WCLK listeners petition over new 'smooth jazz' format
The main concern is over celebrated WCLK jock Jamal Ahmad, who's internationally recognized S.O.U.L. of Jazz show is being smothered
- ALYSSA POINTER
- Jamal Ahmad
Yesterday, Atlanta jazz station 91.9 WCLK-FM introduced a new, softer jazz format that has plenty of its long-time listeners heated.
In an effort to boost its audience and garner more membership dollars, the non-commercial radio station attached to Clark Atlanta University has started pre-programming its playlist and narrowed it down from about 900 songs to 400 songs Monday-Friday, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution radio reporter Rodney Ho, who spoke to WCLK's general manager of the last 20 years, Wendy Williams.
"We're going to play what the listeners want," Williams told the AJC. But from the responses pouring into WCLK's Facebook page, a new Save our S.O.U.L. campaign Facebook page, and the Change.org online petition calling for the station's return to original DJ programming, smooth jazz is not going over so smoothly.
The main concern is over celebrated WCLK DJ and on-air personality Jamal Ahmad, who's S.O.U.L. of Jazz show has been a longtime listener favorite, recognized locally and internationally for its groundbreaking programming.
"Jamal Ahmad's show is one of the last bastion's on noncommercial music in the city of Atlanta," reads the first line of the petition, started by Creative Loafing contributor and publisher of Slo Mo magazine, Carlton Hargro.