Power 99 Philadelphia’s Cheryl “Capp” Hayden to keynote as station honors its alumni.
Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication will celebrate the 50th anniversary of WANM-FM 90.5, “The Flava Station,” with a program and reception Wednesday, Oct. 21, on FAMU’s campus. The celebration marks five decades since the student-run station signed on as WAMF on Jan. 23, 1976, and honors the generations of Rattlers who learned broadcasting behind its microphones.
FAMU alumna Cheryl “Capp” Hayden, a former WANM program director now on the air at iHeartMedia’s Power 99 in Philadelphia, will deliver the keynote address and receive the Golden Mic Award.
“For 50 years, WANM has been the place where FAMU students find their voices, then carry them into newsrooms, studios and stations across the country,” said Mira Lowe, dean of the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. “Cheryl Hayden is living proof of what this station makes possible. As we celebrate the students, staff and alumni who built ‘The Flava Station,’ we’re also committing to the next 50 years of training broadcasters who lead.”
Five Decades on the Air
WANM’s original jazz format defined the station for more than two decades. In 1998, it broadened its sound and adopted the tagline “The Flava Station.” Today, more than 50 student workers and volunteers run the station, which broadcasts around the clock with a mix of gospel, jazz, soul, R&B, hip-hop, reggae, blues, Afrobeat and talk. Its mission is unchanged: give students real-world broadcast experience while serving the Tallahassee community.
FAMU Virtual Library & Yearbook/Ken Darby/Xavier Higgs
A Record of Excellence
WANM has earned national recognition, including a No. 2 ranking among college radio stations from The Princeton Review in 2004 and the Hearst Award in Broadcast Journalism. In 2025, the Intercollegiate Broadcast System named it the top college station among schools with fewer than 10,000 students, and this year its students were finalists in three of the organization’s categories.
Keynote speaker: Cheryl “Capp” Hayden
A Miami native, Hayden earned the on-air name “Cappuchino” — later “Capp” — as a FAMU student, rising to music director and program director at WAMF while also working at commercial station WHBX in Tallahassee. After earning a bachelor’s degree in newspaper journalism in 2002, she spent seven years at KMJJ in Shreveport, Louisiana, as assistant program director and midday host. She has been with iHeartMedia’s Power 99 in Philadelphia, the nation’s No. 9 radio market, since 2012 and is now heard on weekends there and in several other markets.
“WANM kicked off my career,” Hayden said. “Who knew going to those interest meetings, learning the board and sitting with the night show jock would eventually land me a career in radio that has spanned more than 20 years?”
Honorees
The program will also honor four alumni and friends of the station:
- Meaghan Taylor, Amplifier Award: A FAMU journalism graduate and digital content producer for the nationally syndicated “The Steve Harvey Morning Show,” who founded Women in Radio in 2016 to support women in radio, media and entertainment.
- Carmen Cummings-Martin, Distinguished Alumni Service Award: A former WANM newscaster, prime-time television anchor and senior investigative reporter who has earned more than 200 professional and community service awards and later served as executive associate and chief of staff in the FAMU president’s office.
- Keith Miles, First Signal Award: A former station general manager who began working at WANM as a freshman, now founder and president of Vantage Media Partners of Florida Inc., a Tallahassee communications, consulting, marketing and media firm.
- Andrew “Andy” Hanus, Behind the Board Award: WANM’s chief engineer from 2011 to 2024, after more than three decades as chief engineer of WFSU-FM.
Celebration Details
The program runs from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the SJGC Lecture Hall, followed by a reception from 5 to 6 p.m. in the SJGC Gallery. Both events are free and open to the public. No tickets or RSVP are required.
Supporters who cannot attend can listen live at 90.5 FM or online at wanm.org, and can support the next generation of student broadcasters at wanm.org/donate.
As WANM has transformed its studios over the years, students have produced award-winning content and garnered national recognition.
About WANM-FM 90.5
WANM-FM 90.5, “The Flava Station,” is the student-run radio station of Florida A&M University, housed in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. Licensed to the FAMU Board of Trustees, the non-commercial educational station broadcasts around the clock in Tallahassee and streams worldwide at wanm.org. Follow @905theflava on Instagram, X and YouTube.
About FAMU SJGC
The Florida A&M University School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (FAMU SJGC) is one of the premier historically Black college and university (HBCU) journalism, visual, and mass communications programs in the country. Founded in 1982, it is the first program of its kind at an HBCU to receive national accreditation. With a focus on academic excellence, experiential learning and professional development, SJGC prepares students to be influential storytellers, communicators, and leaders who can meet and exceed the demands of a competitive, evolving media marketplace. Learn more at sjgc.famu.edu.
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