For more than 30 years, Karen Slade has been a driving force behind KJLH-FM, the Los Angeles station owned by Stevie Wonder. She transformed the station’s reach, launched impactful community initiatives, and developed its digital assets – all while championing public service and inclusion in media. As she prepares for retirement, Slade is once again at the forefront, guiding KJLH’s efforts to support its community through California’s devastating wildfires.
In an exclusive interview for Radio Ink’s March issue, Slade shares insights on accountability, the role of radio in times of crisis, and how strong community relationships can turn broadcasters into lifelines.
Radio Ink: Do your listeners keep your station accountable?
Slade: I’m laughing because they do hold you accountable. Very much so. They tell us what they think. They never hold back.
For example, the wildfires. It’s a horrific time. But my staff has stepped up. As broadcasters, they’ve stepped up on air in their personal lives. They’ve taken time out to work, to donate, to assist, and we are integral in our community’s success. There’s a tragedy of this nature, we step in, and they count on us. We do town hall meetings. We help with fundraising efforts.
We’re right there with the community; they trust us to give accurate, timely information. And that wasn’t easy. I mean, we’re a music-oriented station. We’re not a news station. However, we’ve been through so much together over the years, from the civil unrest to Katrina to all the things that have happened, locally and nationally, KJLH, you know, we play a role, major or minor. In this instance, with the wildfires, we’re trying to play as significant a role as possible.
Altadena is 15 miles from us, and we’ve done a lot to reach out to that area. Last Friday, with the help of our sponsors, we gave away 300 laptops. Because community members need to do things online. Delete the Divide, one of our major sponsors, worked with us.
We had FEMA in on Tuesday. We have NACA today in, talking about housing and financing. We work very closely with our clients and sponsors, and they have helped us. It’s just a shining example of all those relationships that we’ve built over the years coming to the forefront to help us disseminate accurate, timely information. And isn’t that what radio is?
Read the full interview in March’s Radio Ink Magazine, along with the 2025 African American Future Leaders list, insights on keeping local radio ownership strong, and practical advice on lead generation and creating local advertising success stories.
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