What was WERD in Atlanta and why was it historically significant?
WERD was the first radio station in the United States owned and programmed by African Americans. It launched on the 3rd of October, 1949, in Atlanta, Georgia, on 860 AM.
Questions about WERD (Atlanta)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who founded WERD radio station in Atlanta?
Jesse B. Blayton Sr. founded WERD by purchasing the station in 1949 for $50,000. Blayton was an accountant, bank president, and professor at Atlanta University.
What was the connection between WERD and Martin Luther King Jr.?
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led by Martin Luther King Jr., had its headquarters in the same building as WERD, the Prince Hall Masonic Temple on Auburn Avenue. According to DJ Jack Gibson, King would tap the ceiling of the SCLC office with a broomstick to signal he had an announcement, and Gibson would lower a microphone from the studio window to King below.
How was WERD different from WDIA in Memphis?
WDIA in Memphis began Black-oriented programming in 1948 but was owned by white proprietors. WERD was distinct because it was owned and operated by African Americans, making it the first station of that kind in the United States.
Who was Jockey Jack Gibson at WERD?
Jack Gibson was a DJ hired by Jesse B. Blayton Sr., a friend from Chicago. By 1951, Gibson had become the most popular DJ in Atlanta.
What happened to the WERD callsign after Jesse Blayton sold the station?
Blayton sold WERD in 1968, and Ken Knight, the station's original Program Director, purchased the callsign and moved it to Jacksonville, Florida, where he renamed a station from WRHC to WERD. Knight held the callsign until his death in 1973, and the street outside that Jacksonville station was later named WERD Radio Drive.