Storied New Orleans radio station WWOZ is still looking for a new place to call home after the Jazz & Heritage Foundation board decided against purchasing a building on St. Charles Avenue to house their studios. This decision keeps WWOZ in need of a new headquarters by the fall as it faces a deadline to vacate its current French Market studio.
WWOZ has been broadcasting for nearly a half-century, was an early adopter of online streaming, and played a massive role in the preservation of the city’s jazz archive recordings during and after Hurrican Katrina.
The French Quarter building requires significant renovations, which are expected to commence later this year. The Jazz & Heritage Foundation is now exploring alternative permanent locations for the radio station. An internal memo to staff obtained by Axios listed specific criteria including over 6,000 square feet of space, sufficient parking and visibility, easy access to public safety, and fiber lines. The timeline for the decision on WWOZ’s new home is yet to be determined.
