Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson says he’ll deliver his latest state of the city address this week over the radio, a departure from him giving the annual speech in-person inside a venue.
The mayor’s address is scheduled to be broadcasted Thursday evening on WBAP News/Talk 820 AM and 99.5 FM-HD2. It’s not clear why a radio format was chosen or why the speech will be broadcasted on WBAP, which broadcasts on both frequencies.
Alheli Garza,Johnson’s chief of state, said Tuesday that there are no alternative broadcast options to experience the speech and that the audio will also be streamed on WBAP’s website. She didn’t immediately respond to questions Tuesday on why Johnson chose to give the speech via the radio or whether it will be read live on-air or pre-recorded.
The city owns a separate station, WRR-FM (101.1), which has been managed by public television and radio operator KERA since last year. Outside of that, Catherine Cuellar, Dallas’ director of communications, outreach and marketing, told The Dallas Morning News that the city has the capability to broadcast or stream the speech.
The City Charter requires the mayor to give a yearly report to the public on Dallas’ accomplishments, financial condition as well as future plans and needs. Prior mayors, including Johnson’s immediate predecessor Mayor Mike Rawlings, have delivered their yearly address to the Dallas Regional Chamber during an event not publicly broadcasted at all.
But other than his first speech months after being elected in 2019, Johnson has given the address in-person during events broadcasted by the city.
“Mayor Johnson has made it his goal to deliver the annual remarks in a public way — returning the address to its roots — rather than during a private luncheon with business leaders,” read a mayor’s office news release announcing Johnson’s 2021 state of the city address.
Johnson has delivered the address twice from Fair Park: in 2020 from the Hall of State in a virtual address and from the Briscoe-Carpenter building in front of a crowd last year. In 2021, Johnson gave the speech in front of an audience at City Hall with the City Council and other city officials seated behind him.
The speech is set to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday. Johnson’s office said he plans to talk about public safety, parks, the upcoming $1.1 billion city bond program, and other issues.
