By Robert M. Sarwark
On the afternoon of Saturday, July 13, volunteer staff and supporters of community-radio stalwarts 89.3 WRFG-FM convened at the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 3204 union hall on Logan Street in Grant Park. The diverse crowd was there to celebrate the station’s 51 years of grassroots community radio in Atlanta.
Though WRFG broadcasts out of studios in the Little Five Points Community Center on Austin Avenue, the bonds with the local CWA chapter and the labor movement in general run deep, president of WRFG’s board Dianne Mathiowetz reported. In addition, some of the station’s volunteers live in The Porch Press’ coverage area (NPU-W); our two community-media outlets have for many years been considered kin, occasionally even sharing volunteers.
July 13’s event featured awards for various “airshifters” (RFG’s general name for its DJs and talk-show hosts), organic food, station-history trivia, and furthermore fellowship among the station’s many loyal associates, past and present.
WRFG (“Radio Free Georgia”) officially took to the airwaves on July 30, 1973 and began broadcasting 24/7 in 1982. The station bills itself as “Atlanta’s community radio station, an independent, listener-supported, nonprofit media outlet for local musicians, artists, community voices, and progressive ideas for over four decades.”
The station’s (and Atlanta’s!) longest-running show is “Fox’s Minstrel Show,” hosted by airshifter Harlon Joye since the very beginning. On Sundays from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, Joye, originally from Orangeburg, SC, spins folk, blues, rock, and Americana, interspersed with pointed commentary and reflections on both current events and history. Joye was also one of the founders of the station itself back in the early 1970s.
Airshifter Dazon Dixon Diallo has hosted the public-affairs talk show “Sister’s Time/Women Speak” (Thursdays from 6:00pm to 7:00pm) since 1993. She had first gotten involved as a support volunteer ten years earlier. “It’s an absolute joy,” she said of her time at the station. “[This is] what liberation can look like. It’s accessible and sustainable.” Referring to the people of many backgrounds present at the anniversary party, she underscored that the station’s diversity comes from its mission. That mission is to provide “a voice for those who have been traditionally denied open access to the broadcast media through the involvement of a broad base of community elements to guarantee that access.”
Asked about her favorite thing about WRFG, President Mathiowetz replied, “The character of each person. The stories are different, they’re complex, they’re praiseworthy, they’re inspiring.” In addition to her leadership role, Mathiowetz also hosts “Labor Forum” on Mondays from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. She is a retired union autoworker and, as it happens, also a longtime resident of Ormewood Park.
Tune in to WRFG on your FM dial to 89.3 or go to www.wrfg.org for more information on the station’s schedule, history, mission, and more.
