It's Time to Hold Black Radio and the FCC Accountable

Let me begin with this, Radio One is not the only reason for the lack of quality programming, news, public affairs and whatever in Black Radio. There are other Black corporate owners doing the same things as Radio One. Now I do not endorse the business practices of Black corporate radio but I understand why they do what they do. Is that right or wrong? I won’t judge because given the same hand I’d probably play it the same way.

Today’s Black owners who took their business practice to Madison Avenue walked into a den of sharks. It’s like rolling the dice in a crap game with the richest men in the world. They can fade anything you put up. They only let you come to the table so that they can take what you own in the end. Pray for the survival of our Black Owners. They are in a game that is extremely hard to win.

It's a funny thing about the game of "Monopoly." A person can never win in another person's house. The rules always are changing. When they (white males) wanted to change the rules in the media they created an ideology. They called it "Deregulation" which was really a cover name for rewriting the (Communications Act of 1934) rules to benefit a select few white males. The problems with Black Radio are not the entire fault of Cathy Hughes and Radio One. Please remember that to stay in the game you must play the game according to the(their) rules.

Over 40 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King noted the importance of Black Radio. What Martin Luther King described in 1967 as the role of the Black radio announcer was true. And what he said is exactly the reason for controlling the airwaves today. Through radio Black people managed to come together, stay informed and made political gains however that did not go unnoticed. There was a concerted effort to rid the African American communities of conscious "Black DJ's" and it was Black DJ's that did the handiwork.

Unknowingly some of the brightest Black minds in communication led to the demise of Black radio. It was black men that offered the format "More Music and Less Talk" killing the personality DJ that black people thrived on. It was a Black DJ that was hell bent on "Crossover Music/Radio." The Black DJ was a highly respected individual of the community. The DJ according to Professor Gilbert A Williams was a cultural hero.

Black radio began to decline when (white males) realized how much money could be made in the Black Community through radio. Black owners should be commended for surviving the "hell" they have had to endure to stay in business. Madison Avenue and Wall Street are on a mission to "Takeover Black Radio" and the entertainment industry period. Oh yeah, three of the four major record labels are now owned by International Companies.

Broadcast ownership rules and telecom policy were rewritten through stealth legislation to benefit "investors." It all started with calling radio a "product” or “commodity” then arguing for a "Marketplace approach to Broadcast Regulation." This happened in 1981 under President Ronald Reagan. FCC Chairman Mark S. Fowler spearheaded the rhetoric of the Marketplace Approach to Regulation. However the seeds for change were planted under President Carter and the deal sealed under the Clinton administration.

You see while Black people were striving to dominate the world of entertainment. White males were striving to change the rules to control all the venues. It’s amazing that there exist any local concert promoters today. Clear Channel owns radio, the billboards, concert promotions and major concert venues. Rap Brown said we dominate the field of entertainment but we don't control the field of entertainment.

Yes it's time to hold Black radio accountable, but the push can't stop there. Cries of localism, diversity, and equal opportunity should rise from Black people to the FCC. We want Local Radio! We want local Radio! We Want radio regulated to serve the public interest.

For Black radio, Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey, Doug Banks, Russ Parr, Yolanda Adams, Michael Basiden and other syndicated hosts are not the answer. Radio should always be local.

The only thing that can change this situation is for an informed Black people to Rise. The information you obtain about radio cannot come from the folks in radio. Many of them want to maintain the status quo. Align yourself with organizations that wish to challenge radio as it is.

An organized people can beat organized money.

The Prime Minister

Check This Out. I thought this was done very nice.