St. Paul’s Georgia Fort, the multi-media journalist and entrepreneur, continues to grow her local media empire.
The Center for Broadcast Journalism (CBJ), a non-profit co-founded by Fort and former Minnesota Public Radio journalist Marianne Combs, recently acquired the license for radio station WEQY-FM from the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council. The station relaunched this week as Power 104.7 FM, airing a mix of hip-hop, R&B and news.
It gives Fort and Combs another potential revenue stream to support CBJ’s digital and video journalism, which focuses on underserved communities of color. They founded CBJ in 2022 to give up-and-coming journalists of color an outlet for their stories. Now, Power 104.7 FM gives them one more.
“My big goal is sustainability,” Fort said. “Last year we launched the newsroom, and I think some people were like, ‘This is cool for right now, but how are you going to keep this thing going?’ I really feel like adding the radio station component provides a platform for our reporters to amplify their stories, and a platform for us to engage organizations in underwriting. Ultimately, I think it’s going to help us sustain our work in news and journalism.”
CBJ actually acquired the license in May. Fort said it took some time to move the equipment from Dayton’s Bluff and reinstall it at CBJ’s new broadcast and recording studio in the Osborn370 building in downtown St. Paul, the former Ecolab headquarters that’s home to several Black-owned businesses.
CBJ is a separate entity from the for-profit BLCK Press, the production hub for Fort’s television show, “Here’s the Truth with Georgia Fort,” which launches its second season this month on the CW Twin Cities. Fort was nominated for six local Emmys for her work on the show.
Fort and Combs trace their journalism roots to radio. Fort started out at KUST, the campus station at the University of St. Thomas, and worked locally at KMOJ-FM before moving on to stations in Columbus, Ga. and Atlanta. Combs spent 17 years at MPR before resigning in 2020, three months after being named Minnesota Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists.
“This feels really significant. With the addition of the radio station, we’re building an organization that serves the community with music and news, while also providing local talent with opportunities to enhance their skills and their resumes,” said Combs. “Personally, I’m really excited about how we’re growing our education offerings, while keeping them affordable and practical. Georgia and I are both committed to filling local newsrooms with reporters from diverse backgrounds, and we’re doing that by removing barriers to access. Based on the success we’ve already had, I can’t wait to see what the Twin Cities media landscape will look like in 10-15 years.”
Plans for Power 104.7 include brief news segments between sets of music. “Visionary Voices,” a new Thursday night show hosted by CBJ veteran Jasmine McBride, will feature local interviews and topics. Darelle “F’Rael” Williams, a local gospel rapper and pastor, hosts “Faith & Flow” on Sunday mornings, focusing on gospel rap music.
“We’re really hoping to reach people through the music, and then intersperse news,” Fort said. “We’re living at a time when people get information coming at them really fast. We’re connecting through music and having people’s attention that way. Then every couple of songs, you’ll get a 60 to 90 second news update as well.”
“Georgia continues to make her own lane in the Twin Cities where there hasn’t been one,” said Nicole Norfleet, local journalist and former president of the Twin Cities Black Journalists. “By providing a dedicated news outlet for an area that can often be overlooked, she’s providing a valuable resource for residents and at the same time investing in an incubator for the next wave of passionate journalists who will work and contribute to the station. I continue to be very proud of her and impressed with her drive and vision.”
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