Micheal Starr begins his work day at 10 a.m., broadcasting valuable information to Meridian’s African American community.

But with reduced wattage and broken equipment, he and other radio hosts stand to lose that opportunity.

“It’s our voice to communicate to the African American people,” said Starr, the programming director on WNBN (1290 AM).

“We’re the only African American, black-owned station in Lauderdale County,” said Starr, who has been with WNBN for about 10 years.

The station, which went on the air around 1987, has started fundraising to  fix some broken equipment and increase its wattage. 

“We’re a small radio station and we’re trying to get back to 5,000 watts,” said Starr. “Right now, we only have around 200 watts.”

When a radio station isn’t able to produce enough power, the signal can’t reach very far, and the sound quality drops off. 

“The average person, when they hear static, they’re going to cut the radio off,” said Starr.

The station runs 24/7, offering Sunday gospel, old school music, R&B, as well as talk shows, such as “Real Life Talk with Randle Jennings.”

“We want to save the station,” said Jennings. “It’s a jewel that’s been hidden.”

Because the station is on the AM setting, many people may miss it, said Jennings, but he touts it as the “voice of Meridian” from the African American perspective.

“This station has a unique flavor,” Jennings added.

There are plans to get the community involved with the station in the near future.

“Our plan is to get the kids involved and keep our heritage going,” said Starr.

More information 

The organization’s donation page can be found at gofundme.com/save-wnbn-1290am.