WBGO 88.3FM Newark (Newark Public Radio) is one of five nonprofit jazz radio stations that will receive funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) to participate in a program called the Jazz Media Lab, aimed at “bolstering their individual strength and collective resilience as essential players in the jazz ecosystem.” The other four stations are: WRTI Philadelphia (Temple University), KMHD Portland (Oregon Public Broadcasting), KNKX Tacoma/Seattle (Pacific Public Media), and KUVO Denver (Rocky Mountain Public Media.
Each station will receive grants of up to $275,000 over three years “to explore one or more of the program’s themes of engaging next-generation artists and audiences, maximizing the use of new media platforms and increasing revenues.” In announcing the grants, Maurine Knighton, DDCF Program Director, said, “Jazz radio plays an essential role in supporting the field of jazz, a vital art form with a rich history embedded in the fabric of this country and an exciting, evolving future.”