J. Scott Fugate arrived at 89.1 WBCX back in 2001 when he responded to a request to be a DJ for a Friday night jazz show. At that time, the Station was completely automated via smooth jazz and classical satellites, with only three local programs. His show was entitled "Jazz in the Present Tense", and focused on all styles of jazz under the philosophy that jazz serves as the foundation for all other forms of popular music in the 20th century. The show caught on, and garnered Scott the 2002-2003 Georgia Association of Broadcaster's award for "Radio Personality of the Year."

Scott took over as the General Manager, Program & Music Director when the previous manager, Rob Bigalke, relocated to Louisiana in September of 2002. Since that time, he has built on his Friday night philosophy and success -- refocusing the entire Station towards a more local, eclectic and multi-cultural mission; developing the overall philosophy of "giving radio back to the students and the community" through the development of over 80 live and local shows over the past 4 years.

He claims that there are many more to come! Scott developed 10 formats based on feedback from the community, and the interests of local volunteer DJs. He believes that for radio to return to any kind of relevancy, people must WANT to tune in at specific times to hear specific shows on different days of the week rather than simply serving as a background soundtrack to drown out the silence in our overactive lives. He wants radio which will entertain, educate, and challenge listeners to new levels of awareness in music.

Scott worked in professional Theatre for 25 years prior to moving to radio, and sharing his wide ranging experience with students as a professor at Brenau University. He has performed over a thousand roles, and directed and/or produced hundreds of productions. He has also written, developed and facilitated many new works for stage and screen, and was the founder of the Atlanta New Play Workshop back in the early '90s.
He worked as an Artistic Director at several different Theatres such as Stage Door Players in Atlanta, and the Point Theatre in Kerrville, Texas. He has also served as a teacher of acting, directing, writing, film, speech, communication, creative facilitation, improvisation, and Christian arts ministry throughout America, as well as 14 other Countries around the globe. Scott did his Undergraduate work at Berry College in Rome, GA and with the Covenant Players Theatre Conservatory program in Los Angeles and Germany. He earned his Master of Arts Degree in Theatre from Lancaster University in Northern England. He has toured the world with various Theatre Companies such as the Covenant Players, the Academy Theatre, GMT Productions, Telltale Theatre, Structured Anarchy and many more. He has had opportunities to perform in schools, stadiums, colleges, muddy fields, castles, prisons, military bases, pubs, churches, night clubs, mental institutions, terrorist detainee camps, the back of trucks, as well as some of the grandest theatre spaces in the world.  He now finds comfort in the confines of his radio cubicle, and his stationary life with his new wife here in Gainesville, Georgia.

Scott was dubbed the "Jazz Evangelist" several years ago due to his passion for America's only original art form -- jazz -- and his propensity towards exposing and converting people to the glories of jazz in all it's many styles and permutations. He also promotes, encourages and supports local artists (from Atlanta and the Southeast) every chance he gets. He believes that this should be the mission of all radio stations; but that in this age of corporate media conglomerations, WBCX may just be the last station left where playing local independent artists is even an option.Scott also coordinates the Atlanta Jazz Group on the Web -- a free service open to anyone, providing information and discussion for jazz artists and fans, and promoting events and concerts throughout the Southeastern US. He welcomes you to join! Scott's focus is a bit different from what you typically hear on commercial radio. He enjoys music from throughout the "Jazz & Classical Continuums", and enjoys exposing people to all the infinite styles and varieties that go into the creation of America's only original art form -- including elements of ragtime, blues, gospel, Dixieland, traditional, swing, big band, be-bop, hard bop, cool jazz, straight ahead, free, fusion, funk, R&B, soul, Latin, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, world lounge, trip-hop, ambient, acoustic, new age, spoken word, electronic, drum n' bass, neo-soul, nu jazz, down tempo, and acid jazz. . .call it what you will, the "jazz evangelist" will expose you to a little bit of everything if you give him the chance!

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