Statement of Principles from the WWOZ Board of Directors

WWOZ, New Orleans’ community jazz and heritage station, has grown exponentially since our founding in 1980, thanks to talented and dedicated employees, a legion of incredible volunteers, visionary leadership at the station and support throughout our community.

Until 2005, WWOZ was a three-room, four employee operation. Under the leadership of David Freedman, we’ve grown to approximately 24 full time staff members and over 600 volunteers, all dedicated to “guarding the groove.” We have been recognized by magazines from Esquire to Rolling Stone as the greatest station in the nation, and by the Library of Congress who selected WWOZ to be the first public radio station in America to have its incredible archives digitized by the Library of Congress to help preserve our unique musical and cultural heritage.

WWOZ has led the way to digital, bringing the world along as they listened to and appreciated our music. We were one of the first stations to stream our programming, way back in 1995. We were the first in Louisiana to broadcast in HD radio. The first in New Orleans to use digital telephone lines for our many broadcasts from festivals, clubs and the streets.

The world of radio has grown beyond a little box with knobs in your home or in your car. WWOZ now has in place even more ways to connect audiences with our music and culture. Our new video and digital media capabilities are built to serve the same purposes that WWOZ has had held since its inception. The goal is a community volunteer-based service that gives audiences as many ways as possible to experience the sounds and culture of New Orleans.

All of this growth means a WWOZ that is stronger and has more support than ever. With a continued devotion to localism and the volunteer-based programming and a focus on the music, culture and people of New Orleans and our region, we now also serve thousands of people nationally and internationally. They come to WWOZ because we ARE New Orleans – preserving that voice, our connection to the community, serving our vital local audiences.

We have a duty to protect that voice, running what has become a larger organization reaching more and more people in a professional way while maintaining the vital soul of our beloved community station. There is no change in what the station represents, station ownership or the format. The station’s mission has been and always will be to be the worldwide voice, archive, and flag-bearer of New Orleans culture and musical heritage.

To be clear: the mission of this community based radio station is – and will continue to be – paramount. WWOZ as “Guardian of the Groove” is here to stay. And not only are we Guardians, we are also evangelists for the traditions and culture of our city and its music.

Recently, our long-time program director, Dwayne Breashears, announced his resignation. Without question we lose a phenomenal person and resource with his exit. WWOZ has been fortunate to have him for 25 years, and he will always be a part of the WWOZ family, a guardian of the groove. We wish him nothing but the best.

As part of aligning our organization for the future, we have recently added Arthur Cohen as Chief Operating Officer and Pamela Wood as Chief Development Officer to our dedicated staff. We are lucky that, as the station has grown, we have been able to continue to attract talent worthy and respectful of our mission, our model of volunteer drive programming and our success. Both bring a deep love of and connection to our music and the culture(s) of New Orleans to the job, and we look forward to the community getting to know them as they support all that makes WWOZ the collaborative cultural icon that it is, and lead us into the future.

We believe that they will be strong stewards of the confidence and contributions of all who make WWOZ great, and we hope that you will join us in giving them a warm New Orleans welcome.

And, again, WWOZ has always been committed to being the voice of New Orleans rich music, and will always be. Thank you for being part of the journey, and keep tuning in!