Dear Editor:
It has been most troubling to me as an annual contributor, and to the many avid fans of WDUQ Radio (DUQ 90.5 FM), that this great station may be leaving the airways, at least in its present form.
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TIM STEVENS
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I listen to this station literally every morning, and usually at various times throughout the day. The blend of news and jazz has had tremendous appeal to me, and apparently to close to about 270,000 other fans of this media gem. I really can’t imagine not hearing the melodic voices of Tony Mowod and Bob Studebaker, as well the other excellent hosts such as Helen Wigger, bringing this community the sounds of this nation’s original art form, jazz!
This station has played more music by Pittsburgh artists than probably all of the other Pittsburgh stations COMBINED, something that I, as a Pittsburgh jazz vocalist and writer highly appreciates. Their on-air personalities promote area jazz at a level no other station can claim, including the weekly Pittsburgh Jazz Society performances and those at the Backstage Bar and other venues.
This support is extremely important not only to the art form itself, but also to the financial welfare of area clubs and restaurants and to the performing artists, both national and local, as well.
DUQ has been our key media sponsor for the Black Political Empowerment Project’s annual major jazz fundraiser, “B-PEP Jazz,” and is the most listened to radio station within the African-American community in the tri-state area. In addition, DUQ 90.5 FM is simply a quality station with award-winning coverage of local issues and award-winning special segments telling the story of Pittsburgh’s amazing jazz legacy, mixed with first rate national tellers of the news through NPR and great shows such as “Car Talk” and “Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me.
Pittsburgh Public Media wants to keep DUQ alive and well as we know it. I only hope that the area foundation community has the wisdom to support that effort with a strong and passionate commitment to the mix of “news, jazz and NPR”!
Tim Stevens
Jazz vocalist, Pittsburgh Jazz Society board member, chairman of the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP)
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