WEAA facts for kids

WEAA (88.9 FM) is a special radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. It's a non-profit station, which means it doesn't try to make money. WEAA is part of National Public Radio (NPR), which is a network of public radio stations across the United States.

This station is owned and run by Morgan State University, a well-known college in Baltimore. Its studios are right on the campus, where students can learn about radio. In 1999, Gavin Magazine even named WEAA the "Jazz Station of the Year"!

WEAA is known for having open and honest talks about important topics. While it's based at Morgan State, most of its team are not students. However, many students get to work there as interns and volunteers. This helps them learn valuable skills for a career in radio.

The History of WEAA Radio

WEAA first started broadcasting on January 10, 1977. It began as an educational station that didn't play commercials. Its first style of music was called "black progressive." This included many types of music by Black artists, like jazz, Caribbean music, gospel, blues, and soul.

The station also had a news team and educational shows. Some people say the letters WEAA stand for "We Educate African-Americans." The first program manager, Al Stewart, wanted the station to be both educational and fun. Students at Morgan State could get real experience gathering news, making public shows, and even being DJs.

When it first started, WEAA broadcast for 18 hours a day. They tried to be on air 24 hours a day for a short time. But they soon went back to their regular schedule, broadcasting from 6 AM to midnight, seven days a week.

Early Success and Famous Voices

Within a few months, WEAA became known for its great news coverage. Student reporters focused on events important to the Black community. They also covered news happening at the university. The news team even started winning awards for their stories! WEAA also covered college sports, like Morgan State football games.

The station quickly became good at raising money from its listeners. By 1979, they raised over $50,000 during a special fundraising event. This was more than they expected!

Many talented people who later became famous worked at WEAA.

• Kweisi Mfume was a program director at WEAA in the late 1970s. He also hosted a popular talk show. Later, he had a successful career in politics.
• April Ryan started at WEAA as a disc jockey. In the late 1980s, she began hosting a news program. She later became a well-known news reporter and political expert for CNN.
• Professional announcers also worked at WEAA. They helped mentor young students interested in radio. Larry Dean, a famous voice in Baltimore radio, helped start WEAA's news department. He was the news director for almost eight years.

What's On WEAA Today

WEAA offers many different shows. Some are made right at the station, and others come from other places.

Shows Made at WEAA

These are shows created by the WEAA team:

Public Affairs and Talk Shows

• Today with Dr. Kaye hosted by Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead
• The Marc Steiner Show hosted by Marc Steiner
• First Edition with journalist Sean Yoes
• Keep It Moving with Marsha Jews
• Wealthy Radio with Deborah Owens
• Urban Health Beat with Marilyn Harris-Davis
• The Anthony McCarthy Show with Anthony McCarthy
• Listen Up! and Final Call Radio with Farajii Muhammad
• The Caribbean Affair with Neil Mattei
• Africa and Worldbeat
• Briefcase Radio with Omar Muhammad
• The Ellison Report with political expert Charles D. Ellison
• The Rise of Charm City

Music Shows

• The Baltimore Blend hosted by Robert Shahid and Mykel Hunter
• The Hip Hop Chronicles hosted by Mike Nyce
• In the Groove and Cool Jazz Countdown with Marcellus Bassman Shepard
• The Audio Infusion with DJ Patrick Scientific and DJ Henry Da Man
• Reggae, Roots & Culture with Papa Wabe
• Cool Vibes For Your Midday with Sandi Mallory
• Fiesta Musical with Guillermo Brown
• In the Tradition with George Doc Manning
• Jazz Straight Ahead hosted by Eric Tegler and Jan Tegler
• Blues in the Night and Turning Back the Hands of Time with James Big Jim Staton
• The Friday Night Jazz Club with Angela Thorpe and DJ Phaze
• Strictly Hip Hop – this is Baltimore's longest-running underground hip-hop show, started in 1990.
• Gospel Grace

Shows from Other Networks

WEAA also broadcasts shows that are produced by other groups:

• Democracy NOW! with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales
• Jazz After Hours with Bob Parlocha
• Latino USA hosted by Maria Hinojosa

Past Shows on WEAA

Over the years, many other popular shows have been on WEAA, including:

• The Michael Eric Dyson Show (from 2010 to 2012)
• The Powers Report with Tyrone Powers (until 2007)
• Underground Experience with Oji Morris and Brian Pope (from 1989 to 2002)
• Sisters Circle with Nalonga Sayyed and Faraja Lewis
• Dialogue with the African-American Male with Richard Rowe and Earl El-Amin