Universal Localism: WWOZ Community Radio, 1980-2006

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-26-2020

Department

Mass Communication and Journalism

School

Communication

Abstract

As one of the nation’s best-known community radio stations, New Orleans-based WWOZ-FM is a prime example of how the cultural characteristics of a locale can achieve universal relevance, redefining traditional notions of community while working to establish financial solvency. This examination focuses on the station’s history relative to technological changes (especially the introduction of online streaming), explaining the capability of highly localized nonprofit radio stations to redefine traditional perceptions of “sense of place” and showing how online streaming can support the evolution of geographic locations into psychographically and emotionally bound communities. Moreover, this study of WWOZ explains the ways local content and technology combine to create a worldwide local community that can maintain, preserve, and promote localized culturally relevant music and cultural ideas.

Publication Title

Journalism History

Volume

46

Issue

1

First Page

1

Last Page

15

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