COMMON MAPS
Map version new-york activity top-down
Main site Contact
Menu
↑ parent activity group ·
research dossier

AFRICAN-AMERICAN PUBLIC RADIO CONSORTIUM

BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 204690172 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE A34 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · aaprc.org
revenue
$54K
expenses
$52K
net assets
$4K
employees
mission · from form 990

To develop the operating capacity of African-American Public Radio Stations, develop radio producers, and provide syndicated African-American content to the public radio industry.

profile · synthesized from sources

African-American Public Radio Consortium (AAPRC) is a nonprofit media network that strengthens African-American public radio stations and increases diverse cultural voices in public broadcasting. It develops and distributes syndicated radio programming—including jazz, blues, soul, and news/talk content—and provides training and consulting to member stations. The consortium supports nearly 80 stations nationwide, collectively reaching over 2.5 million listeners.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Cool Jazz Countdown
A 1-hour weekly jazz program highlighting the top 10 jazz albums based on charts, airplay, and listener feedback; co-hosted by experienced radio professionals and distributed to affiliate stations.
Texas Jazz & Blues Greats
Two-hour documentary special hosted by Jason Moran exploring influential Texas musicians across jazz, blues, funk, and soul; a collaborative production with KPVU-FM and The Luce Group.
The Soul of Jazz
Weekly music program hosted by Jamal Ahmad that blends classic and contemporary jazz, soul, international rhythms, and urban sounds; produced at WCLK-FM in Atlanta and distributed nationally.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Community and Public Broadcasting Services 3 activities
    • Capacity building for public radio stations of color
      Provides fundraising and programming training, consulting, and capacity-building support to African-American and diverse public radio stations to enhance their operational effectiveness and market competitiveness, with documented efforts beginning in the 1990s.
    • Network operation for African-American public radio stations
      Operates a network of over 100 member and affiliate public radio stations focused on amplifying African-American and diverse cultural voices, with programming reaching up to 3 million listeners weekly.
    • Production and syndication of diverse music and cultural programming
      Produces and distributes radio programs in genres including Contemporary Jazz, Soul, World, Blues, Funk, and Afro-Latin music, as well as cultural and linguistic features on prominent African-American figures, through the Public Radio Satellite System and direct syndication to affiliate stations.
  • Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
    • Advancing diversity in public media through collaboration
      Plays a leading role in promoting diversity and inclusion in public media by collaborating with national organizations representing underserved communities to expand representation and access.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Production and distribution of national news/talk programming
      Co-created and produced national daily news/talk shows hosted by African-American talent in partnership with NPR from 2000 to 2009, distributing content that brought African-American voices to a national public radio audience.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$54K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$54K100%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$52K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$33K
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$4K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$4K
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -55.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
LORETTA RUCKER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $33K
board members · 1
  • WENDY WILLIAMS — BOARD CHAIRMAN
relationships · 22

Who they work with

  • Clark Atlanta University Partner — Hosts WCLK-FM on its campus, where "The Soul of Jazz" is produced.
  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting Government — Referenced as the entity that initiated a targeted effort in the mid-1980s inviting noncommercial African-American, Latino, and Native American stations to join public radio.
  • HBCU Partner — Seeks partnerships with public radio stations located at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to distribute African-American content.
  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities Network — 28 member stations are licensed to HBCUs, contributing to the network's reach and community engagement.
  • Jim Luce Partner — Peabody Award-winning producer involved in the production of the audio series.
  • KPVU (Prairie View A&M University) Partner — Collaborating radio station in the production of a music documentary.
  • NPR Partner — Partnered to develop three national news/talk shows bringing African-American voices to NPR and African-American stations nationwide.
  • NPR Partner — Partnered with NPR from 2000 to 2009 to create national daily news/talk shows hosted by African-American talent.
  • Native Public Media Partner — Collaborates with the organization to advance diversity in public media.
  • Public Radio Satellite System Government — Listed as a supporter of the Consortium.
  • Radio Bilingue Partner — Collaborates with the organization to advance diversity in public media.
  • Steve Edwards Partner — Host of the Steve Edwards Soul Show, producing weekly music programming for the Consortium.
  • TVM Productions Partner — Co-producer of the Cool Jazz Countdown radio program.
  • TenShare Media Partner — Co-producer of the Cool Jazz Countdown radio program.
  • The Latino Public Radio Consortium Partner — Collaborates with the organization to advance diversity in public media.
  • The Luce Group Partner — Production partner in creating a national music documentary.
  • WCLK-FM Atlanta Partner — Produces "The Soul of Jazz" from WCLK-FM studios; WCLK is an AAPRC affiliate station.
  • WEAA Government — Jazz radio station where co-host Marcellus Shepard serves as Program Director.
  • WJAB-FM Partner — AAPRC Affiliate station that produces "Return to the Source" from its studios at Alabama A&M University.
  • hosts Partner — Works with hosts to develop and present radio programming.
  • independent producers Partner — Collaborates with independent producers to develop radio programming.
  • station-based producers Partner — Collaborates with station-based producers to develop radio programming.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Amplification of Underserved Community Voices
    methodology: community-voice_amplification
    By centering public broadcasting on the perspectives and cultures of underserved communities, the Consortium increases equitable representation in media, because commercial broadcasters often lack economic incentive to serve these audiences, creating a critical role for public media as a democratic platform.
  • Capacity Building Through Training and Network Development
    methodology: capacity_building_through_training_and_syndication
    By training content creators and building multi-market partnerships, the Consortium strengthens the infrastructure of African-American public media, because institutional capacity and professional development lead to more sustainable, high-quality programming and broader audience engagement.
  • Culturally Resonant Programming and Syndication
    methodology: culturally_resonant_programming
    By developing and distributing culturally specific, high-quality radio programming through syndication and collaboration with public media partners, the Consortium increases representation of African-American voices and strengthens institutional capacity within public media, because shared content production amplifies reach and sustainability while meeting the cultural needs of underserved audiences.
  • Genre and Audience Diversification for Inclusion
    methodology: genre_diversification
    By diversifying musical genres and targeting younger, college-educated, diverse audiences, the Consortium expands public media’s cultural relevance and listener base, because blending jazz, soul, world, and talk formats attracts underrepresented demographics who are underserved by traditional public radio formats.
  • Modular Audio for Cultural Legacy Preservation
    methodology: modular_audio_education
    By using modular audio formats to document and disseminate the ideas of African-American thought leaders and artists, the Consortium preserves cultural legacies and promotes education, because accessible, reusable audio content enables broader dissemination and long-term engagement with intellectual heritage.