Wendy S. Williams, the station’s general manager since 1994, stated, “I never thought it would happen, even though there have been calls to defund CPB for years.” In addition to our usual fundraising efforts, we must reorganize and figure out how to recover the funds.
Jason Getz is credited.
Jason Getz is credited.
Last year, WCLK commemorated its 50th anniversary on FM radio. Individual donations and corporate sponsorships provide for over half of the organization’s income. Approximately one-third of the funding comes from WCLK’s owner, Clark Atlanta University.
George T. French Jr., president of Clark Atlanta, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the university is actively supporting WCLK in addition to its current yearly contribution by collaborating with station leadership to find new funding sources and increase outreach initiatives.
According to him, WCLK is essential to Clark Atlanta University’s identity. We are dedicated to making sure it continues to succeed for the next fifty years and beyond, and it is a prime example of our dedication to culture, education, and community involvement.
[email protected] is credited.
[email protected] is credited.
For example, Williams stated that WCLK will begin applying for funds from philanthropic foundations, which is a route it has not previously pursued.
Prior to the CPB changes, the station’s budget for the next fiscal year was anticipated to be $2.2 million. In order to fully compensate for the loss of CPB funds, it intends to raise an additional $300,000 by the end of November. Williams expressed confidence that they would achieve their objective, which would enable them to continue employing 11 full-time and 12 part-time staff members.
Through CPB, which negotiates blanket music licenses for the whole public broadcasting system, WCLK also pays National Public Radio $30,000 for its website platform and music licensing fees, she said. This makes it possible for stations to play copyrighted music without having to sign separate licensing contracts with groups like ASCAP and BMI, which grant their members’ performance rights to companies and organizations that utilize music in public.
Williams stated that its present licenses expire at the end of 2025 and that he is uncertain of how WCLK would manage licensing in the absence of CPB assistance. We’re all in unfamiliar territory here, she replied.
Williams said that the station currently attracts roughly 100,000 unique listeners per month, down from 250,000 at its height, demonstrating that it is not immune to changing listening habits.
Alleged political bias against conservatives was the main reason Trump pushed Congress to reduce federal funding for public TV and radio stations. Stations like WCLK have suffered collateral damage, even though music was not the intended goal.
Approximately 1,500 member TV and radio stations across the country received $550 million annually from CPB prior to Congress rescinding the funds.
289 of those stations play music at least 75% of the time, according to a CPB representative.
While many of the stations in large cities will continue to operate, many rural TV and radio stations with less donor support may have to close or pool their resources, as WABE President Jennifer Dorian pointed out.
WABE may be tempted to discontinue its TV station, which has lower ratings than GPB’s, and GPB’s radio station, which has fewer listeners than WABE, even in Atlanta, which is home to two NPR news/talk stations and two PBS broadcast stations.
According to WABE, more than 1,000 contributors have contributed roughly $500,000 in the last week. This fall, the station is anticipated to lose $1.9 million in CPB funding.
RODNEY HO/[email protected] is credited.
RODNEY HO/[email protected] is credited.
Atlanta values free press, local stories, and local perspectives, as evidenced by the reaction to WABE’s call for action and donations, said spokesperson Sherri Daye Scott.
The president and CEO, Bert Wesley Huffman, stated in a statement that we have received a solid reaction from contributors since the revocation and are feeling hopeful, although GPB did not offer any specific donor information from the previous few days. GPB is constantly looking for methods to raise money, and even while we don’t currently have any particular campaigns going on, we are reminding people that supporting public media has a low barrier to entry.
He mentioned that 11 million Georgians use GPB’s services daily, and the organization has 90,000 donors around the state.
