New WBGO president takes reins amid racial reckoning at historic jazz station
Updated Jan 26, 2021;
For Steve Williams, the public media veteran tapped to helm Newark’s cultural crown jewel, the legendary jazz station WBGO, stepping into the president’s chair represents the challenge of his lifetime.
Embroiled in controversy for the last few years over issues of diversity and accessibility, WBGO is at a critical inflection point, fighting for relevance and the support of its community, long considered the station’s lifeblood.
While he appreciates the task of commanding a decades-old cultural institution, what The New York Times calls “arguably the best jazz station in the world,” Williams doesn’t see it as a burden to shoulder.