in
By Joy Gray
Paul Childs
the 18 through 35 age range.
Also, we have an edge with
the older audience which
grew' up with WAOK.
Perhaps the most popular
religious jock (Brother
Esmond Patterson in town
is with us too,” Cordy of
fered.
“WTGO is working
toward providing a wider
range of music for our
audience as well as more
intelligent and personable
air personalities,” Childs
pointed out.
“When there are two or
more rhythm and blues
programmed stations in any
given market there are no
real differences except in
selections of music, tastes
and style. We’re striving to
improve in those areas,” he
added.
A new potential
problem for black radio is
competition from powerful
FM stations that play a
large amount of soul music,
such as Atlanta’s WVEE.
“FM radio could
become detrimental to
black radio’s AM stations
but at this time it won’t
affect us much,” Childs
explained.
“However, unless more
qualified and experienced
black communicators and
programmers are recruited
into the market it (com
petition from FM stations)
could mean our death,” he
continued.
“Also, automation and
syndication are rapidly
phasing out a lot of radio,
including general market
radio. All in all, future
communicators will have
to become well-round in all
phases of the business in
order to survive,” he added.
Photo by Tyraun Patterson
Founders Day
Continued from Page I
Benjamin Mays
“I’ve been fighting
desegregation since the turn
of the centurv,” the
dignified gentleman said
scathingly.
He explained: “If whit e
people don’t want to go to
school with Negroes they 11
always find a way not to If
you can have good Ir sh
schools and good Jev :sh
schools, you can have g iod
black schools.”
Dr. Mays subscribei to
the view that merely ha ;ing
a black child sit next to a
white child will not
necessarily improve that
black child’s academic
achievement por alter his
school-relatedproblems.
But what about the
alleged negative
psychological effects
segregated schools on the
minds of black children
(which influencec the 1954
Brown ruling) Isn’t racial
polarization jus: another
form of segregation? Won’t
black students oe inferior
students by definition if they
attend a segregated (even
by choice) school?
The famous educator
pointed out that Atlanta’s
school problems are far
from new and that he is
speaking from much study
of the situation as well as
experience as an educator.
who were escorted to the
white high school by the U.S.
National Guard at the height
of the civil rights
movement. He was
nominated by President
Carter to join Carter’s new
administration.
Green said he was glad
to be at the program. “If I
hadn’t been asked I would
have been here anyway,” he
said. Green’s speech was
concerning the current
situation of minorities and
unemployment.
He said the unem
ployment rate at the time he
took office was 7.4 per cent
and the rate in January was
6.3. He commented the rate
is still higher than the White
House would like for it to be
but it is an improvement.
‘The economy generated 4
million new jobs,” he said.
Green said there are
programs ahead which will
offer special employment
training and offer op
portunities for the youths.
“The macroeconomic
policies are not sufficient,”
he said. “We are going to
have to reduce the general
structure (economy) and
address other labor
markets.” With the $7.6
million increase in the labor
budget, Geeen said the
department will be con
centrating on high levels of
youth employment and it
will primarily be going to
non-whites.
He lent his suppoi t to the
Humphi ey-Hawkins em
ployment bill for full em
ployment.
President Blake^.
challenged the student body
and the faculty and ad
ministrative body to con
tinue the new innovations
that were envisioned and
created by President
Henderson. President Blake
referred to Henderson’s
record in achievements
during his tenure at Clark.
He toid of his creating the
Dual Degree, Mass Com
munications and Allied
Health programs. “He
founded the Southern Policy
for Social Change and the
WCLK radio station,” Blake
said.
Blake called for the
upcoming graduates and the
faculty and administration
to think of new ways to look
for solutions for today’s
problems. “This college has
now increased the options,"
he said. “We must deter
mine how to combine the old
and the new (ways of
Living legend
But perhaps his per
sonal view is most
significant. The old gen
tleman leaned back in his
chair and clasped his
smooth hands beneath his
firm chin. His animated
face became reflective.
“I never spent a full
year in a school until I was
19 years old and I didn’t
graduate from high school
until I was 22. My parents
were born into near slavery
and neither of them could
read nor write. Yet, I never
doubted m y ability to
achieve....”
Continued from Page I
chilling indignation when
the issue was mentioned.
"When I first ran for the
school board eight years
ago, they said I was too old.
I received 80 per cent of the
vote. Four years ago (the
election) I got 85 per
cent. In the past election,
my two younger opponents
only received 30 per cent of
the vote together. .
learning).”