[grc] Fwd: Early History of WRFG

Sat May 2 21:09:25 PDT 2015

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Just Peace Program <heather at wrfg.org>
Date: Fri, May 1, 2015 at 7:56 AM
Subject: Early History of WRFG
To: wings at wings.org

*
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NKywn58Lge2vtIYjOw_QWDqi3WF3Xy9-ZUXRwGe3hC038hPQqRsAY4NipoRZinbJCymWULqzkpzoFDwWJGHjBmrnnJ_gXcbZ0iL7HH4-YPPSNzUL3PrRHG-iZ-DiiObKeHZHz5M7qoy40vrJa4O3aTrCPuTEURVn&c=-4EuA_Q0HeVFkrlC7htoYrBJj9yBKE8a0grnIw-3R-rwL3Xp4R2ynA==&ch=wj-enA-_EmMEAt4WfP-M7AZfoUeoHqnXbjeJTBLQ28a5aoAMUdHlmQ==>
Just Peace *
*M**o**ndays, 6pm - 7pm EST ----- WRFG-Atlanta 89.3 FM*
www.wrfg.org
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NKywn58Lge2vtIYjOw_QWDqi3WF3Xy9-ZUXRwGe3hC038hPQqRsAY4NipoRZinbJCymWULqzkpzoFDwWJGHjBmrnnJ_gXcbZ0iL7HH4-YPPSNzUL3PrRHG-iZ-DiiObKeHZHz5M7qoy40vrJa4O3aTrCPuTEURVn&c=-4EuA_Q0HeVFkrlC7htoYrBJj9yBKE8a0grnIw-3R-rwL3Xp4R2ynA==&ch=wj-enA-_EmMEAt4WfP-M7AZfoUeoHqnXbjeJTBLQ28a5aoAMUdHlmQ==>

*WRFG's History In Progress: an interview with Harlon JoyeSave WRFG
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NKywn58Lge2vtIYjOw_QWDqi3WF3Xy9-ZUXRwGe3hC038hPQqRsAY9R_1-higzGM7cyZb2fZMm_P9ZQA2UsBkyROdkpBQfc59lsQhBFDjN4au0b8PVfj63_CC36ZhgIJ4bz7MsqTwLPVfpBag7WXFKBWwMMSy7YIfjRpFK6G1Ys=&c=-4EuA_Q0HeVFkrlC7htoYrBJj9yBKE8a0grnIw-3R-rwL3Xp4R2ynA==&ch=wj-enA-_EmMEAt4WfP-M7AZfoUeoHqnXbjeJTBLQ28a5aoAMUdHlmQ==>*

*By Heather Gray Producer, WRFG's " Just Peace" *

*WRFG Board Member*

*(interview in July 1993 - *

*edited February 2002)*

 Harlon Joye*From WRFG's Volunteer Manual:* *WRFG is opposed to those
forces in our lives that dehumanize and oppress people, especially economic
exploitation, racism, sexism, militarism, and anti-foreign/anti-immigrant
chauvinism.*

*From WRFG's Articles of Incorporation*: *(WRFG provides a voice for) those
who suffer oppression or exploitation based upon class, race, sex, age,
creed, national origin or immigrant status.*

*General Programming Policy in WRFG's by-laws:* *WRFG is a
community-oriented, educational, alternative medium and our programming
must reflect this. We are for those alternatives that uplift human dignity
and give people more control over their lives. WRFG is opposed to those
forces in our lives that dehumanize and oppress people, especially economic
exploitation, racism, sexism, militarism and anti-foreign/anti-immigrant
chauvinism.*

*Note:* *In the mid-60's Harlon and Barbara Joye moved to Atlanta from New
York. As political activists they began to explore radio as an outreach
tool for social change and to utilize cultural expressions as a means to
expand the movement for economic and social justice. The following is an
interview I conducted with Harlon in 1993. As inferred in the title, it
should be considered a "history in progress" as there is much in this
interview that can and should be expounded upon. Here, thanks to Harlon, we
are provided with an overall summary of the station's founding along with
the early formulation of its mission.The station has a rich history and to
understand where we are going, as the sages would tell us, I think we need
to understand where we've been. This is but a part of that rich history.*

*WRFG: A Voice for Change*

*Heather:* As a founding member of the station, tell us what the founding
group was like? How did we end up with WRFG?

*Harlon*: In 1966, shortly after Barbara and I first came down here from
New York, we talked about the possibility of a radio station. In fact, we
had talked with somebody at WBAI in New York who knew of someone in Atlanta
who was willing to give money to start a station here - but the person died
when we were in the discussion stage. In the meantime, there was no
worthwhile radio station in Atlanta. While our ideas were in the inception
stage, Jeremy Landsman and Lorenzo Milam (radio activists) in St. Louis
were concerned about the fact the universities and church groups around the
country were taking virtually all the available frequencies. At that time,
besides the three Pacifica stations in New York, Los Angeles and San
Francisco, there were only about 4 other community (free form) stations in
the country.

Jeremy and Lorenzo decided to grab frequencies in various cities and they
sent out people to explore these possibilities from St. Louis to
Birmingham, New Orleans, Miami and Atlanta. They had letters from a
foundation in California that promised a limited amount of money to get
stations started. They sent a guy to Atlanta named Tom, who set up a
corporation and named it Radio Free Georgia. The corporation was Tom, his
wife and a lawyer named Michael Padnos who did the papers for him.

Then Connors went to the "Great Speckled Bird" (a left-leaning grassroots
paper in Atlanta at the time), met Barbara and she wrote the first article
about Radio Free Georgia for the "Bird". After that, a lot of people came
together to help develop WRFG - mostly "Bird" types and "left" people who
we knew, including Reba Bolt, an attorney with the ACLU; Tim Hayes, who had
just left the Black Panthers; Steve Wise, and others.

Most of us knew about WBAI in New York, which was a model for us. We
explored various models, however. We thought at first WRFG should be like
the "Great Speckled Bird" - free form - and we tried to set it up that way.
We didn't have any idea that the FCC would have problems with that sort of
thing so that idea soon fell apart. Then John and Beth Miller came down
from St. Louis where they had been in a radio internship.

Barbara, John and Beth got together and started developing an
infrastructure for WRFG. We got our construction permit...and then we had a
permit for a 10 watt station and no money. We started having community
meetings to discuss WRFG. Tom Connors wanted to open the station over in
the Piedmont Park area, which was still strongly identified as the "hippie"
area, but we decided against that. Times were tense then. Tom would go over
to John's while he was cooking dinner and start a row. John ended up in the
hospital twice with stomach problems.

Our first engineer was Jim Trip and 'Lord' was he country...red haired, pot
bellied, young. He did know engineering! Jim had never shaken hands with a
Black person until he came to the station. He called women "chicks." But
Jim got involved...started learning...and we started building the station.

Then, we started getting in some money. John Jacobs who was involved gave
us some money from an inheritance. One of the lesbians in town, who also
got an inheritance, gave us about $3,000. We got some money from Stan
Levinson - who was one of the folks red-baited with Martin Luther King, Jr.
- and Carol Bernstein from New York gave us money.

I was the first station manager and at one point was 26 weeks without pay,
which was $50 a week.

At first, we had organizing meetings every week and ultimately had about 30
to 40 people at every Wednesday night meeting. All sorts of folks came.
Larry Lee came because he was interested in Blue Grass. Soon we had Joe
Shifalo attending along with Ebon Dooley, Linda Carlson and Bert Seigel,
who was the Executive Director of the Georgia Branch of the American Jewish
Congress.

We got our construction permit in the very beginning of 1972. Jim Tripp
found out about a transmitter in Ohio. So, we sent a truck up there. The
transmitter was in 2 pieces - each bigger than a refrigerator and each
about 1,000 pounds. It was in an old barn stuffed with hay. We had to wipe
the hay off the transmitter.

We brought the transmitter to Atlanta and unloaded it into the building
where Tapitios is now (on Euclid across from Bass High School). Roger and
Delores French were a part of WRFG then. Roger had been in the navy and had
heard about WRFG from the "Bird". I remember when we were first wiring,
Tripp said to Roger, "Cut them wires, there." Roger said, "They're not live
are they?" And Tripp said, "No, they're not live." So, Roger cut through
220 volts of live wires. Luckily the insulation was good and Roger wasn't
hurt but it sure burned a hole in the cutters.

We got carpeting they were throwing out from the old Marriott. We got
paneling from West Lumber Company. We got the cheapest control board
possible.

For the antennae, we were told by folks in St. Louis that we could actually
make a transmitting antennae using equipment from Radio Shack and a pipe.
So we built our own antennae - it was about 40 feet long. We managed to get
a contract with WQXI (Channel 11) to place the antennae on their tower. We
took the antennae over on the top of a car late at night to WQXI's tower.
To install it we had to hire a company, which cost us about $700 bucks.

Well, we finally got the antennae up and we were on the air and nobody
could hear us. You practically had to be under the tower to hear us. Ten
watts in a city doesn't mean anything. With ten watts in a flat rural area,
however, you can be heard from some distance.

The station's first program guide was printed in the "Bird". I did the
"Fox's Minstrel Show". We did "Inside Out" with Faye Bellamy. Larry did the
"Bluegrass Special". Shifalo was doing a folk music program. Bert Seigel
was doing a mixed program. Gene Ferguson had the first "blues" program. I
was on from 12:00 AM to 4:00 AM in the morning on Fridays at that time. We
also had a good number of gay women at the station at the very beginning.

We put the production room in quickly and rented it out almost immediately
to a guy who did a jazz program. We needed the money. We used to have
back-yard benefits outside the back of Tapitios. That was when the Last
Great Jive Ass Jug Band started.

Then, we found out we had to set up an advisory committee. When I went to
New York to talk with people about WRFG - like those at WBAI, Stan
Levinson, union people, Carol Bernstein - the only question they asked was
"What does Julian Bond think about it?" So we set up an advisory committee
including Julian Bond, John Lewis, Panke Bradley, George Esser (who was
director of the Southern Regional Council at the time), folks from senior
citizens groups, Quakers, Shelby Collum from the Gay Liberation Front,
Andrew Young and Nan Pendergrast. Aside from the advisory committee,
ultimately people like Jean Young and Michael Lomax were on the board and
active members.

We were constantly told there was no way WRFG would succeed in Atlanta...
every day I was told that for a year and sometimes 10 to 15 times a day. I
recall that Tim and I went to speak at one of Clark/Atlanta's communication
classes and were told, "There's no way that kind of station can succeed in
Atlanta."

*Heather:* Why did they say that?

*Harlon:* For two reasons - the same kind of thing you hear now. You have
to do the same kind of thing all the time over the air or people won't
listen. The other reason was, and even more of an issue, that the people
who were really interested and excited about the station were from San
Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis and New York. They came from cities that
already had a station like WRFG and understood the concept and the Atlanta
community viewed them as outsiders.

*Atlanta's Police Department Red-Baits WRFG *

*(Note: When WRFG was given permission to go up to 3,000 watts early in
1977, the Subversive Control Unit of the Atlanta Police Department, headed
by John Inman, went to Channel 11 and essentially told them to revoke the
contract with WRFG. Channel 11 did exactly that. The police claimed that
the station was filled with Trotskyites, Communist Party members,
Weathermen, homosexuals, Black Panthers and dopesmokers. Larry Lee, WRFG's
lawyer at the time, said Channel 11's action was illegal and in clear
violation of the contract. WRFG's board sued Channel 11 and won, receiving
about $30,000 of which the station secured approximately $12,000 after
legal fees. Harlon Joye was particularly targeted by the police during this
period.) *

*Heather:* How were you targeted by the police in the late 70's, Harlon?

*Harlon*: This was the time when the Atlanta Police Department had a list
of the 10 most dangerous radical "hives of activity" in the city and one of
them was the "Peoples Place" in Little Five Points. The Red Squad called
their attorney who happened to be in the same firm as our attorney. Because
of that we knew what the Red Squad was saying about WRFG as well. We taped
what our attorney said about this. The tape later disappeared. Larry (our
attorney) will tell you that at one point he was at an Episcopal Charity
and the guard was a former member of the Red Squad. In the conversation,
WRFG came up and he said, "Ya'll wouldn't have any trouble if you got rid
of Harlon Joye." He said they had an affidavit from Tom Connors saying that
I was a known dope dealer on the strip and carried a pistol at all times.
That scared the 'shit' out of me. We had a robbery at our house one time
that I knew was related to this. What the fellow was looking for by going
through my desk drawers indicated it was not a normal theft. There were
some strange things going on then.

*Some Early Fundraising *

*Harlon:* We did the egg roll booth during the Piedmont Arts Festival. It
was one of our major fundraisers. The last year we did that we brought in a
net of $11,000.

*Heather:* And then ultimately the Arts Festival stopped allowing
non-profits to raise money. Outrageous!

*Harlon:* The Egg Roll Booth at the Piedmont Arts Festival started small.
At first we had frozen egg rolls and by the time we finished doing this,
after about 7 or 8 years, we had professional cookers. We probably had the
cheesiest looking booth out there but we had a booth - it could be put
together, taken apart, and put up again the next year. We had people out
there selling egg rolls for the whole festival.

*Overview of WRFG's Role In Atlanta *

*Heather:* Does the history of WRFG reflect the progressive history of
Atlanta?

*Harlon:* Yes, I think it does. There was an active left community at the
time that was directly involved.

*Heather:* Were a lot of the early WRFG folks from the anti-war and civil
rights movement?

*Harlon:* Yes.

*Heather:* Why did Julian Bond or John Lewis have an interest in WRFG?

*Harlon:* Because they saw it as a voice that would be giving a political
slant that other radio stations were not providing - we went to folks with
that concept. When any political person was in town we'd interview them. We
had all kinds of community programs...the Kirkwood Community Program, the
Cabbagetown Program, the Pittsburgh Community Program. We had old age
programming. We had a lot more political programming earlier than we have
today.

We made a definite attempt to have each of these residential and basically
poor communities on the radio once a month. We sent people out with
equipment for interviews or to record community meetings or we brought
people into the station for interviews. We'd interview leaders like Louise
Watley and Ethel Mae Matthews. If we'd had resources, our goal would have
been to have these programs on the air once a day and from30 or 25
different communities.

*Heather:* Is it still important to do that kind of programming? To go out
to various communities and record meetings? This model could and should be
used today?

*Harlon:* Yes, I think it is important. We're doing some of that today but
a lot less.

WRFG has had an impact on Atlanta's radio because it encouraged opening up
the airways for music, We served as a catalyst for a variety of music on
other radio stations such as WREK and WCLK which were not airing a
diversity of music.

Politically, we've also had an impact, but it's hard to gauge that. In the
1980's, the work we did around the Atlanta Federal Prison riots had quite
an impact - we received national recognition for that. The Cuban prisoners
would talk to us because they knew the station. Ernesto was from Cuba and
the Cuban inmates would listen to his Latin program on WRFG. But you'd have
to talk with both sides. Some thought that the role we played was too
conservative.

*(Note: When the Cuban "boat" prisoners at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary
rioted because of prison conditions and their "limbo" political status in
the United States, they informed the officials that WRFG was one of the
only [if not the single most] community organization they trusted. As a
result, major media and other groups often needed to work through WRFG to
negotiate with the inmates. Also, under the auspices of WRFG we provided
the opportunity for family members and the Cuban prisoners to talk with
each other. We received national attention for our critical role in the
crisis. Virtually every evening during this crisis, WRFG's Gary Washington
went to the prison area and interviewed people in the community - often
doing a live feed.)*

The "Living Atlanta Series" had an impact. The National Endowment for the
Humanities called it a prototype in two of its yearly reports.

*(Note: This remarkable series of interviews documenting Atlanta's racial
and economic history is now held by libraries across the country. It was
also published as a book by the University of Georgia Press. Harlon took
the lead in this important project.)*

*WRFG's Mission*

*Heather:* Harlon, how did the early founders conceptualize the station's
mission?

*Harlon:* We were of the opinion that the station should be a political
entity with music, which means innovation. It means imagination. It's the
way information and music are presented along with the type of message
that's critical in order the break the commercial mode and rigidity of
thinking that comes out of public radio and public TV, certainly in today's
market.

*Heather:* When the station first started, I'm sure the early organizers
had lengthy discussions about what they hoped the station would accomplish.

*Harlon:* Oh, yes! A lot of our early discussions about the station were
political. We talked about whether the station would be like a "soap box" -
open to everyone - but we decided it shouldn't be 'that" open. We decided
that not only would we not be there for the Klan, we would not be there for
Georgia Power or the corporations. We decided we would be there for
people...and not just those who were denied access to the airways...but for
those who are denied access to the airways from a left perspective. For
example, we didn't want white supremacists on the air - and we didn't let
them on WRFG. A lot of people participated in these discussions and
ultimately we developed a position paper.

*Heather:* How would you characterize your program, the "Fox's Minstrel
Show", and how it is in keeping with the station's mission?

*Harlon:* I attempt to do several things. First of all, I think mixed music
is important. I think radio stations and programs shouldn't be all the same
type music.

Heather: Do you think hearing different kinds of music is more stimulating?

*Harlon:* I think it's more stimulating. I think it's more interesting.
There are very few types of music I can listen to for a whole hour...the
same type of music coming into my face... without getting bored.

One of the best ways to get people to pay attention to political things is
through music. With music incorporated into political programs listeners
are not hearing a long heavy narrative without something cultural to go
along with it. I try every week to have 2 or 3 sections on political issues
through music.

*Heather:* What are some of the other roles the station plays?

*Harlon:* We provide community information. Right now if you needed to know
what was happening this week you can find out at WRFG. You could find out
something about protests against the Olympics, pickets going on in terms of
labor. What other protests are going on here and there and what they're
about. The station is a sounding board in that sense.

Plus, we bring to the air "left" opinions of all types, as well as a
diversity of cultural information you wouldn't hear anywhere else.

*Heather:* What we're talking about really is a genuine alternative.

*Harlon:* Yes.

*Heather:* Harlon, the movement for justice in the country and the world
continues to change, and the issues become more diffuse and not as clear
cut as they used to be - i.e. the civil rights movement and Jim Crow laws,
the anti-war movement. Some would say the problems today might be
considered even worse than before. Some say that given U.S. economic or
capitalist expansion that the station should get in line with the times.
Given those varied opinions, do you think the mission of the station should
remain the same? We should still provide a progressive voice for social
change?

*Harlon:* Yes, otherwise what's the use of WRFG?

Also, if we lost WRFG, it could never happen again. I think regardless of
whatever anybody's agenda is at WRFG they're aware of that. "The Great
Speckled Bird" could start again tomorrow. All you need is a press and some
money. That's all you need - it might not work but you can try it. If WRFG
disappears you can't try it again because the frequency would be gone and
there are no other frequencies.

*Acknowledgements: I consider this to be but a start of WRFG's remarkable
history and documentation of its contribution to the Atlanta community. In
addition to Harlon, Boyd Lewis, Roger French, Abdul Mannon, Ebon Dooley,
Joe Shifalo, and Faye Bellamy also provided valuable information about the
station's history.*

*Please consider donating to WRFG
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NKywn58Lge2vtIYjOw_QWDqi3WF3Xy9-ZUXRwGe3hC038hPQqRsAY9R_1-higzGM7cyZb2fZMm_P9ZQA2UsBkyROdkpBQfc59lsQhBFDjN4au0b8PVfj63_CC36ZhgIJ4bz7MsqTwLPVfpBag7WXFKBWwMMSy7YIfjRpFK6G1Ys=&c=-4EuA_Q0HeVFkrlC7htoYrBJj9yBKE8a0grnIw-3R-rwL3Xp4R2ynA==&ch=wj-enA-_EmMEAt4WfP-M7AZfoUeoHqnXbjeJTBLQ28a5aoAMUdHlmQ==>to
insure we remain  *
*strong in the 21rst Century. We thank you in advance! *

<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001NKywn58Lge2vtIYjOw_QWDqi3WF3Xy9-ZUXRwGe3hC038hPQqRsAY4NipoRZinbJCymWULqzkpzoFDwWJGHjBmrnnJ_gXcbZ0iL7HH4-YPPSNzUL3PrRHG-iZ-DiiObKeHZHz5M7qoy40vrJa4O3aTrCPuTEURVn&c=-4EuA_Q0HeVFkrlC7htoYrBJj9yBKE8a0grnIw-3R-rwL3Xp4R2ynA==&ch=wj-enA-_EmMEAt4WfP-M7AZfoUeoHqnXbjeJTBLQ28a5aoAMUdHlmQ==>

*General Programming Policy in WRFG's by-laws*: *WRFG is a
community-oriented, educational, alternative medium and our programming
must reflect this. We are for those alternatives that uplift human dignity
and give people more control over their lives. WRFG is opposed to those
forces in our lives that dehumanize and oppress people, especially economic
exploitation, racism, sexism, militarism and anti-foreign/anti-immigrant
chauvinism.*

              Forward this email
<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=goyxpfjab&m=1109359583686&ea=wings%40wings.org&a=1120925955321>
<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001zdwHf6BgJ7iFmzNJN-OUtA%3D%3D&ch=646d1870-7bc2-11e3-b8c5-d4ae527548e1&ca=df5bfe7f-cbaf-4ad8-95f3-e70fd42eefba>

This email was sent to wings at wings.org by heather at wrfg.org |
Update Profile/Email Address
<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001zdwHf6BgJ7iFmzNJN-OUtA%3D%3D&ch=646d1870-7bc2-11e3-b8c5-d4ae527548e1&ca=df5bfe7f-cbaf-4ad8-95f3-e70fd42eefba>
| Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe
<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001zdwHf6BgJ7iFmzNJN-OUtA%3D%3D&ch=646d1870-7bc2-11e3-b8c5-d4ae527548e1&ca=df5bfe7f-cbaf-4ad8-95f3-e70fd42eefba>™
| Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>.
<http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEM_Basic_209>

Just Peace Program | 1083 Austin Avenue | Atlanta | GA | 30307

-- 
Frieda Werden, Series Producer
WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service www.wings.org