Note from the editor: The following is an article that appeared in today’s Daily News. David Hinkley laments the lack of mainstream radio outlets for the “black voice.” We’ve heard this argument most recently couple of years back when WLIB switched formats from talk radio to primarily gospel. I find that WHCR does a good job of providing an outlet for the Harlem community. I think the problem speaks to a larger trend of communication moving from the airwaves to satellite radio and the internet. What do you think? Article:
It’s again frustrating that there are few daily talk radio outlets for black community voices to be heard on a story with as many ripples and repercussions as the Gov. Spitzer scandal.
Lt. Gov. David Paterson is likely to ascend to the governor’s chair, which would make him the first black governor of New York, so it’s not as if the black community wouldn’t be interested.
But with major talk stations WABC and WOR focused on conservative talk, the only black talk hosts heard daily on major stations are Mark Riley, 7-9 p.m. on WLIB (1190 AM), and Coz Carson, 6-10 a.m. on WWRL (1600 AM).
Otherwise, there are only Sunday shows: “Open Line,” 10 a.m.-noon, and “The Week in Review,” 11 p.m.-midnight, on WRKS (98.7 FM); Imhotep Gary Byrd is heard Sundays, 10 a.m.-noon on WBLS (107.5 FM) and 7 p.m.-midnight on WLIB.
WBAI (99.5 FM) and WWRL also address black issues, and some hosts on black music stations, like Miss Jones on WQHT, Ed Lover on WWPR and Wendy Williams on WBLS, touch on political issues. But for straightup discussion, the black community, like the Hispanic community, is underserved.
To read the whole article visit: NYDailyNews.com
bob steele
March 13, 2008
Never shoot the messenger, never shoot the uneducated fool either with his section 8 remark, maybe if the poster would educate himself a bit he would know that advertisers feel there is no market for black talk radio, just like they feel there is only marginal revenue in urban/aka black music radio…forget about that pipe dream about the socalled market place being able to speak, when madison ave does it for us.
D. Bell
March 12, 2008
That sounds like a great question for the author of the article! Don’t shoot the messenger.
Anonymous
March 12, 2008
so what are you saying, there should be section 8 for radio? a kind of free government cheese radio? maybe Blacks don’t want to be informed and or have a voice in how you characterize it.
take rap off the radio now? i am sure you will have a riot!
why not let the market decide, as it has?