PRI Public Radio International black radio telling it like it was made possible by a major Grant from The Corporation for Public Broadcasting with additional support from the James Smithson society and the Public Radio International program fund whose contributors include the Ford foundation and the John D & Catherine T MacArthur Foundation radio Smithsonian destination freedom I've been laughing. You could have gotten the point across. Black radio telling it like it was a history of radio and the African American culture. I'm Lou Rawls. You know sometimes in folks working black radio and while African-American men have dominated the industry black women have been there from the beginning and they've been having their say contributing their skills and struggling to survive. As a dictation, we are to hip hop radio station from the north to south east to west y'all. Damn, right, right. Hi, this is AJ Parker. I am a radio disc jockey or personalities. They call them in the nineties here in Chicago things really haven't changed too much within the industry now to find women that are on the station, but you find it. There aren't a lot of women that anchor morning shows. They're starting to move now into the afternoon drive, but it's still a male dominant position usually to see women on Mid days for overnight or either co-hosted morning team when they go into in her life, and I thank you all for being there. Thank you. Thank you have a blessed day. So sweet brother. How many lies you touch when you just open up your mouth Chicago's AJ Parker is a hot up-and-coming black radio personality and she's following in the footsteps of one of the pioneering women in this speed. Martha Jean the queen Steinberg the queen starting in black radio in the 1950s and I used to say in this business baby. You got to think like a man act like a lady work like a dog and it hasn't changed. So the lonely today. Would never end. Bubba confused and frustrated today and early 60s, she moved to a station and Inkster, Michigan little town just outside Detroit, but she immediately connected with the Detroit black community. I realize what the chart needed and I started with my blue collar workers salute. I was going to Inkster one day and I saw all the men in the hole. Only course or they would dig and they always working doing something on those Expressway out there. So when I got to the radio station that day I said to all my man in the whole Ecorse Road, the queen is touching you today, then the next day somebody calls him when you talked about the men are what about us over here at this plant. So I had a blue-collar workers Luther we play on the station right today. You're listening to a black classic W qbh 1400 a.m. We call it tasting time. We call it that we salute all about blue collar workers. All of you who are on your bread by the sweat of your brow. I want to let you know today that you are somebody. You are responsible for the wheels of this world going around and don't you ever forget it all of my truck driving friends and my heavy equipment operators and all of my gossiping Baba's in my beautician Martha Jean. The queen was one of two women in Detroit that I was even aware of his people on the air women on the air. She was a character's you broadcast a WJLB middays and she was a community person to play the music but she was plugged into what was going on in the city. And that was her style though Queen in Detroit for the factors would have vacation pay. And I was always talking to women. I said it looked at my coming to his house. And when he walks in the door greeting with nothing around you about the feather. And I was one of those new dialogue and I said that asking for all his money and get it. I would tell him go to the gate and get your money cuz your money for you and your children and your family and the women would ask for that money. But you know how ironic they were angry with me. Some of those men may be said that the bump me off girl, but the queen managed to work her way into the hearts of a female and male listeners my talking or talk and play in the hits. In fact by play the popular songs of the day. The queen was almost in a league of her own most women on early black radio were either the host of cooking or Homemaker shows are they were gospel music gospel music is exactly what veteran Philadelphia DJ Louise Williams play the WDAS in the early 1960s. And so we come to the altar this morning. That's the lord to bless you and yours for he indeed is able to do it outside in the park. You're looking at 59° and we're getting ready to move into the upper room. Hi. I'm Louise Williams WDAS radio even in the sixties. I knew that that which came from the heart reach the heart and my determination was to not just talk at people but to talk to people to reach the very heart of them to the extent that they wanted to answer me back when I spoke and I manage that because several people would say to me, you know when you're on the year I talk to you I say go ahead and we do it my darling if I I'm not Victorious and any other expression today. I do pray that I'm Victorious. In expressing to you how important it is that you live in light gospel programming has also been where has worked at wgok in Mobile Alabama for more than 30 years and two radio during the time when they use the names and nobody knew that I was D Irene Weaver Johnson at that time because they had a name for me Miss Mandy. I think that was the whole concept of the white owners at that time is to use these names and everybody went into that format basically sound the same and if it didn't sound like they were making changes. You never could use your own name. Novela Smith was a popular DJ in Houston, Texas during the 60s to her listeners. She was dizzy Lizzy her name. She just like in fought against Smith believed that black announcer should be known for who they really were I said, Do something for yourself Novella identify yourself because you're not a dizzy Lizzy material. So after the news I said this is novela dos Smith. We putting KY okay instant jet news always identified myself. So every 30 minutes it was novela dos Smith. And then after the news I go into the Jive jam and gumbo show it. Remember this song gee whiz with a Smash Hit the singer Carla Thomas in the early 1960s. It became a hit like thousands of other black songs because dizzy Lizzy and other African American DJs broke it on their radio shows Blank Space Cafe every 30 minutes back at its play and we was star-makers we would have tasted as if we didn't play the records. They didn't get the exposure and pushing these great songs, black men and women dj's became almost as popular as a real estate played we would have Superstars now. It's so many superstars. But you see then we were bigger than any of the big stars that come in town. She was from Charlotte North Carolina. She came to black radio as a teenager in the 1950s on the air. She was known as Teddy Teddy seeing all of the shows that came to town but I got more round of applause when they said Showtime hit it and went ahead and walk down and all my fine Glad Rags. I used to wear when I was young beautiful and black honey. Didn't nobody have nothing on me because you are a legend in your own time. You were respected your fans loved you worship you we hate people that will get in trouble with the law and would not go give themselves up in Police Headquarters. They come to us for us to take him downtown. That's the Report we had with our listening audience. During black videos early days Chata Addy and other African American women dj's ordered by the listeners and like their male counterparts. These women actually became role models to their fans but inside the radio station some of the men at these women worked with or not happy about their presents his Teddy a teddy bear that thought. Well, you know female should be home having babies in the kitchen cooking. This is not an industry for females and they're trying to do little things to discourage me some of them, you know, it pull my hair. They would take my Bose off, you know, cuz I was sixteen they say my God, you know, I get your education because this is no place Fire OG, you know, there was a time. In the history of radio where a woman's voice was not declared good enough. It was sad one time that women's voices were irritating and it was wrong. You just hadn't tried enough. Bad women out here, but women played an integral role. And the early part of radio, especially when they were on the Air 2 to 3 hours black radio tell me like it was from Public Radio International. And also mention that will be here around most inconsequential things that men like you are smack dab in the middle of 98 and your radio. So baby state. We're talkin. girl drinks made with Yvonne Daniels, DJ Sid McCoy work with you by on Daniels in the mid-60s. Daniel was a major voice on Chicago radio until her death in 1991 Subaru. She had a warm. Essential quality that you possessed without any attempt to be coming on like being sexiest interesting that and I musical knowledge. That was way Beyond her years. You know what her father is like Billy Daniels the singer and everything was she'd been exposed to music at an early age. So she had all of his knowledge. She had great taste to you see me walking down the street and I start to cry. Next time you see a record shop. Walk On By they just won't be any left. That boy's Yvonne Daniels prove that women's voices were acceptable on radio. Meanwhile women like encouraging distance to become more active in their communities at w w r l in New York City John was the voice of the black community during the 60s and 70s after retirement John return to WWE earlier and she talked with DJ Rocky Bridges. Now, this was in 1984, you know, you always had that saying if you don't know if you know if you don't and if you don't know how to learn each one reach one and Each one teach one, it works like a miracle is really does she came on three times a day little vignettes. Hi. This is album vessel. She's my mother and radio. That's what I tell everybody in the mid-60s. Daughter Bronson was the first and only African-American woman to Working management at w w r l there were barely any other women in black radio Management in the nation there a lot of things that I had to do that. I was not pleased with though I was very shrewd and how I did them until I could always live with myself but still the frustration level the pressure level as I go to almond cry at night and all that stuff. It was rough for Bronson working with an all-white and mail station management. She fought for pay equity for the station's popular blackjacks, man who were paid less than half of what their white counterparts made as a black woman with strong accounting and management skills. She better for respect but Bronson became so successful that in the early 1970s. She was hired to manage competing black station wliv am struggling sister station WBLS FM I'm famous for having done some very classic promotion. And we did a thing on our Reef beach with WBLS before that people in top coats and everything appointment limousines and took them to Riis Beach. Well in that time every black prism. Have you had your radio on the BLS and we walked up to you and you're ready. You can instantly remove 107.5 where you could been instantly either $1,750 hundred and $7.50. And when is when are you given Sunday? We could give away five or $10,000 and man every Sunday Andre speech the entire Beach. Under Bronson's leadership WBLS develop into a popular Money Maker for Innovative program director at that time created the WBLS sound for Frankie Crocker took some chances and one of the many he did really paid off Crocker had an African American woman with little radio experience. She became his midday in the house and let me tell you she became a major personality on FM radio her name by higginson. It's very pleasant. Good afternoon. Hello. The sun is at at eyes point in the sky. It is the most powerful Point me afternoon. It one might wonder why I celebrate the song. You see the sun is the center of the universe. I really enjoyed those early days and the format was a total black experience and sound. And you could never get bored listening to different varieties of sounds and rhythms and beats and emotions and moods and we would clearly set the pace in the mood for the day and I took going into people's homes very seriously because the power of radio I thought was so great. I mean how does sitting in this room? Allow me come into your bathroom in your bedroom in the living room, and it was astonishing meaning and that I wanted to but perhaps Do or say something that might make a difference in somebody's life if they chose to turn the radio on that day share my life every day from noon until 4. I like to say to you. Happy Valentine's Day baby. Happy Valentine's Day and to all the beautiful ladies. I like to say to you too. Happy Valentine's Day DJ program director of WBLS and women's voices of sexy no matter what happens and I went four voices the ladies that I picked more intelligent ladies. They were intelligent and aware about what they were doing. I found people who could communicate by could communicate. It's also a theater of the mind. So I need somebody that has an imagination that imagine they were somebody for who was living that way and could bring that to radio. 93 KYS, cuz she I just got to have you I can see it in your eyes. I was Angela Bofill for her to tell belfi Mister magic Grover, Washington Jr. 718 Washington DC. This was the mid-1970s. The station was WKYS orchids as it was known in the program director was Donnie Simpson and the woman he hired was former Detroit DJ. Candy Shannon when Danny hired me and talk to me about it. Once I accepted then he unrolled the plan and he felt he wanted Miss kiss on the radio station in that. My voice was the Miss Kitty was looking for so I was working seven to midnight Monday through Friday. Then I realize now looking back that whatever I was able to carve out was wonderful because Most listened to Radio Show in the nation's capital was on at the same time. I was going up against The Quiet Storm with Melvin Lindsey. The music of Patti LaBelle on WHUR the title Tunes or latest album. I'm in love again. And before that, it's Patti LaBelle with since I don't have you two minutes before 8 p.m. You're listening to The Quiet Storm. Breakdown breakdown on Quiet Storm. It's a smoking mandamela relaxing and often romantic to it's a program in format that was developed by Kathy Hughes that at the time he was with the general manager of Howard University's commercial station WHUR FM. He developed the quiet storm concept after attending a class of broadcast programming at the University of Chicago. I arrived back from school on a Friday and so I'm literally running around my apartment. My doorbell keeps ringing is all my friends. Oh, how was it? How was it? You know how Chicago and they coming over to hang out one has some crabs and other has some beer and I'm like scuse me. I have a date and then I will we don't have nothing. Don't worry about it. I have just learned something that's going to change your life. I'm going to create a radio program that even if you don't have a date on a Friday night you not going to mind you going to be content to stay home by yourself. Now the program didn't have a name at that time it became the quiet storm. The music of Marvin Gaye along with Tammi Terrell the year 1967 724 in Washington. Once again, good evening. I'm Melvin Lindsey and welcome to the quiet storm. And since we've opened up this evening, we've been featuring the music from Marvin Gaye and certainly all condolences from WHUR. I go out to the family and friends of Marvin Gaye Here in the Washington area when I think of home, I think of a Even today twenty years later hundreds of black radio stations use the quiet storm format man with a tribute to its creator while Cathy Hughes is happy with its success. She just made by the sexism that exist in black radio. It's fascinating to me that women in this industry still do not get the credit that they deserve. My lack of recognition is the creator of The Quiet Storm is a classic case of sexism in the industry because even the brothers who know many of whom worked side-by-side with me at Howard University won't part their lips to say a woman created that show that was her concept that bothers me very much because women have made some incredible contributions in broadcasting, but our industry is still very much the old boy Network and the only thing that has changed is some of those old boys have melanin and look like me now. I don't want anybody Judge Me by gender. I really don't like anybody judging me by cover. That's not much I can do about that own and operate our own radio station. Run some broad Baltimore's w e b b in 1979 and on two more stations by 1984 you cannot and should not receive item. Have any internet cuz I'm a woman and even though you're the boss you are still part of the bed syndrome. And I mean it one time I did probably a hundred 35 40 pounds and probably did look attracted to somebody but my point is that was always sex thing. I mean get away from it. I'm interested in building a business and I'm trying to do a 2 million dollar deal with somebody's coming and Pat you on your fan in that kind of stuff or either talk to you condescendingly New York are personality Pat Prescott. It comes from the fact that we've always run the household and tried to pull all in together and you know make a nickel out of a penny in and that we've gotten good at that but I think that women are very good managers. I'm sure not all women are but I think that a lot of women have very unique abilities. That make them good managers and I think that women are proving that all over the industry. Are wvon the talk of Chicago? Radio station whose Time Has Come a black community of Chicago cries out for some serious radio and we've got it and Melody fan on the president and general manager of radio station wvon. It's hard managing the radio station, you know, this industry has been very male-dominated and to survive and that you have really got to prove yourself that you are confident of what you're doing and that you don't allow anyone to shake their confidence. And I think that I started to earn the respect of my peers cuz around here we're family, you know, and I'll let people know that we're family. I will be nice as long as people allow me to but you really do have to stand up because I think we lived in a male-dominated society for so long that they don't expect us to have the strength and the ability that we truly have and you do have to flex your muscle for respect Martha Jean the queen. Look I'm here willing to hear We want to act apart. It said that if you own you control that's a powerful message, especially as black on radio struggle to survive today. Amazon I'm Cathy Hughes owner and CEO of Radio One Incorporated that owns and operates eight radio stations. God Bless the Child has got their own the ability to interpret who you are and what's important to you from your own perspective. It is the difference between life and death for our community is the difference between slavery and Liberation whether or not we can control our own means of communication. Current black radio on his light Cathy Hughes and fasteners like James Brown a part of a more than 40 years struggle the first step toward black radio want to see it was taken on the leg. Jesse Clayton go to financially-troubled station in Atlanta, Georgia, and the station's call letters where weird his veteran DJ Jack Gibson and we open October 4th 1949. I know cuz I flip the switch and said we here with here and we ain't going nowhere and that was how we started 1949. The Atlanta of that time was really segregated segregation and racial Prejudice limited opportunities for blacks, but segregation also forced African-American to develop and maintain their own communities and their own business. That sounds black did extremely well take Princeton Jesse. Blatant. He was a highly successful certified public accountant and he believed in taking wrist. So blatant Barton wurd, even though few business at that time seemed more risky than owning and operating a radio station with a wide range of black programming. You heard such programs as bouncing with Bobby morning meditations Ray night Dive Fort Worth w e r d program director Ken night and then we had Followed by lunch call. What does Aeneas team in radio on her possession and Dad Gibson? And was recorded music and everyday from noon till 1. So come on in and have some fun. But those Maniacs herban Jack gospel train Dave bundle with another verifying program the first black-owned station in the United States, and it was a Station that was I can always remembers 860 on the dial and it was only a thousand watt but we covered it louder and that was what was what was intended to do a jack Gibson TV was coming up then so all the advertising dollars were going to TV. So the little stations would catching, you know catch and ever. So this station was up for sale on the courthouse steps in Atlanta and and again the family that bought it the father was the first black CPA in the Deep South The understood the media and how he could spread his business CPA but also to help other black businesses that were in Atlanta and for those who don't know Atlanta was considered to be the mecca of all black businesses in the United States. All together station in Atlanta. Georgia was fantastic. Slowly but surely Bladen Stab Wound white and black advertisers and Captain dismiss wrld was the black radio station in Atlanta surviving four years of the property and financially solvent station Baton success inspired later generations of black radio owners, I grew up in San Antonio Texas under segregated circumstances and between the years of 8 and 12. I used to walk around with a corn cob to my mouth saying good afternoon. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Percy Sutton from high in the clouds are the Smith young Tower in San Antonio Tex. I want to be radio announcer, but I couldn't go to that radio station. I should tell you in Smith young Tower because blacks couldn't go in that radio station for his sudden soon set Higher Goals for himself. I wanted the ownership side. I wanted to own one because I said if I own radio station I can talk on that radio station and I'll talk about all these discriminatory things. I talk about the Injustice. Is it I see around me. Am I guess this morning to the global black experience of Brian? Good morning and welcome. Thank you and good morning. Good happy with us of all talk about the the GOP reversal on the student aid planning in York, New York wliv in WBLS FM of the flagship stations of Intercity broadcast, the media company developed by versus Sutton and 1982 W. I became a largely black talk radio station program director Mark Riley. It was based on a feeling that people really didn't have a voice didn't have a way to express some of the situations that were taking place in the community at the time. This was two years into Reaganomics and people really were frustrated and didn't have a place to vent now historically the same corner where I be used to be located at right at the Theresa Hotel used to be the place where people would come and visit, you know, folks who come out and ready to 25th and 7 are they have a flatbed truck and people like Charles Kenyatta. Going back to Malcolm X used to stand there. Do you know who do I talk to the guy and I think initially people looked at w l i b and it's talk mode as being kind of in an amplification of that and the early 1960s wliv was like most radio station that played back music. They were owned by whites at that time Percy son was a respected lawyer politician and activist often. He appeared on wlib easier ways. He knew the station on a hairy Novick and often talks with him. So he said you're not going to get rid of this station. I said women snowflake. Would you let me buy it? I didn't have any money to buy it. And he said yes, and we shook hands no money pass that was 1964 or 1965. He said I'm ready to sell it. It took me from 1965 until 1972 to get a bank or lending institution to lend me. The money I needed was 2.5 million dollars to buy both wlip am and FM. New York State controlled radio station FM station became WBLS and became the number one radio station America. Not the number one color. Not the number one black nothing on negro. But the number one radio of all radio station as rated by Arbitron, which is an official rating agency. It relied upon by advertisers and others to determine the listening audience. Goes out for bubbles LaRue and crew There's No Me Without You Baby. Why was it so hard for Percy Sutton then and why today is it so hard for African-American station bias to find funding. Is Percy Sutton if I tell you his racism people say look he's too sensitive. But if you have if you have a business plan is prepared by someone who is using a business plan to buy other radio stations for white people and you use it as you go get you can't borrow the money and you're not asking for half of what they were asking for. I don't know what you called. Racism. But when you look in the mirror, I have the color to me before. African-American owners will tell you if they had to fight to get access to desirable stations and markets and paresh band have known professionally as the blues man and I were a known radio station wvon 1450 a.m. And the only black owned and operated radio station in Chicago. They always were carved up just like the cob the Lanta so many acres on this Plantation so many and they always a cop that basically the same way All the radio frequencies and TV frequencies were given out then when they were sure. That they were all gone. Didn't miss you. Okay, you black folks. Y'all can have some radio station. So you have to go and try to do like we did this one, you know where something open we run in and try to get it. But there's no reason to think that you going to get in the first place by the fact there aren't you very much your kiss you that you going to get it. Is that pretty? I'm good. I'm going crazy over you. I'm going crazy over you wvon. Let's get to the telephone now that the mid-1970s barely forty African Americans own radio stations Black lobbying organizations pressure the broadcast regulatory board the FCC to do something about such a unique quality. It was a struggle by the late 1970s the FCC establish policies to beef up minority ownership. One of the first was it distress sale policy and according to national black media Coalition here. Marshall fcc's distressed sale policy really worked if a white broadcast was in trouble with the FCC rules and was going to lose his license to distress help also stated that if you sell to a Menards purchases for 75% of assessed value, then we will let you sell to that Bernard to person You lose your license, so that that generated about 45 radio television stations to be sold to Bernardo. The never would have been considered for sale. One of the fcc's first distressed sales was wol in Washington, DC. No from Washington music on. In the sixties wol was hot. It was owned by the successful sanderling broadcast Jane and was the top black station in DC put the station got into serious hot water with the FCC in the 70s when several DJs were accused of Paola taking bribes. It was downhill from there. Something using distress sale policy to sell wol to Kathy and Dewey Hughes the couple walked into the station in 1980 starring the country's first black talk Forum at 6:15. That's neuson WL Jimmie Allen reporting same to you that the Cathy Hughes Morning Show continues. All right. I'll recap Once Again quickly Mark Lane before we go back to the phone lines for folks to overslept and sandwiches Jarred them awake telling them that the sky is falling Chicken Little on for a long time since the Memphis Commercial Appeal has just published a front-page story which shows that the United States Army through its intelligence operations has been spying on blacks in the United States was 75 years. But to me, the most important part is the fact that they were deeply involved apparently in all aspects surrounded assassination of dr. Martin Luther King by the time I get to use station went on the air 1980. There were about a hundred and forty black owned stations just four years earlier less than 40 African-Americans were honest. What causes Boom the distress sale policy along with the fcc's tax certificate policy what that policy did was for the first time it encouraged sellers to seek out minority buyers up until there was a Cast of Good policy station trading occurred in an old boy network has a lawyer and the director of the National Association of black owned broadcasters. What attached to it did was opened up that old boy Network. So the sellers looking to gain a tax break with seek out minority buyers. We gained access for the first time. We're calling us with the Iowa State for sale. It takes you back Thursday morning throwback and going in circles black radio. Tell me like it was from Public Radio International. I'm your Evans president and general manager of WFAA radio 980 AAA in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as an AM station in a midsize Market with Classy FM stations of serious competitors we contain a whole only cuz we do something so they don't do nothing. Can we do them in a way in which people know that were genuine and that we care it's not for sure when other stations are few years ago got into the thing of oh, we're not playing any more violent rap and any rap that is demeaning to women. We don't have to go there because I never allowed it in the beginning. So to me all of us about Consciousness to respond to black community anger with the Washington Post black DC readers were thrilled when the post announced that an African-American was going to be featured on the cover of their newly designed Sunday magazine Thompson and the Georgetown Hoyas were hotter than a firecracker then so we were speculating with everyone loves John Thompson. We speculated Colin Powell and what we were doing is pushing the magazine. We're on the air. Magazine get the magazine magazine coming out Sunday going to be a black person on the cover. Yeah. All right, we're supposed finally got it together. Yay for the Washington post war boom the Sunday arrived and Lord have mercy all these incredible Glory stories of black manhood in Washington DC that could be told at the story of The Washington Post decides to tell with their 5 Million Dollar Baby is about some Thug in New York who is accused of killing a Howard student. magazine dispose magazine issue also ignored positive black images and advertisement in a city known for its black majority population. So for 4 months using her wal family of the magazines and dump them right back on the Washington Post steps Matthews. He wrote the song Take it back. We don't want to take it back. We mobilize we had community meeting we talked about content analysis and it was an incredibly successful campaign. We returned close to half a million copies of the magazine to them. It was not a boycott. It was a recall just like with your car when you got a defective vehicle you made effective purchase you take it back on radio is often the voice of the community. This is definitely the case at KJLH FM in Los Angeles. This station is owned by Stevie Wonder my pleasure to remind you that you are in June to the Creative Source for sound in the Southland. KJLH getting by in the colors of green and gold. When Steve first heard KJLH it was kind of jazz fusion kind of militant kind of, you know, it's almost a hodgepodge of everything black all things good about our music in our talk and our conversation. It was almost an Eclectic blend what is very successful. So, of course Steve being the artist that he is it tapped into his creative Prince and he wanted to own it. He loved that. He loved KJLH and everywhere he went in the world. He would talk about this radio station. He began to do things even more for the community. I think one of the first things he did was survival for the 80s, which was his first major campaign and went out to the community paid electric bills and utility bills all that kind of stuff for the community and it evolved into a public service campaign and title. We are you and we still hold that true for all of our talk shows and public affairs shows. So if you Feel it if it affects you affects us and that their bond with Community. I would just like to vent my frustration and outrage and my question is this how can you communicate with the people I'm thinking white Americans who simply seem to be apathetic and have no sympathy for the backlight, but that all they see is stores in being looted and they can understand how people are so enraged. I'm not justifying looting but what I am saying is that they really don't understand why I was so angry there still areas in Los Angeles. If we go into we can harass in 1992 Los Angeles erupted into Mass violence after 4 City police officers were acquitted for beating black motorist Rodney King. Now KJLH is primarily a music station and after that verdict and it means we became the black communities voice and if it is a racist attitude and it's just it's terrible. I think that we shouldn't be tearing. That's ridiculous. This is our community. And even go to school to better myself because we are doing this. I can't go to school to get my education. We're ruining our own Community. That's not helping. Nothing get along. We all can get along. We just got it. You know what? I mean? We're all stuck here for a while. Let's try to work it out 5 days, KJLH business social workers and Community leaders talk about the riots physical emotional and economic Fallout. No other black stations responded as strongly to the communities need to talk and to listen then KJLH but the ability of black on the media to continue to serve as employers trainers and even as Educators has been dealt a serious blow the FCC recently adopted the so-called duopoly rules and according to her attorney and black media lobbyist James Winston for many years the FCC required that you could only own one a.m. And one FM radio station in a given radio Market the FCC has now changed its rules to allow people to own 2 a.m. Into FM's in most markets so that if I'm standing alone with an AM station in the market the competitor down the street who used to have an AM FM station that I was competing against may now have four stations owned by the same company. That means they will be selling them as a package. They can give advertisers A reduced package rate and the business is all about advertising and if you can't compete because you can't deliver the audience for the price another station. Can then you're going to squeeze out of business cuz the appetizer going to stop coming to you simply put duopoly in the allowing of multiple station ownership in the same Market pit the big guys against the little guys in the world of broadcasting. All African-American broadcasters are the little guys Look at that use so it's the big fish gobbling up the little fish and over the last few years. The numbers of black owners has been declining the number of stations that we own has been declining. And so now you have the passage of duopoly that forces you to either grow and expand either you have to buy are you have to sell? This is the wol Newstalk Network 1450 am wol, Washington 10:10 a.m. Baltimore. Is just about 5 at WKYS, Washington? KISS FM my main man DJ Iron Man on Kiss-FM Kathy Hughes was the first black radio on a twin braids to while Police use not on three stations in Washington DC for in Baltimore, Maryland and one in Atlanta Georgia for a few potential black owners may be able to follow in her footsteps. Remember that text tificate policy for the 1995 Congress killed it and then the opinion of national black media Coalition head. Marshall. It was just pure unadulterated racism and along with the elimination of the ownership caps on radio and television. You would probably see the demise of America ownership in the media. I say within the next 10 years unless somebody is being a woman enough to step up and say this is wrong and we're not going to allow it. So what does the future hold for African American owned radio is Cathy Hughes? I'm so terrified of going into your mm in so many Arenas when you look at the political Arena. We had a larger Black Caucus at the turn of the last century than we have presently in by the year 1900 the were history and we had to start all over again. I see the same thing and broadcasting. We got a little momentum going and then legislation was passed that we were not paying close enough attention to we were not large enough to survive it because I'm going to try and strive with every ounce of my existence. I'm going to have focused on staying alive, but it's not written that a corporation that only has eight stations can survive with unlimited ownership regulation. So I'm very very fearful for the future real serious. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel for those who are in black radio? What it means is what it's always meant for us. You know, we were coming up our mothers and fathers always told us, you know, you have to work real hard and you have to be better two or three times better than your white counterparts. Just make it That holds true business also. So it's a WBLS is of the world looking to make it they are going to have to be better get whatever they doing. And with this very serious times was talking about the survival of black radio. Black radio sounded like it was was produced by radio Smithsonian. Jacquie Gales Webb producer Sonya Williams and Lex Gillespie associate producers. John Tyler production manager, John Paulson and Matthew sakakini post-production engineers and Wesley Horner executive producer research by Universal media and original music by David Silva soccer. You can write black radio radio Smithsonian MRC 645 Washington, DC 20560. Our internet address on the world wide web is www.trl.org for further study contact The Archives of African American music and culture in Indiana University, Bloomington black radio telling it like it was made possible by a major Grant from The Corporation for Public Broadcasting with additional support from the James Smithson society and the Public Radio International program fund who's contributors include the Ford foundation and the John D & Catherine T MacArthur Foundation special. Thanks to Sonic Solutions. Bri Public Radio International today's programming is supported by Financial contributions from Minnesota Public Radio listeners. Your thanks for joining us will be Erie broadcasting this special documentary on the history of black radio at 9 tonight on the FM news station. So you get a second chance to hear it and next week. We will conclude our series tomorrow. We're going to turn our attention to the airport whether it should be moved to Dakota County or stay where it is. Our phone lines will be open if you can join us that's tomorrow. Thanks for tuning in today. I'm Robert McNeill now that I'm no longer on the NewsHour. I'm going to have a lot more time in the afternoon just to listen to All Things Considered afternoon to 3 at the FM news station k n o w FM 91.1 you're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. Play the Cloudy sky 43° at the FM news station kalw FM 91.1 Minneapolis Saint Paul or Twin City weather forecast partly cloudy and windy through the afternoon with a high approaching 50°. Tomorrow's high will be in the low 50s its 1.