Today I received several emails from concerned radio listeners who fear that a bill being proposed by 80-year-old Congressman John Conyers could signal the end of black radio as we know it. The email authors are sending out a call to help fight this bill and save black radio.
It’s funny that we didn’t see any such bills being proposed years ago when black radio actually cared about the community it served, and actually provided QUALITY entertainment instead of the garbage that we are forced to listen to now.
Quite frankly, in my opinion, black radio ceased to serve its purpose when they changed their format from R&B/pop to misogynistic rap music with in-your-face lyrics that are co-signed by jocks who don’t care that small children and teenagers make up a sizable percentage of their listening audience.
Black radio should clean up it’s act, clean up the offensive lyrics in the songs they play every 15 minutes, and start caring about the black community again. Then maybe some of us in the black community will care about black radio.
IMO there are many more white radio stations that play the crappy rap music than black radio stations. It is also up to the parents to be aware of what their children are listening to not the job of the radio stations broadcasting.
It was been surveyed that white kids in the burbs listen to more rap music then blacks.
it has*
when i heard my friends 10yr daughter humming birthday sex i knew then i was all set with the radio. hot 97(nyc) plays the worst musice ever. the same crappy songs over and over with the most sexual lyrics all day long. they have jocks on the radio in their 40s( flex and angie) who have children of their own playing this crap over and over. no thanks. when the jocks are on the radio talking trash( which is done by FMF) i knew i had to go to satelite radio.
when you have stations advertising that its your babys mother and mothers day weekend( how ghetto) i can care less what happens to that station( again hot 97). when you have at station which does paternity test tuesdays( power 1051 nyc) which has the most ignorant people on there at 720-740 in the morning while children are being taken to school. i again could care less what happens to the station. i say take the ignorant stations down and replace them with quality music stations. i dont even listen to black stations anymore. in the morning i listen to 1035 ktu( nyc) which is a pop station because they arent talking and entertaining all these ghetto antics and futher pushing the stereotype on my ears first thing in the morning.
I do not listen to urban radio because for the most part they condescend to me in the talk segments, and 80% of the music they play offends me greatly. I frankly couldn’t give two $hits if stations like V103 or Hot107.9 went off the air. On the rare occasion I’m listening to radio in Atlanta, I tend to list to top 40/Pop stations more than these poor excuses for radio stations these days.
What are the folks listening to in the ATL? I know here, we black stations geared towards the younger crowds and some geared towards the older crowds. I remember T Pain song I’m In Love With A Stripper. On the radio stations that play hip hop and today’s R&B they changed stripper to dancer (I thought that was hilarious).
What I find funny is that everything is a black issue. Have you ever really listened to the lyrics in a heavy metal or hard rock song? Same lyrics with different beat and genre. So now “black radio” has a problem. SMDH
In NY, I listen to WBLS. I can’t tell you none of the bullsh*t that’s getting played on them “blaziing hip hop and r&b stations.”
I mean I guess we should if we want something to listen to when we aren’t playing CDs in the car….I rarely listen to the radio anymore……I hear about the funny shows they broadcast, but when I crank up I forget all about dat shyt and listen to my downloads.
Yes, WBLS in NYC is holding it down. They are actually a black owned station (unlike Shot 97 and the others) and have a no rap policy. As crazy as Wendy Williams is she doesn’t even promote the hoodrat mentality.
Keep in mind this would include black talk radio and gospel stations as well. ALL black radio not only Urban radio.
The A has something for the young and old radio wise Shauny
I think the BIGGEST problem with Black radio is that most of the stations in major urban markets have been bought out by huge corporations that order HOURS of programming that is syndicated…so I am in Chicago…listening to someone that is beaming in from Houston…(generally a semi-star) and all of the local flava has been homoginized right out of what made Black radio “Black”…
Because syndication kills the bonds that the station had in the COMMUNITY!!! And the only time we can hear local talent is generally during after 7:00 p.m….when most folks aren’t even listening to radio…
And we can not forget how programming directors are so busy shoving payola down our throats that they FORCE folks to find other outlets in order to get some NEW TRUE MUSIC!!! I mean…when I start hearing the SAME SONG played FOUR TIMES IN A TWO HOUR PERIOD…THAT’S A PROBLEM!!!
Also…we’re moving from music to talk…and the format IS NOT TALK RADIO!!! I mean… ALWAYS had patter between songs back in the day…but now, they talk so darn much…they’re cutting out half the song…I mean…I’m hearing “Superstar” WITHOUT THE INTRO?!?! Or “Adore” WITHOUT THE LAST PART?!?!
So…Black radio is no longer grooming in town “talent” that can go out into the community and build a fan base…
Black radio is shoving payola crap down our throats…
We’re getting WAY TO MUCH TALK AND NOT ENOUGH MUSIC…
Actually…you can just take the word “Black” out of my above statement…that’s the problem with ALL RADIO!!!
The only radio station I listen to is 1010 WINS, the all news station here in the NYC area.
I couldn’t care less about any other radio programs.
I would think every city would Daisy. Not every station wants to play the same format. NOW our “white” pop/r&b are stations that don’t change the lyrics to the songs and has the questionable skits/talk just as much as our GCI and Power stations.
I agree with Sandra on some of the DJs though. They are embarrassing with some of the stereotypical mess they have as “entertainment” for their shows.
LaLa great post!
Long as Wendy Williams dont go off the air!
I think we need to KEEP black radio. Why can’t we have BOTH music and talk?
I am glad I can get Steve and Rickey now in the A! We have one local morning show team in the A and I only listen to them for the ET report. Otherwise, I am on Rickey and loving it.
black radio here in the triangle area (raleigh/durham/chapel hill) has sucked maja in recent years. NO local a.m. shows…hail no local afternoon shows either. when i was coming up our radio stations were the BIZ. real talk.
now like lala said…they answer to a corporate higher calling. when that gets mixed into ANY type of media (tv, newspapers, radio) it always spells trouble.
i voted yes….
I definately think that “black” radio should be saved BUT it should definately be cleaned up.
OK But what about stations like Steve Harvey and Yolanda Adams her in the ATL. Yolanda Adams station is strictly gospel but it is a black station. What would happen to that station? I agree that V-103 here plays the same ole garbage and after 6:00 it goes almost completely to rap. I don’t agree with the bill even though I do think some of these stations need to clean up their act but don’t punish them all.
@Luvly I said earlier this would affect ALL radio including talk radio and gospel. If you want to keep black radio or try to then you need to call/email your congressman/woman because they have to vote on this bill. From what I heard (Tom Joyner, Warren, Rev Al) if this bill passes radio (the good/bad) as we know it would come to an end sooner than later because if they dont have the money to pay they will be out of busisness sooner than later.
Lala11_7…i agree with you….great points
who cares what happens to black radio..im black and I dont care…im tired of the BS they promote..and you only hear 10 people every day…TI..JAYZ..BEYONCE..RIHANNA..STANKY LEG PEEPS…SOULABOY…LIL WAYNE & KAYNE…over and over…BYE PEACE OUT BLACK RADIO
Let the artist save radio…then we will really see how much the care about US…
whats there to save? when rashan ali morning show disbanded, I was glad for her. finally a company initiated intervention putting an end to bs. now she can act like the civilized person i know her parents raised her to be.
as for black radio, enough is enough. they play the same stupid ass 6 songs every hour. real music/artists dont stand a chance. we do all the talk about people at the club living out their bet and mtv lifestyle fantasies, but you have black radio to thank for that. frank and wanda and their negroidian show. hopefully they’re next. when i shower in the morning, i tunr on the radio and within 2 seconds turn on the cd player. i simplay can’t take it. the music is these lil young kids rappin and singing about bs. the people station my ass.
sure the syndication shows aren’t that much better. rickey smiley. just wow. i hate that black people feel the need to stoop to that level to maintain a following. horrible. and they took si-man off in the mornings for this shyt????
^ I LOVE Rickeys morning show and again this affects MORE THAN MUSIC! I listen to BLACK TALK radio as well and would like to continue doing so.
Comment # 2 I agree 100%
They need to start bleeping and editing music that’s radio again.
I listen to 104.1 Tom Joyner I like the oldies but goodies. But I think they should save black radio once again the white man is trying to opress us =D) I kid
just because the station plays “black” music, doesn’t mean it is black-owned.