Atlanta’s WERD, the first radio station owned and programmed by African Americans, is set to make a comeback.
After being closed for many years, the National Black Radio Hall of Fame Atlanta Chapter is reopening WERD, which still exists at its birth location, as a historical museum. The facility will undergo renovations before opening its doors to the public.
Jesse B. Blayton Sr., an accountant and entrepreneur, purchased WERD in 1949 for $50,000. He changed the station’s format to “Black appeal” and hired his son, Jesse Jr., as station manager.
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