Media Contact:
Neily Braren, Promotion & Marketing Associate
904.318.2633 • nbraren@wjct.org
WJCT Public Media to Celebrate Public Radio Music Day on October 25
Non-commercial music stations will highlight how they uplift and elevate local artists and communities through this commemorative celebration
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – October 25, 2023 – WJCT Public Media announced today that the station will participate in the fourth annual Public Radio Music Day on October 25. WJCT brings together non-commercial music stations, artists, and fans to recognize public radio’s essential community service and unique role in the music industry, locally and nationally. The occasion will be honored online and on-air by promoting local artists on 89.9 HD4 The Independent, the Jacksonville Music Experience’s (JME) flagship new-music discovery station.
“In developing JME’s music services, coverage of our local music scene continues to be a main pillar,” said Matt Shaw, Arts & Culture Editor for WJCT Public Media. “As we aim to provide a platform for folks to discover new music and a platform for Jacksonville-area artists to be discovered by a local and national audience, Public Radio Music Day is a reminder that our mission is shared nationally through a growing network of public radio stations.”
Each week, millions of listeners tune in to hundreds of local public radio music stations like WJCT 89.9 across America to discover, learn, and enjoy a mix of music selections, artists and genres that are only available on public radio. This year’s theme “Building Community Through Music” highlights the contributions public radio stations provide to music education, artist discovery and preservation to the local music culture.
To date, the Jacksonville Music Experience has featured the work of more than 150 local artists through jaxmusic.org’s Local Spotlight series and shared more than a dozen live performance videos of local acts through JME’s NPR Music Live Sessions page. And the JME team continues to add new local music to the rotation on the Independent 89.9HD4, where a song by a Jacksonville-area artist airs at 20-minutes after the hour, every hour.
WJCT Public Media is proud to be a part of Public Radio Music Day and will continue engaging music fans, artists, and musicians through on-air, studio sessions, fan and artist stories, special programming and curated playlists. On October 25, WJCT Public Media will join stations across the country in hosting special broadcasts and programming to connect their community with local musicians and artists; school music programs; and advocate for the continued support of public radio music stations.
WJCT Public Media will be participating through:
- New performance announcement
- New songs by local artists added to rotation on The Independent 89.9 HD4
- New locally focused content on jaxmusic.org
- Day-of coverage can be found at jaxmusic.org and PublicRadioMusicDay.org.
With public support, the Jacksonville Music Experience is able to bring nationally touring musicians to local venues beyond Public Radio Music Day. This January, JME Presents is bringing American-roots singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso Sunny War to the WJCT Soundstage. Her critically acclaimed album, Anarchist Gospel, has already been named one of the best albums of 2023 by Rolling Stone, Spin and Mojo. Details for Sunny War’s show can be found here.
Day-of coverage for Public Radio Music Day can be found at jaxmusic.org. More information about Public Radio Music Day and local events across the country is available at: PublicRadioMusicDay.org.
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About WJCT Public Media:
WJCT is the community-owned and operated public media organization serving Jacksonville and the First Coast since 1958, using television, radio, digital media, and live events to help community members learn, share, and grow. For more information on WJCT’s in-depth programming content, log on to WJCT Online at wjct.org. Like WJCT on Facebook (facebook.com/wjctjax) and follow WJCT on Twitter (@WJCTJax) and Instagram (@WJCTJax).
About Public Radio Music Day:
Public Radio Music Day is hosted by the noncomMUSIC Alliance and its partners. The noncomMUSIC Alliance celebrates nonprofit, local public radio’s role in connecting artists with the communities who enjoy and support their music. Established in 2018, the Alliance currently has more than 200 partner public radio music stations, all locally owned and operated, yet united by their shared values of music discovery, curation, preservation, performance, and community. To learn more about the noncomMUSIC Alliance, please visit noncomMUSIC.org.