Slide show detailing Atlanta WABE Radio station

1. Public Broadcasting Atlanta
WABE 90.1 NPR
Jack Hudson

2. Background
● WABE 90.1 is a radio station that serves the greater Atlanta area, playing
classical tunes throughout the day with radio shows during commuting hours
providing local and national news.
● WABE was originally used as an educational tool by the Atlanta school
system. Some consider it one of the first non commercial radio stations in the
Southern United States
● In the 1980’s the school programs were moved to subchannels so the main
FM radio was opened up to public broadcasting
● It is currently ranked 7th in potential radio listeners on Arbitron
● They do news shows called Morning Edition and All Things Considered
● The station is part of National Public Radio

3. Vision Statement
● Vision Statement listed on WABE’s website
● “We believe that communication is the foundation of
civilization. It is the path by which knowledge,
understanding, discourse and values are achieved,
nurtured and passed down. We envision our
communities as informed, energetic, engaged and
with a pervasive sense of interconnectedness to
each other and to the world. And we believe that our
role as a trusted enabler of communication is
fundamental in building the beloved community to
which we aspire.”

4. Formal Mission
● The radio station is meant to be an enabler of local communication, informing
the community about things going on in the area.
● It serves as a way for members to be informed about local politics, local news,
and local events, leading to more engaged and informed community
members.
● The station also prides itself in providing entertainment for the community,
providing talk shows detailing unique perspectives and various gameshows.
● Mission Statement:
○ We serve community; we enhance life. We educate, entertain, empower. We
broaden perspectives, create joy, expand knowledge. And through our
endeavors, we connect people to each other and the world.

5. The Community
● The metro Atlanta area is home to over 5 million people, with the actual city
population being round 500,000.
● Atlanta dates back to the 1830’s when Georgia decided to build railroads
connecting the state with the midwest, Atlanta being its terminus (Originally it
was known as Terminus)
● The city is a little over 50% African American, 38% white, around 3% asian,
and 5% hispanic.
● Atlanta has historically housed the Democratic party in most of its elections
● The city has southern roots, seen in the architecture and art of the city.
However, these southern roots are often fazed out by the metropolitan
influences that govern many parts of the city.

6. Midtown Atlanta

7. Downtown Atlanta

8. Buckhead Atlanta

9. Strengthening of Local Community
● By providing efficient information about the local area and national news the
station creates informed citizens who engage with those around them and
make knowledgeable decisions.
● The station has a segment at the end of their shows where they inform
listeners about what is going on in the local area, whether that be local
festivals, concerts, or any other notable event in the area. This is a prime
example of technology promoting face to face interaction versus the typical
limitation.
● By doing pieces on unique stories, listeners gain different perspectives about
their community and those who live in it
○ A while ago they did a segment where they went around Atlanta recording audio that is unique
to the city. At one point they did the drum circle in the local park.

11. Barriers
● The medium of radio is a barrier in itself. The
technology is becoming outdated as smartphones
grow ever more popular. However, the
organization has created websites and apps that
allow their show to be heard on smartphones,
making it easier for people to listen to it anywhere.
● The program also struggles with reaching a wide
variety of people. It is labeled as a more liberal
station, so by default people of different political
mindsets do not tune in to it.
● The organization used to solely play classical
music but transitioned to more talk shows as time
went on, they lost some listeners due to the switch

12. Personal Reflection
● I enjoy listening to this radio station. It provides a wide variety of news stories
that cover many different ways of life in the Atlanta area. It provides details
about events going on in my neighborhood, it has many entertaining
segments, and it produces relevant content that keep the community
members informed.
● I think going forward the station needs to do a better job catering to people
who don’t have access to the required technology. They could possibly create
a newsletter or have representatives reach out to local schools to get the
brand out there.
● I don’t think the station should switch up their content, they cater to a diverse
metropolitan area so if they switched up what they reported they may lose a
significant amount of listeners.

13. Evidence of Effectiveness
● The evidence I see of the influence the station has on individuals is mainly
from personal experience. Throughout the Atlanta area you will see cars with
stickers that say WABE radio or people with signs saying they donate to the
station.
● You can also see the evidence in the length of time the station has been
relevant. After being formed in the 1980’s it has remained a consistent force
in the Atlanta community, at times struggling to keep funding but always
finding a way thanks to the many supporters in the city.

14. Atlanta political strategist Fred Hicks on WABE

15. Websites to Visit
https://www.wabe.org/shows/atlanta-sounds/stories/3/
○ Website detailing “Baton Bob”
https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/261846637/wabe/?hl=en
○ Instagram for WABE
https://www.wabe.org/
○ Homepage for WABE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuXhgKAb-mw