WAMU in Washington, D.C., announced Thursday it will transfer operations of its Bluegrass Country service to a community group.
Bluegrass music programming will continue to air on WAMU’s 88.5 HD2 channel and 105.5 FM. “Listeners can expect the same mix of bluegrass, Americana, and roots music from their favorite hosts as well as new offerings in the near future,” according to a press release. Two translators that extended broadcast service to Hagerstown, Md., have been sold.
Bluegrass Country Foundation, which was founded to seek financing to keep bluegrass on the air, will manage the service and broadcast under WAMU’s FCC license. The group will officially take over Feb. 6.
“We are proud to become the stewards of such an important resource and we look forward to bringing bluegrass and related roots music to a new generation of listeners,” said Jeff Ludin, president of the nonprofit Bluegrass Country Foundation, in the release. “We thank WAMU management for its support and creative thinking to help us achieve what few thought was possible.”
WAMU had announced that it was seeking a buyer for Bluegrass Country after a media consulting company recommended that the station focus on news and information programming.
Good for WAMU.