WTJU launched in Charlottesville in 1957. The station didn’t begin broadcasting rock-n-roll until 1970.
Cue the image of Johnny Caravella becoming Dr. Johnny Fever and playing “Queen of the Forest” by Ted Nugent on WKRP a few years later.
I can only imagine the look on the face of whoever TJU’s Arthur Carlson was.
“Ever since I came here 14 years ago, I’ve been struck by how WTJU as a whole and WTJU Rock in particular have been a beacon of independence, innovation, and creativity,” said WTJU GM Nathan Moore, who announced this week that the station is prepping for its annual Rock Marathon, set for the week of April 7-13.
The 2025 Rock Marathon will “push boundaries, cross genres and create unique musical experiences for listeners of all shapes and sizes,” said Moore, who heads up operations at one of the few freeform radio stations left on the radio dial in the United States.
This year’s Rock Marathon will feature a full slate of specialty programs exploring everything from early electronic music to R&B to power pop and hip-hop to global psychedelic music from countries living under fascism.
(We’re trending in that direction. More on that in a sec.)
On-air since 1957, Virginia’s third-oldest non-commercial station began by presenting mostly classical music. Folk and jazz sounds were eventually added to the schedule.
It wasn’t until 1970 that WTJU began airing rock-n-roll, emphasizing underground bands and sounds not found on commercial stations.
WTJU introduced Central Virginia to funk, heavy metal, disco, punk, new wave, post-punk, indie rock, hip-hop and every variation of music in between.
“WTJU was, like, the only place where you could hear The Sex Pistols on the radio,” said the late Mark Linkous of the band Sparklehorse, a huge WTJU fan who grew up listening to the station.
WTJU Rock was an incubator for several alumni who went on to storied musical careers: David Berman of The Silver Jews, several members of Pavement, and James McNew of Yo La Tengo, to name a few.
“We took it for granted at the time,” Pavement lead singer Stephen Malkmus said, “but it’s funny to see now how all the tendrils of the station have reached all of these unexpected places.”
Pavement continues its ties with WTJU, as drummer Steve West will perform live during the marathon with his new band, Unmastered Masters, on April 11.
WTJU is listener-supported, and its four annual fundraising marathons – exploring Rock, Jazz, Folk and Classical – are its primary source of income. UVA student fees do cover a portion of WTJU’s annual budget, but listener donations from these marathons are WTJU’s biggest source of revenue.
The money doesn’t just fund station upkeep, it also helps to sponsor radio camps for kids, a local podcast network (Virginia Audio Collective), a 24-hour-a-day Classical streaming service (CharlottesvilleClassical.org), and a second student-run station, WXTJ 100.1 FM Student Radio.
When public radio stations are in pledge drives, listenership usually drops. But when WTJU airs one of its special round-the-clock music marathons, its audience grows. It’s an event.
During this year’s Rock Marathon, listeners and fans can call 434-924-3959 or visit WTJU.net/donate to make a donation.
“WTJU’s Rock Marathon is one of our critical fundraisers,” Moore said. “With all the chaos in Washington, federal funding for WTJU is on the chopping block. That’s about 14 percent of our budget, and we’re concerned. Support from listeners is more important than ever. We count on this community of music-lovers to sustain WTJU, to keep rock and freeform radio alive and thriving, no matter what.”
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Chris Graham
