WEAA (88.9 FM) is a non-profit, National Public Radio station that serves the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. It is licensed and owned by Morgan State University. WEAA was named 1999 Jazz Station of the Year by Gavin Magazine.[2]
The station has been noted for its willingness to host intense discussions of issues like racism and sexuality.[3]
Although WEAA is based at Morgan State, it does not function like a (stereo)typical "college radio" station; most of its staff are adults and it serves a larger community within Baltimore. However, the station does take on many student interns and volunteers, who learn skills connected to radio broadcasting.[4]
[edit] History
WEAA went live on 10 January 1977.
White Baltimore activist Robert Kaufman accused WEAA of reverse racism in 1998 when they turned down his offer to host a show for free. Kaufman's complaint with the Maryland Commission on Human Rights was unsuccessful.[5]
In 2007, a coalition of WEAA listeners took to the streets in protest when "The Powers Report" with Tyrone Powers went off the air. Powers and his supporters alleged that newly-elected governor Martin O'Malley had used his political clout to force Powers off the air in retaliation for critical remarks.[6] Powers filed a lawsuit alleging that O'Malley ordered him fired, with WEAA manager Donald Lockett and NAACP president Kweisi Mfume acting as intermediaries.[7][8] O'Malley and Mfume denied the allegations completely.[9]
In 2008, WEAA hired Marc Steiner (after Steiner's dismissal from WYPR)[10] and began running Democracy Now!. These changes increased the ratio of news to music and added white voices, prompting observers to ask, "Will whites listen to a majority black station?"[11] In the following months, WEAA gained 20,000 listeners for a total of 100,000.[10]
[edit] Current programs
- "The Baltimore Blend" with Beverly Burke
- "Wealthy Lifestyle" with Deborah Owens"
- The Marc Steiner Show
- "Fiesta Musical" with Guilermo Brown
- "Reggae, Roots & Culture" with Papa Wabe
- "In the Groove" and "Cool Jazz Countdown" with Marcellus "Bassman" Shepard
[edit] Past programs
- The Anthony McCarthy Show
- The Michael Eric Dyson Show (2010–2012)[12]
- "The Powers Report" with Tyrone Powers (–2007)
- "Underground Experience" with Oji Morris and Brian Pope (1989–2002)[13]
- "Sisters Circle" with Nalonga Sayyed and Faraja Lewis
- "Dialogue with the African-American Male" with Richard Rowe and Eric El-Amin
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ WEAA music director Narius Coleman, quoted in Organizational Change (2011).
- ^ WEAA. "About WEAA". WEAA.org. Baltimore, MD. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
- ^ Rob Hiassen, "WEAA's companion talk shows don't mince words", Baltimore Sun, 23 February 1994, p. 1C.
- ^ Sandy Alexander, "Campus stations claim niche in radio market", Baltimore Sun, 21 April 2002.
- ^ Michael Olesker, "It's a sound argument for radio stations", Baltimore Sun, 11 May 1998.
- ^ Gregory Kane, "Defense of ousted radio host heats up". Baltimore Sun, 31 January 2007, p. 1B.
- ^ Gregory Kane, "Lawsuit airs story on loss of air time", Baltimore Sun, 23 January 2008.
- ^ Rev. Heber Brown, III, "Gubernatorial Pressure Pushes Powers Off The Air", Faith in Action, 27 January, 2007.
- ^ Gregory Kane, "A little light might clear the air over radio show", Baltimore Sun, 27 January 2007.
- ^ a b Evan Serpick, "Radio Static", Baltimore magazine, February 2009.
- ^ Chris Kaltenbach, "Hiring Steiner Dovetails With Overall WEAA Plan", Baltimore Sun, 18 May 2008.
- ^ Richard Prince, "Michael Eric Dyson Quits Radio Show", Urban Radio Nation, 13 March 2012.
- ^ Bret McCabe, "Clearing the Air: WEAA Moves Out of the Underground", CityPaper, 27 February, 2002.
[edit] External links
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- WBJC (Baltimore Junior College)
- WEAA (Morgan State University)
- WESM (University of Maryland Eastern Shore)
- WFWM (Frostburg State University)
- WHFC (Harford Community College)
- WLOY (Loyola College)
- WMTB (Mount St. Marys College)
- WMUC (University of Maryland)
- WSCL (Salisbury University)
- WTMD (Towson University)
- WXSU (Salisbury University)
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Coordinates: 39°20′31″N 76°35′13″W / 39.342°N 76.587°W / 39.342; -76.587
