Savannah State University’s WHCJ-FM (90.3 FM) is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. The university will host an open house and celebration on Thursday, October 23, 2025, from noon to 5 p.m. as part of its Homecoming Week. The event is open to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the public, and will feature light refreshments and an opportunity to reflect on the station’s history.
Grace Curry, WHCJ-FM Station Manager, stated, “For 50 years, WHCJ has been the voice of Savannah State University, serving as a cultural cornerstone for Savannah State and the greater Savannah community. This anniversary is not just a celebration of our success, but a recognition of the enduring power of college and public radio to connect, educate, and inspire. We are thrilled to open our doors and share this special day with everyone who has been a part of our journey.”
As part of the celebration, the HBCU Radio Preservation Project (HBCU RPP) will return over 250 hours of digitized audio from WHCJ’s archives. These materials include unique and original programs that aired on the station. Since partnering with WHCJ as one of its five pilot stations in 2022, the HBCU RPP has collected 384 audio artifacts.
Jocelyn Robinson, founding director of the HBCU RPP, said, “the digitized audio from WHCJ preserves the sounds of the community served since the station went on the air. The rich history of WHCJ is also reflected in seven oral history interviews we conducted with individuals with deep and long-standing ties to WHCJ. We are thrilled to be returning these materials to WHCJ and Savannah State University because this audio represents an important part of Georgia’s diverse and dynamic history. And it further ensures that the state’s Black and HBCU radio history will not be lost to the impact of time.”
WCHJ-FM was first licensed in 1975 under then-President Dr. Prince A. Jackson, Jr. The station began as a 10-watt educational public radio station, providing educational and cultural programming that was not available elsewhere in Savannah. Today, it continues to offer a unique format that includes news, public affairs, and various musical genres such as Jazz, Gospel, Blues, and Reggae.
Registration is required to attend the open house. More information and registration details are available at https://savannahstate.edu/whcj/whcj-50th-anniversary/.
