The recent debate over the condition of Black talk radio reveals several factors. Among them, the niche format is suffering a crisis of talent, content, business model, demographics, and political sagacity.
The crisis is one of the reasons I decided to launch my own program, “The Cedric Muhammad And Black Coffee Program.”
In a sense the crisis of talent is one whereby an entire army and cadre of strong young, diverse and dynamic voices simply cannot break through an old guard network of well-connected opinion leaders from previous generations.
The crisis of content is marked by the extreme choice listeners have to make between superficial entertainment, gossip and part-time activists/hedonists (I see you Michael Baisden!) on one hand or rigid political ideology more loyal to political parties than local and global realities. Could it be that the titles and teams known as ‘Left,’ ‘Right,’ and ‘Center’ are more top-down controlling modalities and marketing niches (designed to herd the masses and direct their consuming power) than real genuine bottom-up political forces? Here, the ebb and flow is determined by elections and the flavor of the month cause celebre’ rather than the critically important subject of how economics, entrepreneurship and technology are the global change agents - with independent-thinking Blacks an endangered species.
The crisis of business model is that many do not seem to understand that Black-owned does not necessarily mean the best in Black programming. In the past decade, non-Black owned entities - public and private outlets – have provided more in-depth, more riveting, more confrontational, and more ground-breaking content. In addition, Black-owned media has never successfully attracted the advertising dollar of the Black small business owner and entrepreneur. How could they when all that is valued, too often, is what Arbitron can measure and corporate America can shell out?
The crisis of demographics is that the definition of ‘black’ is being challenged on a daily basis. Rejected by many - through Census categorization -with Black skin, and embraced by non-Blacks through an embrace of ‘the culture.’ In addition, ‘Black talk radio’ seems to think the only Black people on earth, live in America (Kenyan talk radio may be the best on earth).
The crisis of political sagacity plays out with the uproar ofver HR 848 which finds the great Rev. Al Sharpton on one side and the legendary Rep. John Conyers on the other (at least they’re still together on HR 40…oh I forgot, we got a Black president - reparations doesn’t matter anymore).
The Black talk radio industry is now calling on the masses to come to their aid to oppose the bill which would require radio stations to pay royalties to artists overseas.
Fine.
But where are the masses in the mind or heart of ‘the industry’ when they are firing the strongest voices the Black community has (sending more Black talent to non-Black owned stations)? Oh, this game of building companies off of the backs of the people and then selling them to investors on Wall Street is a tangled web we weave.
So, let me see, I support “Black talk radio” on this issue, and in return I get what – more ‘hot’ and nasty music, no talent hosts, and real news updates only when it’s too late, when the emergency broadcasting system is blaring, and it is not a test?
If the Black radio industry had maintained a dialogue with its audience and responded and respected their concerns about content and talent, perhaps they would not have to come back to the ‘hood to ask for last-minute support for something that has been in the pipeline in America and abroad for months and even years.
By the way, can’t the “Black talk radio” industry afford some effective political lobbyists by now?
If you are looking to not get caught in a pie throwing contest between elite politicians and elite businesspersons, I invite you to a new era – “The Cedric Muhammad And Black Coffee Program,” a show that seeks to end this current era of wackness in the name of blackness, by offering in-depth economic and geopolitical analysis, accompanied by music, humor and attention to human motivation (why we do all of these counter productive things in the name of a great people), supported by a business model that recognizes that the declining dollar (we’ll be accepting advertising payment in gold soon) of the Black entrepreneur and small business owner is just as worthless…we mean as valuable, as that of Corporate America.
“The Cedric Muhammad And Black Coffee Program” is the place where ‘Black Talk Radio’ must go, if it is to not only to survive, but thrive.
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Ouch my brother. Another sobering and penetrating commentary as always. On the crisis of the business model, you hit the nail on the head in terms of the fundamental contradiction of the lack of consciousness of the heads of many of the “Black owned” entities when it comes to programs of “quality”. I can’t tell you how many superior programs on VH-1 documenting in an in-depth, respectful and empowering way elements of our culture (music), which you rarely see on “Black” owned entities. So if they don’t respect our community enough to do that also, it smells like “pimping” when they hire Brother Sharpton to galvanize the support of an uninformed “Black Community” which they perpetuate, in their time of need.
Perhaps if they invested more in empowering our people via their programming, they would not need a “lobbyist” to influence Congress, they could turn to the “informed” community (following the business model of Spanish speaking radio outlets using their stations to organize the Latino and other Spanish speaking Americans and immigrants to influence Congress on the issue of immigration).
The real question is what lessons will “Black” owned media and our community learn from this experience?
Very well stated and written piece. On point!
~LT
Bro. Cedric, nice piece. I feel you on the crisis of demographics point. Its not only confined to Black Talk radio, even Black activism, if we look beyond rhetoric, act as if all Blacks live in America.
But Im going to fight you on the Kenyan Talk radio being the best on earth. I challenge you to listen to Ghanaian talk radio before submitting your verdict
We should have both sides of the story in detail. I am involved with the coalition of artist who are supporting the Conyer’s legislation.
Given the fact that Hughes and her son…have never really considered small black media owners before now(have you ever received a letter or act of support from Radio One?), and the fact that we as adults know their is always more than one perspective to an issue…their should be open, honest dialogue about the true effects of this legislation and the benfits to the “least of these…” in the music industry vs. the so called monetary downfall of the “elites”of the industry (Black and White).
I am sure, that once the ‘facts’ are out there…black folks will back away from the emotional hysteria driven by our good friend Sharpton and the like and know that this bill will end up supporting some of our most treasured icons in the music industry… some of who are now working minimum wage jobs to make ends meet while major radio conglomerates make, in total, hundreds of millions in advertising and marketing dollars off of these artist’s talented renditions.
Too add, isn’t it odd that the two major majority stakeholders (white owned and conservatives radio conglomerates) have been extremely quiet. Could it be that they figured out they had no real argument against a community icon like Conyer’s who has been pro black all his career…so what they did they do…turned it into a black issue with a black face…hmmmm.
Think about it people and dialogue fo’ real!
This initiative is really strong. We will eventually look for the same type of project, here up north in Quebec( Canada) where the black community is divided on the language issue( french & english)and ideologically .
In the years to come we will put on a radio show that deals with: Black history, panafricanism, social responsabilities and politics.
Keep doing your good work, brother Cedric
salaam
Peace. Thank you Brother Cedric Muhammad on your commentary about HR 848 and the Black radio response. I agree it is not good to inform some of the people some of the time and not inform all the people all the time.
This smelled funny when I saw who started up this save black radio campaign, Cathy Hughes, I haven’t read nor seen anything from Peppy Sutton of Inner City Broadcasting corp on this issue, and they are the second largest african american owned radio company in america. Personally I think Cathy Hughes could do better than getting her listener’s into drama mode who probaly don’t have another radio outlet in their cities, to fall for this cry, let’s remember what black talk radio is considered now in america, nationally syndicated shows mostly carried via cathy hughes, if u get local black talk on radio it’s most likely in the wee hours of the morning if at all, or maybe on a sunday morning, evening. Who else better to use than Al Sharpton, Tom Joyner to champion the cause.
Black talk radio should take notes. The Blackcoffeechannel format is the way to go. I FEEL YOU BRO. CEDRIC, I LOVE YOUR SHOW, KEEP IT GOING!!!!
Sultan Muhammad says: We’re living in a time when “only what is New is relevant”. Old ideas have no place or strength to stand . All old ideas are on the way out . Everything in the universe with life begins humbly. The sperm of all the greats had no power as sperm. But as developed men and women they grew into power and influence in the world. Saline water is powerless to cure cancer. Your answer to Black radio talk is a new and humble sperm in a newly developing world. Hail the humble growth of effective radio.These words , with the Help of God, will have greater meaning and depth a year from now.
how can a person listen to a radio when it has a .com for an address instead of a dial with volume.
I use radio to take me thru the day until I get home. i cannot
sit at a computer or carry a laptop to view your words.
there are a lot of different people in this world and I prefer the radio to web talk
i am only on a computer on my days off, but my radio is always on
I read the Take Over!
What can we do to support you and make you stronger and keep you that way?
Greetings Everyone:
I’ve enjoyed reading all of your positive posts and with what brother Patrick X’s post (question), what can we do to support you and make you stronger and keep you that way? I assume he his talking about the Black Coffee Program. I will chim in and answer, spread the word and generate revenue for Brother Cedric’s show buy buying advertising and or encouraging others to buy advertising. And no i was not paid to post this:) I love the program and beleive in its power and potential. Let’s support the new, the now, our own.
Well Stated Brother..Truly enjoy listening to your show..I see alot of folks following your model.
We should study the radio industry and understand the dynamics more before we make comments. The performance rights act is not about Cathy Hughes or what Radio One does with it’s programming. African Americans who have the luxury of being at the that level in broadcasting have to play the game they way the majority plays the game at that level. Radio One is a publicly traded company and their emphasis is primarily on the financial bottom line. Black radio emulates the procedures of the majority. Radio is run by a few white males. What we should be arguing about is why so few minorities have access to get a broadcast property to compete against Radio One and others too. And the media is good but do not forgo the terrestrial stations. Why do you think the majority wants to own all of them?
The radio industry is about to bottom out and this act will create another barrier to entry because we won’t have the capital to compete. The FCC and other are now trying to get radio back to public interest standards.
The performance rights act is a camouflage tactic. Some white folks have put it in the heads of a former black stars. man yall should be paid by radio cause they are making bank from the advertisers off of what you created. Advertiser aren’t moving towards radio like they used to. And in the day when radio was king and they used live musicians in the studio. Then I could agree with a performance rights act.
In the long run the performance rights act is going to force radio not to play music.
Knowedge is truly power. It’s so ironic how we dismiss the importence of ourselves until we need each other. This banter back and forth is soooo un-neccessary,yet sooooo neccessary. The stench of slavery has made us a relentlessly hard headed and stiff necked people. However, we do our best work under a crisis mode. (thats unfortunate,but the truth nonetheless) It’s no wonder why the prophet Hosea said “my people are destroyed because of the lack of knowedge” Mind you, not because of our skin color or our gender,but because we lacked knowedge .(of ourselves and others) For those of us who think that we will always refleck crabs in the basket, look out. The time and circumstances demands a change or die. Let the strong of our people join in with the strong of our people and remake the world of “NEWS” with renewed vigor and determinination. All of you who represent the diet of fear that all of us at one time or another have been nourished on. That time is up..We must stand up and be men and women and stand behind people like the “nation of islam” A fearless people who won’t back down from the oppressor. Organize and back our black organizations. Get rid of our weak, knee bending shadow fearing leadership,and pick up the mantle ourselves…”Be the change you want to see” Ghandi. Thankyou bro.Cedric Muhammad. You are doing bang up job..Yahya P.S. Join all of our organizations and change them from with in..
Brother Miles, you’re on point. This is nothing more than a scam. This is out of charecter for Mr. Conyers to carry on like this. I agree that most of black radio is nothing more than the same tracks being played over and over again with little information for the masses.
This 848 bill is supposed to help ripped-off artist of the past to get paid right? A sort of reparations right? Why are the artist getting less than 50% of the revenue for their music being played, while the record companies(who by the way ripped them off to begin with) get the bulk of the profits.
The record companies are all foreign owned with the exception of one. To require a radio station to pay a royalty everytime they play an artists music is way out there.
This will break black radio pretty much. I see this as politics as much as anything. Black radio did put out a lot of information during the last presidential election. I really believe this bill is being introduced to curtail that from happening again in 2012 for sure. It’s a great strategy when you really think about it.
Let’s face it. Congressman Conyers wife has taken a good beating over they years from the black radio in Detroit! One of the biggest questions I have is why aren’t these ripped off artist going after the record companies that ripped them off in the first place?
I wrote an article on examiner.com which took the position that 80 years of not paying the artist when their work airs on radio or television, is way too long. When the article was written it wasn’t done from a black or white point of view. Cited were the example of Smokey Robinson and Barry Gordy. Together they co-wrote “Shop Around.” Smokey gets paid as co-writer with Barry, the former Motown Owner, every time it gets air play. Smokey the artist, nor do the Miracles, receive any pay for air play. We’re talking about a situation which has existed since radio, records and artists have been around. Taking this to the other side; Jack Ely and the Kingsmen recorded “Louie Louie” which continues to receive a lot of airplay. When recorded Ely says he was paid one check for $5,000. But the writer of the song, receives over $50,000 in royalties a year, which is left for his heirs. This is not a black versus white issue, what it is could best be described as Master getting over on his slave. Because artist who record under contract, receive expenses which take away from any profit their recording might get when its made. Then they never receive air play royalties, so they get screwed again. The Black radio stations are caught up in a bad situation, which they didn’t make, but right now they are on the side of the Master, as far as the artist is concerned. The point here is that either you pay both the writer and the performer or you pay no one. We know how far paying no one is bout to go. The U.S. system of no pay to artist is followed in Iran and Iraq and North Korea. In France, they withhold royalties for air play from American artists because we withhold royalties for air play for their French artist, who have songs on our radio and television stations. When a rapper like Jay-Z gets air play there, the government takes his performance royalty payment and deposits it into their cultural affairs department, simply because we don’t pay their performers over here. When songs are downloaded, that is retrieved digitally, those companies like I-Tunes do pay performance royalties for air play. So Black Radio is going to in up in a changed business model if HR 848 passes and it should be passed. 80 years of paying the writer and not the performer is going on far too long. After all, I doubt if most song writers could even begin to sound like a hit record.
What is unfortunate Cedric, is that Black Radio could have on the cutting edge instead of the chopping block. Here is what I mean. When Talk Radio began taking over AM, Black Radio, should have done the same with its AM outlets. Some did like WOL (Washington, DC) others went to a all Gospel Format. What in essence happened was Black Radio missed the boat. Some went to an all talk format too late in the game. Regarding HR 848, both writers and performers should have shared the royaltys. Now their will be additional revenue that must be paid. Hopefully, this bill will be tabled. If not we can say goodbye to Black Radio as we know it.
Reggie Miles: remeber the airwaves are public, they have been hijacked by the big corps, even cathy hughes radio one, the same radio one that is going to be your only commercial radio source of so-called masked term—> urban radio. aka black radio, reggie there won’t be any need to to obtain the so-called capitol that we already have in our communities to compete with radio one because once u are given the tag as the chosen one then that’s it u are the only one, that’s how american works on business, media etc. We will continue to fool ourselfs if thinking that if we play in the system then that’s how we survive, we even have an african american in the white house now, but even he subscribes to the mandate of the american system. :ets wake up.