Wavelength: Baltimore's Public Radio Journey

WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore
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Wavelength: Baltimore's Public Radio Journey is a six-episode limited podcast series from Your Public Studios. Hosted by noted storyteller and actress Maria Broom, and featuring interviews and archival tape, the podcast will take listeners on a journey from public radio’s early days to now. Listeners will learn about the evolution of WYPR, WTMD, WEAA and WBJC, how the stations responded to major news stories, featured local and national musicians, and how they found their place in Baltimore’s current radio scene.

Episodes

  1. 07/27/2022

    First Informers and Bridge Builders

    When Maryland went into lockdown at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the region’s public radio stations were deemed ‘essential businesses.’ The staff at WYPR, WEAA, WTMD, and WBJC had a challenge on their hands: How do you stay safe and, at the same time, maintain a service that’s now more crucial than ever? In this episode, radio makers talk about navigating the pandemic. They also look ahead to the future of public radio in a rapidly changing media landscape. Production and support for this podcast was brought to you in part by PNC Bank.   Episode Transcription: Gov. Larry Hogan: I have issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in Maryland. Maria Broom: This is Wavelength: Baltimore's Public Radio Journey, from Your Public Studios, a monthly podcast series made possible by PNC Bank.  I'm your host, Maria Broom.  Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued that state of emergency on March 3, 2020. That morning, the first three cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in Maryland. We know all too well where things headed from there. Within two weeks, schools and libraries were closed, large gatherings were banned, and state employees were ordered to work remotely, if possible. Restrictions were mounting, and on March 23, Hogan took to his podium again, this time with a sweeping announcement.  Gov. Larry Hogan: This morning, I have enacted an executive order which closes all non-essential businesses, organizations, establishments, and facilities in Maryland, effective at five o'clock today. Maria Broom: Among those businesses deemed essential by the governor: radio.  LaFontaine Oliver: So for us here at WYPR, the pandemic created a pretty interesting situation where we had to pretty quickly pivot and become what many of us call “first informers.” Maria Broom: Your Public Radio President and General Manager, LaFontaine Oliver. LaFontaine Oliver: Yes, we were going to maintain our normal programming schedule, but we would also inject into that as often as as appropriate information that quite honestly became life saving information Danyell Irby: The general manager and I, LaFontaine Oliver, met and said, “What can we do to give our audience the news of the day, sans a firehose, in a calm, cohesive manner?” Maria Broom: WYPR Executive News Director, Danyell Irby. Danyell Irby: Because remember, there was so much coming out about COVID-19 then, there were rumors, there were rumors mixed with facts. And so that's when we decided to start up the podcast, The Daily Dose, as a compilation of our news teams reporting at the end of the day, and again, in a calm and cohesive fashion for our audience. Aaron Henkin, hosting The Daily Dose: It's Friday, March 27. I'm Aaron Henkin. City council candidates scrambled to campaign in the midst of a pandemic. Teachers gear up for a long school shutdown, and scammers try to exploit an already bad situation. It's The Daily Dose brought to you by WYPR. LaFontaine Oliver: People needed a place where they could go and get well researched, nuanced information that also did not sensationalize the situation. And that was not that was not easy for us here at WYPR.  Danyell Irby: There was no aspect of life or business that COVID-19 wasn't affecting. And so I think a lot of it was adrenaline and eagerness to do factual reporting, and to get it out to our audience. And I think that was our main driving force then. And of course, figuring out how we're all going to do that remotely. LaFontaine Oliver: Folks found ways to record news spots from closets in their homes. We had to make investments in equipment and technology to allow for much more remote broadcasting than I think any of us ever thought would ever be necessary or possible. But it all I think worked out pretty well when you consider that we were able to maintain a high quality, daily, 24/7 news service that pivoted and really began to focus on that life saving information, especially during those early days of COVID when, you know, lives were being lost at a rate that no one was prepared for. Dr. Karsonya "Kaye" Wise Whitehead: People were afraid, and we knew that the worst thing for WDA to do as a voice in the community is to not be on the air at a time when our community is most frightened, feeling very alone, not sure of what to do or who to trust. Maria Broom: Dr. Karsonya Wise Whitehead is the host of WEAA’s daily live talk show, Today with Dr. Kaye.  Dr. Karsonya "Kaye" Wise Whitehead: We made the commitment to stay live as long as possible. So we would actually go into the studio, our general manager at that time, Malarie Pinkard-Pierre, cleared everyone out and only had people come in with routines. You have to wear your mask, go into your separate areas, so we can continue to bring the news. We tried to do all of our work from home. They purchased all this equipment, so that way I was at my kitchen table at that point, my son was helping me, but we tried to stay on to bring the live show every day. When the system kept collapsing, and it was really unnerving for people, for me to be on the air now go off and come back on, we then moved back into the studio. But we continued to stay live every single day. It was really challenging and emotionally draining to do so.  Maria Broom: Emotionally draining, yes. But also important. Dr. Kaye says that it's in these moments of crisis that public radio shines the brightest. Dr. Karsonya "Kaye" Wise Whitehead: When every state in every county has their own different story, because it impacts everyone differently, you look to the public radio station in your community to bring you the truth about what's happened. Proximity matters. People were, they were concerned about COVID-19 in Seattle, Washington, but I want to know, is it here, and if it is here, what do we do? Don't tell me that they're closing parks in Texas. What about right here in Patterson Park? Do I need to be concerned? And this is what we did. We took the international, national focus and we really narrowed it to take it through the lens of Baltimore City and then through the lens of Maryland to help people make sense of it.  Taped broadcast from an episode of Today with Dr. Kaye: Welcome to Today with Dr. Kaye. I'm Dr. "Kaye" Wise Whitehead. I'm joined now by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top leading expert on infectious diseases. Dr. Fauci, let me begin by thanking you for your leadership, for your wisdom, for your steady hand during this very difficult time. And we truly appreciate you sir. Dr. Anthony Fauci: Well, thank you for saying that. I appreciate it. Thank you.  Dr. Karsonya "Kaye" Wise Whitehead: So we're gonna talk about the impact of COVID-19 on the African American community… Dr. Karsonya "Kaye" Wise Whitehead: We were able to secure getting Dr. Fauci as the first time he sat down with a Black radio station, because WEAA, We Educate African Americans, that's what our call letters stand, for but the first time he sat down to speak about COVID-19, specifically as it impacted the Black community, because early on when COVID first hit, there was a lie going around that Black folks couldn't get COVID. So part of the work we were doing was to counteract that live particularly when you saw the way it disproportionately impacted our community. Maria Broom: While news stations like WEAA and WYPR scrambled to cover the story of the pandemic, public radio music stations had their own set of challenges.  Same Sessa: The pandemic hit events the hardest. Maria Broom: When social gatherings were banned in venues shut down, Sam Sesa was in charge of live events for WTMD, including Baltimore's popular First Thursdays concert series. Sam's job as he knew it, evaporated before his eyes. So he had to pivot. Sam Sessa: We took First Thursday's digital, we turned them into virtual First Thursdays, which became these really cool live streams on Facebook that we did that got a really great reception. We were pleasantly surprised by how many people tuned in and some of the performers that we could get because it was actually in the end easier to get some of them because all they had to do was record a video. They didn't have to come here and take time and book a hotel, you know, all that logistical mess that comes along with playing a live show for a nationally touring band. But I think one of the signature things that we did was we made a short documentary. And it turned out to be better than we could have possibly expected because because of the pandemic, all of these bands that we wanted to get were already in town because they couldn't tour. So we had Snail Mail, Beach House, Dan Deacon, Future Islands, like all these big Baltimore bands, we were able to get them and interview them for the documentary,  Clip from Do Whatever You Want, All the Time: Seattle in the early 90s, you had grunge in New York in the early 2000s, post-punk, but the beauty of Baltimore is there is no genre tying everyone together. There's not a sonic through-line in this town.  Sam Sessa: It's called Do Whatever You Want, All the Time, named after this album from this Baltimore band Ponytail, and we feel like that title is a perfect way. That's the perfect beat for the vibe in the scene. Clip from Do Whatever You Want, All the Time: Baltimore music shows are like Spotify playlists- there literally can be anything.  Maria Broom: While WTMD found new ways to support and celebrate the local music scene, long running music station WBJC kept the light on for fans of classical music. As a part of Baltimore City Community College, the radio station was one of the few operations that remained staffed in person. WBJC’s Jonathan Palevsky remembers realizing that he and his colleagues were, in fact, essential workers. The governor was expecting them to report for duty. Jonathan Palevsky: And we did, and the support people came in occasionally and the on-air people worked as they

    24 min

  2. 06/29/2022

    Local stations respond to The Uprising

    This episode of Wavelength explores local public radio stations’ coverage and response to the Baltimore Uprising following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. Production and support for this podcast was brought to you in part by PNC Bank.   Transcript:  [WEAA newswrap] Beverly Burke: Taken from the day’s headlines, national attention is turning to Baltimore as the justice department looks into whether police violated the civil rights of a man who died after he was arrested. Baltimore Police arrested Freddie Gray on April 12. He died from a spinal cord injury a week later. Six Baltimore police officers have been suspended while the investigation goes forward.  Maria Broom: This is Wavelength: Baltimore’s Public Radio Journey from Your Public Studios, a monthly podcast series made possible by PNC Bank. I’m your host Maria Broom.  You just heard the voice of former WEAA host and anchor Beverly Burke. On this episode, we’ll hear how local stations covered the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray in police custody and the subsequent uprising.  Gray suffered a severe spinal injury in the back of a police van on April 12, 2015.  He died a week later. Baltimore radio stations devoted newscasts, hour-long shows, and online stories to Gray’s death and how it was impacting our city. Former WEAA news director Carla Wills and former WEAA General Manager Michele Williams say the station’s coverage plans evolved the day of Gray’s funeral, April 27. Carla Wills: The dean of the school at the time, who was Dewayne Wickham, also a veteran journalist, had decided that we, because we were WEAA, needed to be at the funeral of Freddie Gray.  Michele Williams: Carla Wills, Marcellus Shepard “The Baseman”, Sean Yoes, Marc Steiner, Anthony McCarthy, Martha Jews, we all were contributing because everyone had a position on the field. If this was your home, you already had a position on the field even though you may not be active at that moment but if this is your home, then you already have a perspective about when things like this happen. You have a point of view. We cobbled together equipment and with Carla’s direction and guidance, we went out and figured out if we have three of these, we can put a person here. If we have one of these, we can put a person there. We didn't have a lot of equipment, but our chief engineer, Ed, at the time made sure that we could get sound back to the studio.  Carla Wills: We thought we were going to just do maybe an hour or two of the funeral. We're talking with Beverly Burke outside of the church. She was our news anchor at the time. [WEAA live coverage] Beverly Burke: We are going to be bringing you the commentary inside and outside of the program going on today. You’re inside the Marc Steiner Show. And Marc, as I bring you into this, let me just tell you that after the arrivals of Jesse Jackson and several other dignitaries as I saw come into through this particular entrance…including NAACP City President Tessa Hill Aston, everyone really carries a very somber look. This morning’s news as you probably will recall, pointed to comments made by justice department people and Congressman Elijah Cumings about the coming investigation. Everyone wanting this to be a day of peace until a report is released and that’s supposed to happen later this week.  Carla Wills: And we ended up covering all 4 hours. And then afterward, along with talk inside the studio, that was moderated by Marc Steiner at the time.  [Live coverage] Marc Steiner: So anyway, still here in the studio with Dominique Stevenson and D. Watkins and we’ll get some final thoughts here I guess as we’ll be rounding out here in a few minutes, maybe we can get a call or two if we can but if not, we’ll just come in here. Ya know, this is–I’m glad, first of all, that the station made the decision to cover this funeral with such depth for all this time. From our show at 10 in the morning and all the way going through the funeral starting at 11, now going on 2 o’clock and we’re still here because other media is not doing this and people need to hear and feel what’s going out in front of the community which is really very critical at this point.  Michele Williams: Sean Yoes went to the funeral. And he did a magnificent job. [Live coverage] Sean Yoes: The burden of injustice is heavy in the city. It’s palpable, I believe. I don’t think that’s hyperbole. I think it’s very real and unfortunately, I don’t think that people have a lot of answers as far as what to do next, where do you we go to now? And I think there’s a lot of pessimism as well. People thinking that it’s inevitable that this type of scenario will repeat itself. That is, that is–it’s a sad commentary but I think it’s a very real commentary. I wish I could shed more of an optimistic light on the situation, but I would be disingenuous if I did, I think.  Michele Williams: And our phones were blowing up. We had to open up our streaming lines. And, you know, because of that, that's a technical thing. But all of a sudden you’ll hit a wall and no one else can get in. And we had to expand and open all of that because we sort of became a repository for emotion and comments and people.   Carla Wills: Beverly, she had gone up toward Mondawmin–and I'm trying to remember why, this is after she had stopped–she calls me and she says, it looks like something's about to go off here. And so I'm on the phone with her. And then we bring her back on the air and she's describing what's happening.  [Live coverage] Beverly Burke: The mall itself is closing and I am really watching as cars are leaving the parking lot. Like I said I’m positioned in front of Target and they’re heading out to the exit that leads to Liberty Road. Again nothing has been disclaimed. I have seen a couple of helicopters overhead. The strange thing is that I’m not seeing any patrol cars, no city police cars, not one. And I’m not even seeing anything allegedly unmarked. But I am seeing people getting in their cars and they are leaving. Marc Steiner: Beverly Burke, thank you for all your coverage today and we’re [intelligible] to know what you’ve seen at Mondawmin Mall and so we want to be very clear as we end our program today that, that–nobody knows what’s going on. These are all kind of rumors floating. Beverly Burke: They are rumors, yes. And we want to be clear about that. Marc Steiner: I just want to make sure people are not in a panic and don’t get into a panic over this because we just do not know exactly what’s going on. WEAA will fill you in with updates as the afternoon goes on.  Carla Wills: And nothing had really blown up yet but she knew things were kind of simmering. And so at that point, you know, we were like, there on the ground when it was starting to unfold. And then I'm like, All right, Beverly, I'm a little concerned. Maybe you should get out of there. And she left. But then we had a student journalist. And this is the other important thing about WEAA, you know, its partnership with the students because it's housed at a university. We had a student who we ended up sending down because he lived in the area and then he would call with updates and we had him on the air. He actually now works at WBAL television. So shout out to Tramon Lucas. But it was just like we were there on the ground the whole time as the situation unfolded and followed it all evening.  Maria Broom: When listeners tuned to WEAA and WYPR, they found the stations providing coverage like they had never done before, and collaborating like they had never done before. Michele Williams, former WEAA GM and now WYPR Director of Underwriting, explains a station partnership that was formed not long after Gray’s death.  Michele Williams: We had a conversation with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and said, hey, you know, can you help us? And they did come and help us and paired us with WYPR.  Carla Wills: We knew we needed to do more and like I said, we didn't necessarily have the infrastructure. WYPR, of course, had a far more robust infrastructure as far as its news department. And, you know, we were like, yeah, you know, and WYPR was like, you know, honestly, we don't have the same kinds of relationships in the community that WEAA has. So if we partner, we could probably do more together as far as, you know, really covering this situation. And so we had one of WYPR’s reporters was often reporting with us on our evening public affairs programs. And then, you know, we had people who would speak at WYPR’s–on their programs. And so it was really a moment that we saw the power of this media, especially when the community is involved. I mean, not just–it's not about giving voice to the voiceless. It's about passing the mic. You know, people aren't voiceless. They just don't have the platform.  Maria Broom: WYPR News Director Joel McCord says he recognized that the news team needed to respond to the moment.  Joel McCord: Well, at the time, you know, as we were concentrating on more on long term deep dive kinds of stories, we didn't have connections in the police department that would have helped. So I was more interested in looking into the, the kinds of conditions that created a Freddie Gray and his relationship with the Baltimore Police Department or maybe even, you know, the relationship of a good part of the city's population with the police department. But then as tensions escalated, as the day of the funeral approached, you might remember the violence near Camden Yards downtown, around the time of, of an Orioles–Red Sox game and the eruption. After the funeral, that's when I said, well, you know, we can't we, we can't take time to do these deep dives. We actually have to be out there covering it. Chris Connolly was our state house and political reporter, he was living in West Baltimore. So I had him co

    32 min

  3. 05/25/2022

    Radio pirates

    Since WJHU was the precursor to WYPR and this is WYPR’s 20th anniversary year, indulge us as we focus on the station’s early years in this episode of Wavelength: Baltimore's Public Radio Journey. A lot went on… Production and support for this podcast was brought to you in part by PNC Bank. Transcript MUSIC: "Dire Ghost" by Blue Dot Sessions. Marc Steiner: It was 2001 and there was a general manager search going on, and there were three final candidates. And just as the staff was about to interview the candidates, we got a notice that the search had been called off–postponing it is what they said. So I knew something weird was going on. And so I called one of the vice presidents at Hopkins and said–who was overseeing the station–and I said ‘so you gotta tell me what's happening. This either means you're selling this station, or you're closing the station. So what's going on?’ He said, ‘it's not for publication, but we're selling the station.’ Maria Broom: This is Wavelength: Baltimore’s Public Radio Journey from Your Public Studios, a monthly podcast series made possible by PNC Bank. I’m your host Maria Broom. You just heard the voice of former WJHU, WYPR, and WEAA talk show host Marc Steiner reflecting on Johns Hopkins University’s decision to sell WJHU. Since WJHU was the precursor to WYPR and this is WYPR’s 20th anniversary year, indulge us as we focus on the station’s early years in this episode. A lot went on… So, as Marc Steiner was saying, in 2001 WJHU was up for sale. Former WJHU jazz host Andy Bienstock and others pick up the story. Andy Bienstock: Johns Hopkins had decided that we were not part of the university's mission and that it would be better to sell us to someone who did have a mission for public radio. We had other public stations come and look at us. I was on the transition committee at the time. And we were visited by WBUR in Boston, by WETA in Washington. I think from WAMU in Washington. We also knew that Maryland Public Television was interested in acquiring us. And of course there were lots of religious groups that wanted–that would have paid a lot of money to have us become a religious station. And to give the university credit, they made it clear that was not what they wanted to do. They wanted to keep it as an NPR station or as a public radio station. So as all this was going on, Marc Steiner was our talk show host at the time, and Marc started putting together a group to try and buy it and keep it as an independent radio station. Marc Steiner: The only staff member that really joined the effort was a woman named Martha Ruski, who was then the marketing director for WJHU. And she and I formed the Maryland Public Radio Corporation, that was incorporated as a nonprofit. We knew we had to raise $5 million dollars and how we were going to do that was the question. [“Hash Out” by Sunday at Slims begins.] Song courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions. Marc Steiner: Hopkins would not let us use the membership list to raise money to buy the station so I had a list of 500, 700 odd people who I had been in touch with over the years who were listeners, maybe more even and I had that list of names and so I put that in our database and started writing everybody. So we–well the first people– two people who came in first: one was Bill Clark, the other was the Daniels family, and then was the folks at Town Creek Foundation. They supported it too. So we had this initial burst of serious contributions. And then we went after other contributions from, from listeners. And so we ended up with three quarters of a million dollars, which was not enough to buy the station. But it was a significant down payment. (laughs.) Andy Bienstock: So Marc was put in touch with Tony Brandon, who was living in Baltimore and Tony had a string of commercial stations. Tony Brandon: I’m Tony Brandon. I was the general manager of WYPR from 2002 to 2019. I had been in the radio business for probably at that time, 30 years. We had a family company that I was president of called American General Media, which owned 45 or 50 radio stations. I went to the president of the bank and told him of our intentions to attempt to acquire this station. He said he understood that it wasn’t part of our American General Media acquisitions, that it was totally independent and it was separate from that. But the bank would require personal guarantees to make the loan to a non-profit that was not to be owned by broadcasters who were seeking to make a profit. And we gathered together eight people. Gary Levine: Bill Clark, of course Tony, Barb Bozzuto, Darielle Linehan, John Melnick, Charlie Salisbury and Albert Williams. I’m Gary Levine. I’ve been associated with WYPR from its inception. Tony Brandon: And the 8 of us guaranteed $500,000 each. And the bank proceeded to make the loan for $5 million required to purchase the station. Maria Broom: But on September 11, 2001, radio acquisitions, entertainment, travel, everything…stopped. [Clip of Morning Edition] Bob Edwards: Good morning, you’re listening to special coverage of tragic events that have occurred today in New York City and in Washington D.C. Maria Broom: That morning Andy Bienstock woke up and walked into his kitchen. Morning Edition was playing on the radio. Andy Bienstock: Bob Edwards was the host back then, and he was talking about fire, a fire at the World Trade Center or an explosion at the World Trade Center. And, of course, there had been a terrorist attack there in the early 90s. And I thought for some reason, they were doing the story about that attack, and replaying it. But as I listened some more I realized oh no, this was today. Bob Edwards: I’m going to go through just a timeline of today’s events as compiled by the Associated Press. Plane crashes into tower of World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan shortly before 9 AM eastern time. And then shortly after 9 AM eastern time, a second plane crashed into the second tower of the World Trade Center. President Bush, in Sarasota, Florida, earlier this morning, called the crash–crashes an apparent terrorist attack and a national tragedy. Andy Bienstock: So I abandoned my radio and went to the television, and just sort of watched in horror for the rest of the day. Now, I grew up in New York, in Manhattan, so I knew people involved. My father who was elderly at that point, lived not far away. And my uncle was actually working at a place that wasn't too far from the World Trade Center. So it took a while, you know, on the phone with my father and making sure he was OK. And that was also Election Day in Annapolis, I guess it was our primary election here in Annapolis. I guess it was a mayoral election. And I remember going to the polls, and it was just quiet. Everyone, no one talking about anything. Everyone just in shock. No one talking about what happened because nobody wanted to talk about what happened or even understood it. Maria Broom: This is Wavelength. We’ll be back in a minute. Maria Broom: This is Wavelength: Baltimore’s Public Radio Journey. I’m your host Maria Broom. On today’s episode of the podcast, we’re talking about the transition of WJHU to WYPR, which officially started on February 1, 2002. Marc Steiner was one of the founders of WYPR and became the Vice President for Broadcast and Production when the station began. He explains what WYPR stands for and how it was actually his second choice for call letters. Marc Steiner: I said, ‘Well, we're the Maryland Radio Corporation. So we can just be like Maryland Radio Corporation, that'd be the WMRC.’ And I stopped and it was this dead silence and Martha stopped and looked at me and went ‘Marc.’ Valerie Williams: I said that. Marc Steiner: Oh you said it, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. My wife just reminded me she's the one who said it. She is right. I get times mixed up. I always do. Thanks, Valerie. (laughs.) Valerie Williams: You came home all excited. Marc Steiner: I came home all excited, saying, ‘we came up with the call letters WMRC.’ And she looked at me and went ‘Marc, how do you spell your name?’ And I said ‘Oh, shit!’ Valerie Williams: No, you said ‘Mar-shit.’ Marc Steiner Mar-shit. (laughs) So then a little brainstorming session we just came up with, you know, the whole line we're giving people was that this was gonna be a community owned station, and it belonged to the people of our listening area. So we came up with it's your station, isn't it? Right? It's your public radio station. So why YPR. So that was how YPR came about instead of naming it after myself. (Laughs.) Aaron Henkin: My name is Aaron Henkin. I'm a producer here at WYPR, and I've been here since 2001. When we switched from the call letters WJHU to WYPR, I remember our morning announcer at the time. Great guy, Tom Olsen. And we had a–we took a pool, I think, here at the office for how long it would be that first day when we were supposed to be WYPR for him to mess up the call letters and say WJHU. I think it took about an hour and a half before he said the wrong call letters, but he eventually got it into his head. And, you know, we all became WYPR together. Andy Bienstock: Tony became General Manager and I became the Program Director of WYPR. Tony Brandon: As it turned out immediately after closing in 2002 February 1, we had a fund drive and it was enormous. And it was one of the biggest fund drives the station had ever had. Andy Bienstock: Our membership grew immediately. I think the story of, sort of the little guys who took over the station was a great story. Keeping it as local ownership was a great story. And I think frankly, a lot of people didn't want to give money to a wing of Johns Hopkins, and were more willing to give an independent station money. Gary Levine: The best part of the pledge drive to me was to be able to listen to listeners and what and how much

    33 min

  4. 04/27/2022

    Stations flip formats

    The 1980s and 1990s were a time when many local radio stations were coming into their own. Building, reorganizing, working out the kinks. It was also a time when many stations changed formats. You’ll hear more about that on this episode. Guests:  Dr. Baruti Kopano James “Big Jim” Staton Isisara Bey John Wesley Jonathan Palevsky Andy Bienstock Ellen Beth Levitt Bob Benson Jim Armstrong Wendy Williams Production and support for this podcast was brought to you in part by PNC Bank. Transcript MUSIC: "Dire Ghost" by Blue Dot Sessions. MARIA BROOM: This is Wavelength: Baltimore’s Public Radio Journey from Your Public Studios, a monthly podcast series made possible by PNC Bank. I’m your host Maria Broom.  The 80s and 90s were a time when many local radio stations were coming into their own…building, reorganizing, working out the kinks...It was also a time when many stations changed formats. You’ll hear more about that on today’s episode. Last month we looked at how stations provided opportunities for emerging talent in 70s. That’s also true about WEAA in the 80s says Dr. Baruti Kopano , chair and professor of Morgan State University’s Department of Multiplatform Production. He says the ability to get hands-on experience prepared a future generation of media professionals, several of whom you may be familiar with.  DR. BARUTI KOPANO: We look at a person like an April Ryan, who most people know her as a White House correspondent. An African American woman who was my classmate, we were classmates at Morgan. Literally we sat in the same classes together. She spent time at WEAA. We look at a person we can find in the D.C. market now on air–that’s been on the air for many years–Earl Fisher. Earl Fisher was on WEAA when I was at WEAA. A lot of people don’t know this but the playwright and filmmaker Dave Talbert also had a stint at WEAA. WEAA recognized that we want to train our folks to go out all over the world. And I just really want to emphasize that historic role and how important it was to providing us quite frankly with some of the most important media players even today. It was not uncommon for commercial program directors, mostly program directors, but commercial radio station program directors to tune into WEAA to find out who's the next person that’s ready out of that station. BROOM: As Dr. Kopano mentioned, he was a Morgan State University student and in 1985, he got his shot to go on the air. KOPANO: WEAA announced that it was having quote on quote try-outs. This was my first semester at Morgan. And I guess back in the day they just put up flyers or something along those lines before all the digital stuff was here, that’s what we did. And indeed I went out to the audition and these were all undergraduate students and I knew most of the folks who were there. And a few of us were offered positions and I was blessed to be one of those who was offered a position on-air, immediately. I was an on-air announcer, I had a show, it was one day a week. It was called The Last Radio Show from 7 PM until midnight. And it was an eclectic taste of music, but it was mostly music-based, jazz-based, format. And then also I was the producer of some special content based on some of my interests. So one of the things I did was produce a radio feature, a long form radio feature, a documentary on Malcom X. And I was a board op for the Left Bank Jazz Society along with other folks. I wasn’t the only one, there were many of us who board opped. The Left Bank Jazz Society was one of the most famous jazz organizations on the East Coast and they were really committed to preserving the music and culture of jazz. So WEAA extended an opportunity to The Left Bank Jazz Society members to come in and not just play the music but to talk about the music. Sometimes to invite those folks who actually were producing the music on, into the studio, on the phone to talk about. So it was no thing for us to see a Gary Bartz to come in or to call in and talk about what was happening in the jazz scene. The Grio we called her, the incredible storyteller Marie Carter Smith, I had the privilege of being a board operator for one of her shows. A spellbinding opportunity to listen and grow. BROOM: WEAA listeners could also tune in during the 80s to hear James “Big Jim” Staton play the blues and “oldies” on Blues in the Night and Turning Back the Hands of Time. “Big Jim” tells the story of how he got his first break at the station in 1985. JAMES “BIG JIM” STATON: I was working at the Arch Social one night and this lady walked up to me, she came up on stage and she said “How would you like to go to work for WEAA?” And I thought ‘Lord, this woman has had too much to drink.’ [Laughs] And I said “OK.” And she said “Well, we can’t afford to pay you any money, we don’t have any money, but I’m asking you if you would volunteer. So I said “Sure.” I just wanted to get people to hear me and what I did and everything. So I went in there Tuesday night and worked with Joe Lee and at the end of the night he said things went well. Friday night, they called me and said “My DJ can’t come in tomorrow morning so can you come in?” I said “No, I don’t think I have enough training yet.” They said “Yeah, you can do it, I know you can do it.” So I went in that Saturday morning and after the show was over, the other DJ, I don’t know, he never come back. That was my beginning. I stayed there from then on. I went on for 32 years. I was there every Saturday and later on I moved up to Thursday nights with the blues so I had a special blues show that I played and I played the blues the last hour of my Saturday morning. And of course I had to put a little gospel in there so I put a little gospel in there. But most of all this music I was playing was like oldies. I liked the oldies so I played the oldies. Starting out there with BB King and Guitar Slim, Buddy Guy, all those guys. BROOM: Big Jim’s show ended in 2017. He says he still hears from people who say they miss it.  STATON: I really had–got joy in people coming up to me saying “Hey man you really put on a nice show and my grandparents–I remember my grandparents, my mother and father they sit around and they loved that music man and my mother still living and she just loves to listen to oldies and everything,” you know. So that was my pride and joy. MUSIC: OC Smith, "If the World Would End Tomorrow"  STATON: I go to Double T twice a week for breakfast and people come in and say “Man I sure miss you.” I had a theme song that I go off with every morning. I would start off every morning when I go off I would go off with a song called “It’s All Over Now.” And then I would play “Big Mabel Stay As Sweet as You Are.” And then I would play OC Smith, “If the World Would End Tomorrow.” BROOM: Isisara Bey was a host at WEAA from 1980 to 1985. Her show was called Daybreak Delights and it featured a wide range of content.   ISISARA BEY: I was the first show on the air so when I got to the station it was completely dark and I was turning everything on and I remember feeling in the dark people listening. So I started the show in the morning from 6 to 6:15 doing a guided meditation and affirmations. And then I would start with the music. And our format was music, breaks for news, and then PSAs. But the other thing I did too in the morning was I would have a couple of interviews on. I had someone come on and interview about different things around psychology: How to have difficult conversations, how to have more patience, tips on raising kids. And I also had someone come on and talk about holistic healing things that one could do at home. Either treatments you could find in your kitchen that you could use for things or herbal remedies because natural healing, metaphysics was part of my own personal avocation so I enjoyed weaving it into the show as well. We were really experimental in some ways. We were able to convey a wide range of African American musical styles from gospel to reggae to jazz to R & B. I remember playing one of the first hip hop songs when I was on the air there. BROOM: John Wesley was working in Community Relations at WEAA in the late 80s. He remembers it as a time when the station solidified its position as a community asset. JOHN WESLEY: One of the things that I built on was the fact that WEAA radio was the best source of informing the African American community, in particular of issues of importance that were immediate. Et cetera, et cetera. And I used that by showing that when we were doing programs on hypertension, hypertension, high blood pressure, lack of stress, poor diet, we could show from our ratings that those were some of our most listened to programs. So the role that WEAA played as a voice of the community to a population that did not trust a lot of sources of information. That piece of it alone, and then the other thing is the education piece, the education piece. I mean, an example: Jesse Jackson ran for president twice. He ran in 1984, and he ran again in 1988. When Jesse Jackson ran for president in 1988, there was also an African American sister who ran for president: Dr. Lenora Fulani. Now what we did on WEAA, and only we could do this. We actually had, and I had Jesse to call in and because nowhere had Jesse Jackson and Lenora Fulani, two African Americans running for president been together at any place in the country. So, I invited Jesse to call in to be my guest on the show. And he didn't realize that, Lenora Fulani was in the studio with me. So the first time the both of them talked to the country simultaneously was at WEAA together. So how, how does Morgan work? That’s the kind of thing that public radio can do when the community and the radio station works together. BROOM: Over at WBJC, station leaders decided to stop carrying NPR programming a

    29 min

  5. 03/29/2022

    College stations create radio proving grounds

    WBJC, WCVT, WEAA, and WJHU have a lot in common: the era in which they were founded, voices that were heard on more than one frequency, and all of their roots run back to local academic institutions. On this episode of Wavelength: the evolution of student stations in the 1970s. Guests and voices heard in this episode: Lamont Germany Steve Curran Sandi Mallory Clint Coleman Jud French Maria Broom Edmund Newman Dr. Jason Loviglio John Patti Jim Armstrong Stu Lumsden Isisara Bey Paul Hartman Ward Kemp Thank you to John Patti, Joe Evelius, Steve Curran and Stu Lumsden for sharing airchecks with us for this episode. Correction: John Patti is incorrectly cited as the voice of the WBJC sign-on at the 4:24 mark. If you recognize the voice, please let us know by emailing podcasts@wypr.org. Transcript Lamont Germany, WEAA: When I finally got to college, there was a radio station being born on campus so I, along with a lot of other students at the time, walked in the door and asked ‘What do I need to do?’ Steve Curran, WCVT: Everyday was an adventure. Every day was fun. Everyday was a challenge. Every day the fire bell rang, so to speak. You know, there was an emergency of some kind. But it was always fun, and it was always exciting. Sandi Mallory, WEAA: You know what, it was the type of station that you felt like ‘I make a difference of what I’m doing.’ Clint Coleman, WBJC: I call it a spawning ground for really talented people. I wasn’t one of them (laughs) but I’d like to think that I trained quite a few. Jud French, WJHU: You know, I felt like we were leaving a lasting legacy to the community. Maria Broom, host: This is Wavelength: Baltimore’s Public Radio Journey from Your Public Studios, a monthly podcast series made possible by PNC Bank. I’m your host Maria Broom. Over six episodes, you’ll learn the origin stories of WYPR, WTMD, WEAA and WBJC, and hear how they became trusted sources for news, music, the arts, and more. Plus, we’ll look at what’s next for local public radio. As you’ll discover over the course of this series, these stations have a lot in common: the era in which they were founded, voices that were heard on more than one frequency, and evolutions in programming and call letters. And all of their roots run back to local academic institutions. Dr. Jason Loviglio, Associate Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, stresses the importance of college radio. Dr. Jason Loviglio: College radio is such an important story, and it’s not as well told as it should be. It was such an important proving ground for so many people who’ve gone on to become journalists on-air, personalities, talent, in radio, television, and other media. College radio had the virtue of being accessible. A place to experiment. But it also had the great fortune of being able to invent formats that the current commercial and public landscape of radio wasn’t doing justice to. It just simply wasn’t enough new music, cutting-edge music being played on the air in most metropolitan areas. So not only were students learning on the job how to be real media professionals, but they were teaching the industry something and I think we may be in a similar moment with podcasting where a group of dedicated amateurs have helped to create something that has now been discovered by large corporate interests to be remarkably popular and incredibly valuable. Maria Broom: We’ll hear more from Dr. Loviglio later in this episode and from station employees from the 70s who are going to tell the story of local college radio. But first, let’s take it back to 1951. ‘Too Young’ by Nat King Cole was at the top of the charts. I Love Lucy was on many Americans’ television sets. The Korean War was in the news. And WBJC hit the airwaves. It broadcast classical music and arts programming from the campus of Baltimore Junior College, now Baltimore City Community College. Before it landed at 91.5 on the FM dial, WBJC could be found on 88.1. Fast-forward to the early 70s and WBJC broadcasts a diverse mix of music and news. Here’s audio of a sign-on by then-host John Patti. John Patti: This is public radio WJBC FM in Baltimore, Maryland operating on an assigned carrier frequency of 91.5 MHZ, FM channel 218 with an effective radiated power of 17,500 watts as authorized by the Federal Communications Commission. Affiliated with ABC and the National Public Radio network, our studios and transmitter are located on the campus of the Community College of Baltimore. Maria Broom: Let’s turn the story over to two former WBJC employees: First, host Jim Armstrong and then, Director of News and Public Affairs Clint Coleman. Jim Armstrong: I’m Jim Armstrong. I was formerly at WBJC, WCBM, KBIA in Columbia, Missouri, and WTMD here in Towson. Some friends of mine were part of the radio station WBJC then, and they had been on and operating and I was going to school at Baltimore Junior College. At that time, the school had a radio and television curriculum, so I started to get involved with them and hanging out there and at their radio station, which was a full studio but only broadcast to campus. And as I, you know, began volunteering at BJC–this was back in 1972. Back in those days, there were only a couple of paid staff. Most of us were student volunteers. And so one day somebody didn't show up because we were doing a program in the afternoon called Jazz in Stereo. And Brian McDonald, who was the program director at the time, looked at me, as you know, I'm standing around and he said, ‘Alright, you're going to do the show.” And I’m like “Wait, wait, what?” And that's how I got started. Clint Coleman: Everybody worked. (laughs) Everybody worked. Everybody had a show. [Soundbite of Clint Coleman WBJC aircheck.] Clint Coleman: This is WBJC, Baltimore. The radio station of the Community College of Baltimore. I was not familiar with public radio when I got that job but I got familiar very quickly and fell in love. (laughs) The learning curve was about doing more than just five minute newcasts. Which in commercial radio is about all you get. But in public radio you’re looking at a half hour newcast, you’re looking at a news, music and information program which is where I started there, and I had three hours to fill. (Laughs) and then they extended it to four hours. And I was doing interviews. For example, I got bombarded by the Iranian students who were enrolled at the community college. They hit me every other day with the kinds of atrocities committed by the Shah of Iran on the people of Iran. Years later, you find out really vividly in color what kinds of atrocities he in fact was committing and so you said, “Boy, I’m kinda glad I gave them that platform to express their views.” Maria Broom: Many listeners will be familiar with music station WTMD. But before there was WTMD, there was WCVT. And before that, there was WVTS, a carrier current AM station which began operations in 1972 from the campus of then-Towson State College. You’ll hear the phrase ‘carrier current’ several times in this episode. In a carrier current transmission, electrical wiring carries a low-power radio frequency signal which is then transmitted along electrical conductors. The transmission is picked up by receivers which are connected to the conductors or are placed nearby. Radios within a short distance pick up on the signal. OK, now back to the story. Steve Curran was music and program director at WVTS in 1974 when station staff and college administrators put together an FCC application to get an FM license. Steve Curran: We went and met with our broadcast attorneys in their beautiful marble offices in downtown D.C. and walked through this application. And it was fascinating because I was certainly more on the creative side but–I had to buy a suit to go to this meeting–and we sat with these broadcast attorneys and they walked us through how we had to apply for this license and they did it for next to nothing which was amazing. And John McCarren was our faculty advisor at the time, and everybody has someone in their lives, in their student lives, that touched them or opened the door for them, and I think John McCarren opened more doors for more people that went on to do some amazing things because of his teaching method which was really to make sure that you understood the law, that you understood what a 3rd class license was, that you understood what you can and can’t say on the radio, and certain things about programming and timing, and 30 seconds and 60 seconds and all the increments that come with understanding how broadcasting works, but then aside from that, John just had a good soul, you know? He had that rare ability to really be able to step back and let us do what we did, and the truth is we had no idea what we were doing. Maria Broom: But they knew enough because in 1975, the FCC license was approved. WVTS became WCVT, “The Communications Voice of Towson” and Steve became the General Manager. The station went on the air in 1976. Steve Curran: WJZ had just gotten the very first satellite remote truck, and they went live to us when we signed the station on. Jerry Turner introduced us who was the main news anchor at the time, and it was really exciting because the president of the university, and he and I sort of held hands if you will and flipped the switch together at the same time on the air. And it was really fun and fantastic. Maria Broom: Here’s what Steve sounded like on-air in the 70s. [Soundbite of WCVT break with Steve Curran] Steve Curran: That’s music from Phlorescent Leech and Eddie who are two former Turtles and members of Frank Zappa’s group, a tune off their first solo album, “Feel Older Now.” Before that Jim Price, and “You Gotta Move.” Manfred Mann in about four minutes with “Meat''

    42 min

  6. 02/23/2022

    The early days of radio in Charm City

    On the first episode of Wavelength: Baltimore’s Public Radio Journey, learn about the origins of radio in Baltimore. You’ll hear about a broadcast from a bedroom, a radio transmission from a train, and a station once owned by the King of Soul, James Brown. Correction: The audio at the beginning of the episode is a recreation of KDKA's first broadcast.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    17 min

  7. 02/21/2022

    Audio trailer

    Get a preview of what you'll hear on Wavelength: Baltimore's Public Radio Journey, a six-episode limited podcast series from Your Public Studios. Hosted by noted storyteller and actress Maria Broom, and featuring interviews and archival tape, the podcast will take listeners on a journey from public radio’s early days to now. Listeners will learn about the evolution of WYPR, WTMD, WEAA and WBJC, how the stations responded to major news stories, featured local and national musicians, and how they found their place in Baltimore’s current radio scene. Coming February 23, with new episodes the last Wednesday of the month. Learn more at yourpublicstudios.org See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min

  8. 02/16/2022

    Wavelength episode 1 sneak peek

    Enjoy this sneak peek of the first 2 minutes of the podcast. Wavelength: Baltimore's Public Radio Journey premieres February 23. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 min
  • 8 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Wavelength: Baltimore's Public Radio Journey is a six-episode limited podcast series from Your Public Studios. Hosted by noted storyteller and actress Maria Broom, and featuring interviews and archival tape, the podcast will take listeners on a journey from public radio’s early days to now. Listeners will learn about the evolution of WYPR, WTMD, WEAA and WBJC, how the stations responded to major news stories, featured local and national musicians, and how they found their place in Baltimore’s current radio scene.

Information

  • Creator
    WYPR 88.1 FM Baltimore
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean