I Want My Blues!

Digging around on Radio Locator today for my local area, I found something really interesting: WHJA, an actual blues station up in Laurel MS.  Just inside of listening range too!

Tried tuning in... nothing.
Looked on Wikipedia only to find:

The station has been silent since August 25, 2008.^[1] According to the station's application to the FCC for authority to remain silent, the station suffered a "massive transmitter failure" and they claim that "repair of the facility may not be economically feasible." The application notes that the financial performance of the station is being assessed "in light of the needed technical expenditures."^[1]

Well dang.  Something like two dozen each of classic rock, country pop, spoits twak, and St. Ronald only knows how many political talk stations are in this coverage area... but south Mississippi can't find room on the dial for one little full-time blues station?

Digging deeper and searching Radio Locator's database for all blues stations in the U.S. turns up a dozen (not counting defunct WHJA), six of which are in MS and four more are in neighboring states.  So this situation is at least not a complete regional cultural embarrassment.  But still.

Meh, at least we've got WQRZ-LP's Blues Tuesday (hyper)locally, and WWCR's Last Radio Playing show a couple of times a week.  After that... time to start looking for internet feeds off of these little stations.  If I find anything interesting over the weekend it will be posted.