NPR and PBS affiliate WABE is marking its 75th anniversary as a public broadcast service with new programming and by strengthening its commitment to local journalism.
WABE, a Rough Draft partner on several initiatives, has already announced a slate of new shows, including Atlanta Dream co-owner Renee Montgomery’s Saturday night talk show.
More new programming was announced this morning at a special event at The Carter Center.
WABE’s signature voices—Lois Reitzes of WABE City Lights with Lois Reitzes and Rose Scott of WABE Closer Look with Rose Scott —spoke to a crowd of more than 100 supporters and partners about WABE’s commitment to arts and culture programming as well as community engagement.
Alex Helmick, WABE Managing Editor, took the stage to tout WABE as one of the strongest newsrooms in the Southeast, bringin
WABE CEO Jennifer Dorian said amplifying arts, culture, and music, and ramping up independent, local journalism with a 25-strong newsroom, were taking the network into its next 75 years.
“We’re stronger than ever before,” Dorian said. “We’re at a higher budget, with stronger content. It’s a really exciting time.”
WABE Studios has multiple shows in development for TV and production is ramping up to grow the podcasting slate to 25 shows in 2024.
Here’s a look at what’s on the way:
VIDEO
- (re)Defining History series is in development for 2024. The pilot episode, “Uncovering the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre,” premieres on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS/Channel 30, then it will stream nationwide on wabe.org on Oct. 1.
- The Emmy-winning talk show Love & Respect with Killer Mike, which airs on more than 50% of PBS member stations across the country, will return for season 2.
- Atlanta on Film returns in early 2024 with nine new 2-hour episodes featuring films from more than two dozen Atlanta filmmakers, curated by the Atlanta Film Festival and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
- Music series Sounds Like ATL returns for a second season in January, featuring 20 Atlanta artists from a range of genres from hip hop and rock to country and R&B to classical. The show will be produced in a more intimate “unplugged” style in WABE’s Studio.
AUDIO
- WABE is the new broadcast home of radio legend Bill Nigut as he joins the AJC’s Politically Georgia cast of Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, and Tia Mitchell in a new daily radio political show. Listen to Politically Georgia live on 90.1, weekday mornings at 10, starting Oct. 30.
- The new series The Podcast Where They Read Stories will premiere this fall. The daily storytime show for our youngest listeners will feature notable Atlantans and local celebrities reading classic and contemporary children’s books. Each episode will also feature mini-explainers for vocabulary words, historical figures, or other big concepts that deserve a “story within the story.”
- In partnership with the Alliance Theatre, a podcast adapted from and inspired by the story and themes of an upcoming production.
- Podcast in development with local comedic duo Mark Kendall and Bill Worley of Cool Cool Cool Productions.
- Development of a local food show with top chef Max Hines of one of Atlanta’s hottest new restaurants, Breaker Breaker.
- WABE Studios recently announced new voices coming to the portfolio, including podcasts The Boom with Jewel Wicker, Wake Up & Create, Calls for Justice, and WABE 90.1 radio show Montgomery & Co. with Renee Montgomery, former WNBA champion and now part owner of the Atlanta Dream.