Is Black Radio Under Attack?

Michael Baisden, Tom Joyner Pulled in New York, While Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones Gain Stations in National Markets

In the last two weeks, four of the country’s most popular Black radio hosts were pulled from two significant radio markets: New York City and San Francisco. In New York City, “The Michael Baisden Show” and “The Tom Joyner Morning Show”, both of which are nationally syndicated, were yanked after their host station, WRKS (98.7 KISS FM), merged with its long-time rival WBLS (107.5 FM) as part of a restructuring effort.

The merger was part of a $96 million deal between Disney and WRKS owner Emmis Communications to launch ESPN Sports Radio on an FM station. WRKS officially began operating under WBLS on April 30, and WBLS’s “The Steve Harvey Morning Show”, which was unaffected by the merger, serves as a replacement for Joyner’s wildly popular show.

      

Needless to say, many Blacks in New York City are very upset about the merger and loss of two of the most prominent voices for political and social justice in Black radio.

Baisden was so incensed that he launched a petition to be placed on WBLS and issued a public statement about the situation and the circumstances surrounding it. The statement reads as follows:

Buffoonery Over Activism: Do we really prefer music and jokes over content?

After I received the devastating news on Thursday that 98.7 Kiss FM in New York was taking my show off and going to an all-sports format, I thought to myself: who is going to sound the alarm in New York when the next Jena 6 happens–or Trayvon Martin–or Presidential election? And who’s going to promote mentoring to save our children, and talk about domestic violence, and child molestation? When you come up with a radio personality’s name who can be trusted to consistently and passionately address these issues on mainstream FM radio, please let me know.

I don’t know about you, but I think we’re going down a dangerous path as African Americans, and as Americans in general, when we allow our voices to be silenced on FM radio while personalities like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and others continue to spew racist, divisive, and sexist language over hundreds of radio stations across the country. The public cannot be expected to act if they don’t know there is an emergency, they cannot march if they don’t know whose rights have been violated, and they cannot fight if they have been put to sleep by buffoonery and the repetitive recycling of what is often bad music.

Now, let me be clear, I have no problem with a radio station turning a profit; this is the advertising business after all. Our sponsors buy commercial time based on the ratings, but The Michael Baisden Show was the highest-rated afternoon urban adult program in New York at the time of this change. That’s a fact! And the show has been competitive in every book…or winning its time slot ever since I arrived at the station in 2003. How then do you explain every other show being moved to WBLS except this one? Is it personal or is there something more disturbing going on, a conscious effort to dumb down and silence any voice that uplifts and informs “The People?”

I have no desire to be the sore loser in this. If people prefer one programming to another, then you accept the outcome and keep it moving. But in these times of Republican policies that rob us of our voting rights and the legal system that is locking up more people of color than ever before, we cannot afford to have jokes and slow jams be at the center of our information outlets. Isn’t it funny that during one of the most critical times in our nation’s history, there are fewer African-American AM and FM shows giving information than ever before? What’s really going on, and more importantly, what can we do about it? Well, believe it or not, “The People” do have the power! Source: Radio Facts

Incidentally, Baisden may not have a home at WBLS, either, based on the following excerpt from an Emmis Communications press release posted on April 26, 2012:

Emmis also entered into a transaction to sell the intellectual property rights of Kiss FM, the current format Emmis programs on 98.7FM, to YMF Media, who is in the process of acquiring New York radio stations WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM. What is YMF Media, and what do they intend to do with these landmark stations of the Black community? I’m just asking.  

The entire press release can be read here: Emmis Press Release

Calls were placed to Emmis Communications for comment on the growing outrage over the Baisden/Joyner situation. The company has not responded. Calls were also placed to WBLS Vice President and General Manager Deon Levingston for comment on Baisden’s claim that the station engages in “buffoonery” and to find out more about YMF Media. The station has not responded.

Former program director Kevin Brown, as well as on-air personality Antoine Davis, both of whom worked at San Francisco’s KBLX, knows exactly what Baisden and Joyner are going through. The long-time morning show hosts were also unceremoniously dumped by the station after KBLX was sold to Entercom.

As was the case with Tom Joyner’s show, Brown and Davis’ time slot will be filled by The Steve Harvey Show beginning May 7. Brown is considered to be a legend in Bay-area radio, and many residents were outraged after learning Brown and his morning show team had been replaced.

One could argue that yanking Baisden, Joyner, Brown, and Davis from major markets is simply a matter of business. That may very well be the case, but it doesn’t make much sense if the shows were generating good ratings and substantial advertising revenue. Such was the case with Baisden and Joyner’s shows, so one has to wonder if they were targeted because of their extremely powerful roles and voices in the Black community. Both men played a pivotal role in addressing issues such as police brutality, the Trayvon Martin shooting, the Tea Party, voter I.D. laws, and blatant acts of racism that have been directed at President Obama and the First Lady, just to name a few.

Given the tremendous importance of the next presidential election, and the fact that the GOP, Tea Party, and the far-right have launched an all-hands-on-deck effort to thwart President Obama’s re-election, one could be persuaded to believe that Baisden and the others were abruptly cut in an effort to “keep the niggers, information sources, and the  situation under control.”

Baisden and Joyner have awakened a large sector of Black America that has been sleepwalking for a very long time, and there is no doubt that they’ll continue in their quest as the 2012 presidential election draws near… and the roots of injustice remain firmly planted in America. The question is, will they and other prominent, Black voices continue to be systematically drowned out or silenced as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Alex Jones gain a stronghold on radio and Internet stations over the next several months?

This commentary is from the heart and…..from The G-Man.

Photo courtesy of http://www.eurweb.com