WURD Radio is the only African-American owned and operated talk radio station in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (and one of only three remaining in the country). Started in 2002, over the past 19 years WURD has evolved into a multi-media, multi-platform communications company that reaches deeply into the Black community through radio, events, digital and social media. It is considered the go-to media channel to engage, interact and connect with Philadelphia’s Black community.
WURD is unique in Philadelphia and throughout the nation. Our brand is built on the personal legacy of our founder, Walter P. Lomax, Jr., M.D. Dr. Lomax was a brilliant physician who established medical centers in underserved neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia to provide high quality health care to Black and Brown communities for over 30 years. His skill as a physician was matched by his drive and creativity as an entrepreneur. This combination led to a life-changing business partnership that, in 1989, garnered the largest state contract at that time ever awarded to an African American company. This success spawned expansion which eventually led to the company being acquired by United Healthcare.
Always a generous, philanthropic person, Dr. Lomax used his newly created wealth to continue to benefit the community by creating a foundation that supported African American arts organizations, economic empowerment and health outreach. Additionally, he made several critical investments in Black-owned businesses. One of his most ambitious acquisitions was in 2002 when he purchased WURD Radio. He understood the power of ownership and the power of independent media. Through WURD he wanted to ensure that Philadelphia’s Black community had the ability to speak and be heard in their own voice. WURD continues this powerful legacy under the leadership of his youngest daughter, Sara Lomax, a journalist and media entrepreneur, who has assembled a dynamic team invested in protecting and preserving independent Black media.