ALL THAT JAZZ

WCLK 91.9 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 parttime 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.

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PostSecret: The Show

“The level of engagement in the theatre was intense; the response was overwhelming.”

–Vancouver Globe and Mail

Saturday, February 6, 8:00 pm

Mature content, not recommended for children

Cyrille Aimée

“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, 8:00 pm

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, 7:30 pm

Friday, February 26, 8:00 pm

Saturday, February 27, 8:00 pm

Call now for tickets!