Hip- hop andR&B have found a new home on Baton Rouges new radio station WTQT FM 94.9the Underground. This station focused on changing its image for the past threeweeks and is taking Baton Rouge by storm.
“Now we aretrying to attack Baton Rouge and do what a lot of people don’t do for thelocals here,” said Moe-P, program director and office manager for 94.9. Thispublic radio station is black-owned and operated.
“Nobody cantell us what to do, we do what is right and what we feel is right, things likecorporate sponsorship does not make our station move,” Moe-P said.
According toMoe-P there is no competition in Baton Rouge, but he does think 94.9 can becompared to any station in the area including Max 94.1
“We are thefirst people to actually come up and give an honest effort to compete, becausethey are a large broadcasting company,” said Earl Alston a DJ for 94.9 theUnderground and a Southern student.
Within thenext year they plan to widen their broadcasting area.
“We want ourstation to be about the people,” Moe-P said. “If we have an artist that has arecord, we give it a shot at our station. And we know everybody can’t getplayed, but we give it a shot.”
According toMoe P the request line rings 70 to 100 times in one show.
“We getcalls and we put on what you want to hear,” he said.
JahkeemJohnson a junior business management major from St. Louis, listens to CDs mostof the time, but says he may listen to the radio more, because it is a newstation.
“I willprobably listen to the radio now that there is another station in Baton Rouge,because I like some of the music around here and I don’t know where to gettheir CD’s,” Johnson said.
The growingradio station will soon welcome people who are interested in broadcastjournalism to grow with them.
“We are opening up a door for a channeland creating an internship program,” Moe-P said.
