101.9 WENN Birmingham Brings Commercial Appeal to Neo Soul Radio

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When the historic calls letters of WENN returned to the air in February of this year it marked a new direction in urban radio programming. WENN does indeed have a great history dating back to the civil rights era.

But the historic reason this time was WENN became the only commercial Neo Soul radio station in the country. (If there is another one, they're doing a great job of keeping it a secret.) So let's say it again, WENN is the only NEO-SOUL radio station in the country. It's not in Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, New York or D.C. It's in Birmingham, Alabama at 1019wenn.com.

Kori White is the program director of the former AM Black talk radio station. The station uses an FM translator at 101.9 FM to simultaneously broadcast its 1320 AM signal. White has done an absolutely fabulous job with the playlist that mixes in not only Neo Soul music, but also some Hip Hop and top rated R&B directly from the Urban and Urban AC charts. Local artists are also programmed on the station. (For those of you that want to know how to get your music played on the radio, fill up Kori White's inbox, not ours. lol)

VIDEO: Q-Tip Gettin' Up

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Rolling With Only the 80's and 90's, Not a Good Idea for Urban AC Radio

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Many listeners and armchair PD's believe you can grow a format with New Jack Swing R&B and Hip Hop from that era. At the present time, WMMJ Majic 102.3 is in the midst of taking their advice and re-programming their playlists.

The most recent PPM Ratings revealed that WMMJ was the Number 2 overall listened to station in the Washington, D.C. area. But that was before the change. They put it out there, that they were dumping their entire airstaff (because no one wants to hear DJ's chattering between songs) and going with a younger, "80's, 90's and today" sound, in an effort to get more ears listening from the most desirable demo, women.

Majic 102.3 decided to make the change (and their imaging too) to appeal to women with "the music they grew up with." Now it's called My R&B station. It will be interesting to see if their experiment will work. But it looks like it's not working already. Those PPM Meters must be telling them something...

Media Controversy: Essence Magazine Hires White Fashion Editor

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Does it really make a difference?

Essence Magazine, (the former number one show prep material for many Black radio hosts before Internet gossip blogs, lol) has chosen Ellianna Placas, a white woman, to be the new fashion director.

What's this controversy all about anyway?

After Essence revealed their new hire, Michaela Angela Davis, former fashion editor of Essence and former editor-in-chief of Honey magazine, revealed on her Facebook Wall, “It’s with a heavy heart I’ve learned Essence Magazine has engaged a white Fashion Director. I love Essence and I love fashion. I hate this news and this feeling. It hurts, literally. The fashion industry has historically been so hostile to black people–especially women. The one seat reserved for black women once held by Susan Taylor, Ionia Dunn-Lee, Harriette Cole(+ me) is now-I can’t. It’s a dark day for me. How do you feel?”

Upon hearing the decision by Essence Magazine, we immediately thought of one particular radio program director and DJ that has helped to cement a Black radio station's legacy for close to 50 years.

Lawsuits Dropped: Houston TV Station Fox 26 Gives Details on Trae Tha Truth vs. Radio One Lawsuits

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From reporter Isiah Carey (HOUSTON) - The lawsuit that pitted Houston-based rapper Trae Tha Truth against Radio One, Inc. station 97.9 The Box has been dropped.

Trae Tha Truth filed his lawsuit in May that claimed the Radio One-owned company prevented him from making a living with an alleged ban on the rapper and his music.

The legal team for Radio One, Inc. filed a counter suit to even the legal battle. On July 22, however, both sides simply agreed to drop their lawsuits.

Warren Fitzgerald, attorney for Trae tha Truth, confirmed with FOX 26 News that both sides agreed to walk away from the legal battle, but there was no settlement of record.

Fitzgerald said there are a lot of positive things that Trae tha Truth can do and that he and the rapper will refocus their efforts. He did not say specifically why both sides decided to walk away from the fight.

FOX 26 has not been able to reach attorneys for Radio One, Inc.

Coincidentally, the lawsuits were dropped on [last] Thursday, which was Trae Day in the City of Houston.


Source


Check out our previous post on the Trae Tha Truth lawsuits including the Brandi Garcia firing from 97.9 The Box, by clicking on ANY LABEL below... things still seem they're not on the level with this case.

Radio One Stations in Dallas Make Cuts to their Airstaff

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Long time market veterans, night host Rudy V and middayer Lynne Haze have left Urban AC station KSOC “94.5 K-Soul.”

Over on the urban side DJ Supa K exits KBFB, 97.9 The Beat.

Cortney Hicks takes over Middays at Majic 102.3

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Veteran radio personality, Cortney Hicks (without a "u") is the new midday host at Washington, D.C. urban adult contemporary station Majic 102.3 (WMMJ). Hicks joins recently named afternoon host, John Monds on the air. Both of whom had previously worked with Majic 102.3's new Program Director Jamillah Muhummad in Detroit.

A new night host at the station has not been named as of yet.

VIDEO: J. Cole - Who Dat (Clean Version)

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Heard this on the radio and wanted to know "who dat was?"

This *clean* and radio version is really just a version with the explicit words deleted. It seems to us that a reworking of a few lyrics would have been beneficial for this song to really take off and to increase the song's airplay on urban and possibly rhythmic radio. Although it's still doing well...

Roland Martin Addresses Shirley Sherrod Issue, Offers On Air Apology

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Roland Martin issues an "I'm sorry" to Shirley Sherrod. By now we're sure Shirley knows Roland wants to reach out to her. She's not picking up the phone.

From RolandMartin.com: Roland Martin explains why he has not apologized to Shirley Sherrod this week. Roland explains that his decision is based on the values that he was raised with. Roland said, “If you hurt someone, or they feel injured, you go to them and not around them”. Roland said that is why he chose to first, reach out to her directly as opposed to making an indirect statement. He goes on to say that since Wednesday he has tried to contact Mrs. Sherrod via home phone as well as by cell phone nearly a dozen times. He has also sent text messages and understands that she is inundated with various requests.

Roland then says, “What I want her to know and anybody else, is what I previously stated and written. Did I make a snap judgment against her based upon the comments originally reported, yes. Was it wrong to do so, yes. And I clearly would have come to a far different conclusion had I seen the entire forty-five minute speech and for not doing that, am certainly sorry”. Roland continues by saying, “… I concur with her view that every single one of us should not allow someone’s skin color to determine how we treat them and work with them…”

Source

Shirley Sherrod Pissed Off at Roland Martin and Will Not Appear on TJMS

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Roland Martin defends his position to the end while Shirley Sherrod says he's dead wrong! It just seems that it is beyond Roland to apologize. At this point last week when this conversation took place, the NAACP had apologize to Mrs. Sherrod and stated that they had been "snookered".

Quite frankly Roland Martin looks foolish. His response to all of this had been to tell his followers on facebook and twitter that he was reaching out to Shirley Sherrod to apologize in hopes of landing her on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. She obviously doesn't want to hear from Roland and doesn't want to hear anything he has to say. Roland you done pissed this lady off, really bad!

As she said, "He's clearly from a different world. (lol) Is that why he wears an ascot?

Soul Singer Bilal Gives Women Advice, Maybe He Should Write A Book Like Steve Harvey

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Check out Bilal Oliver's column - ”How to Decode A Brother When He’s Talking All That Jazz.” He is just as qualified as Steve Harvey to give advice to women on how to deal with their man. Besides is there any other song as cool as "Soul Sista."

Here's his answer to the first question he was asked...

1. He says he’s going to call and doesn’t …

Now I really don’t understand why anyone would do this but I guess it’s just to be cordial. I’ve never really taken someone’s number and not called. Men probably do it just to be nice or maybe it was a one-night stand and he wants to keep it cool. But if you meet a guy and he takes your number and doesn’t call you, he’s JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU!

11. He’s taking a weekend trip with the fellas …

Depends on his type of friends. If they look like macks, then you already know. If they look sweet, you already know. If you you’ve never met his friends, it’s either really his girlfriend or he’s probably trying to distance himself from you … Sounds like game. (lol)

Sounds like rather good advice... here's the rest of Bilal's answers, good stuff.

Democracy Now talks Using New Social Media and Old Media (Radio) to Connect Communities

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One of the fallouts that happened due to media consolidation and passage of the TelComm Act of 1996, has been the decrease amount of news coverage and issues that radio provides to the local communities they serve. However that coverage has been replaced to a large extent by social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Democracy Now took their broadcast to Las Vegas at the site of the Netroots Nation convention, where thousands of people gathered and social media was the watchword of the day. They hosted a roundtable discussion on social media with radio host Aimee Allison, founder of OaklandSeen; hip-hop journalist and activist, Davey D; and Cheryl Contee, aka Jill Tubman, co-founder of the political blog "Jack and Jill Politics."

In the discussion the panel talked about how Social Media covered the Oscar Grant protest and "riots" in Oakland a couple of weeks ago as a multi-racial event, which was far different from how the mainstream media covered the story. (a case of the media censoring the news ...interesting)

Watch the discussion here

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The Media Firestorm over Race and Shirley Sherrod: Dr. Marc Lamont Hill Calls Out the Obama Administration and says "They're Afraid of White People"

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CNN's Don Lemon speaks with Columbia University professor Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Cheryl Contee of Jack & Jill Politics on the conversation about race that the firestorm over the Shirley Sherrod firing and subsequent official apology has sparked.

Is this a reason we don't see this kind of discussion in prime time and only on the weekend? Is someone afraid that Black folks might say anything? (lol) See the next post...

CNN "Reliable Sources" discusses the lack of African-Americans in TV news

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Howard Kurtz discusses the lack of of African-Americans in TV news with Carole Simpson, Eric Deggans, and Amy Holmes.

John Gotti's Grandson Says, "I Gotta Problem" with Rick Ross Naming His New Album "Teflon Don"

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"He should have asked for permission. A standup, respectable guy would come and ask 'If I could use the nickname,'" Carmine Agnello (John Gotti's 24 year old grandson), who is trying to launch a music career under the name Carmine Gotti, said of Ross. "I think he's a great artist, but you can't just start calling yourself that to sell records ...He wants to go for that whole image, but hey, be yourself."

Then he took another swipe at the 34-year-old, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts. "Only in America can you go from being a corrections officer to calling yourself Teflon Don."

Click here to read more New York Daily News

YouTube Launches a New Music Page

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YouTube can be a blessing and a curse for music fans, simply because endless music video selection also invites poor quality, redundancy, and chaos. Vevo has trimmed the weeds considerably, but YouTube took another healthy step forward this week. At youtube.com/music, fans can now find some lightly-curated content, as well as simple organization by views and genres.

This is not a revolutionary statement on music, but merely an easy way to find some favorites. And, once the user dives into a category, the relatively-new autoplay (and shuffle) feature invites discovery and radio-like listening while multi-tasking. That offers a serious lure to Pandora listeners, especially when the free monthly listening quota expires.

Read more from Digital Music News

ABC News Signs Distribution Deal with Slacker Personal Radio

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Listeners who use Slacker can now get access to radio and TV audio content from ABC News. Slacker lets users access personalized content on smartphones; its mobile apps are available for Android, iPhone, Palm webOS, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry, as well as at the Slacker website and on Slacker-enabled Sony TV and Blu-ray players.

Steve Jones, vice president and general manager, ABC News Radio says Slacker offers its audience "immense" flexibility to get custom content where they want it.

The companies say the ABC News station enables listeners to create a personal experience by selecting stories they want to hear.

Listeners to the free basic service will be able to try ABC News for up to 14 days; Slacker Radio Plus subscribers get unlimited access. Plans start at $3.99 a month.

Using Slacker Personal Radio, listeners create personal "radio" stations based on any artist or mix of artists, or listen to and personalize various programmed genre stations.

How long will it be before these pureplay music services like Slacker, Last FM and Pandora go another step further and add a host to voice the format the listener is playing? It just more competition for terrestrial radio to get the ears of listeners.

No matter what traditional radio people think, a radio tower transmitting a signal over the broadcast spectrum is not important to the average potential radio listener. The public perceives these listening platforms such as Slacker or Pandora as "radio" ...and getting it over their mobile device just makes it more convenient.

Source

VIDEO: T.I. featuring Keri Hilson - "Got Your Back"

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The Regis & Kelly "Women of Radio Contest" Semi-finalists are Announced and 95.5 WPGC tweets about it

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The battle for the daytime TV cohost position has come down to 100 semi-finalists, a list that includes two syndicated show hosts, nine Canadian broadcasters and three from Sirius XM including Howard Stern's sidekick Robin Quivers. It a great way for Regis and Kelly to generate buzz about the contest while promoting their show and Facebook with mentions on radio stations all over the U.S. and Canada.

The winner gets a chance to co-host with Regis Philbin for one day from the show’s studio in New York City. We're sure that they may even think about having the top five host for an entire week. (Kelly must be on vacation) But we have uncovered some controversy from CBS radio's 95.5 WPGC. They had this exchange on Twitter yesterday with a listener:

Lmachazel @WPGC What do we need to do for Anji!!

Tweeted by WPGC @Lmachazel Vote for the ONLY urban on-air personality selected as a finalist for the Women in Radio Co-host for a Day Contest.

WAIT!!! WPGC tweeted the only URBAN on-air personality... hopefully they don't do an NAACP and delete this tweet from yesterday.

We decided to check out the list.

We found Kendra G - 100.3 The Beat, Elle Duncan - V-103, Angie Martinez - Hot 97, Jacque Reid - 98.7 Kiss FM, Malikha Mallette - Power 105.1, Nautica De La Cruz - KJLH, and former urban radio personality Helen Little at Lite 106.7 and of course Anji Corley at WPGC. Maybe WPGC should have tweeted that Anji is the only urban radio personality from D.C. to make the list. Now that this is straight, you can vote for your favorite on facebook, if you can figure out how???

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The Less is More Approach to Marketing Yourself as an Artist

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Of the hundreds of promotional material we received in our inbox, this one was by far different, very different (lol). Will it work? Who knows...

It immediately reminded us of Forrest Gump. There was a lot of that "life is a box of chocolates" philosophy in Ronnie Brown's promotional pics and marketing. It was a far cry from the usual over the top, slam you over the head, scantily clad women photoshopped stuff that is usually marketed by independent hip-hop labels. Which results in all of it blending together and nothing promoted stands out.

Take a look for yourself at the new Forrest Gump with a southern durty durty twist.

Pandora Internet Radio Hits 60 Million Listeners and is Adding Users Faster Than Ever

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Pandora announced that they now have 60 million listeners registered. This is up from 50 million in April, and 40 million in December. Before that, it took them all over 2009 to double in size from 20 million to 40 million. In other words, the service is now adding users faster than ever.

And that shouldn’t come as a big surprise to anyone who has used the service. While it’s great on the desktop, it’s even better on mobile devices. And now that they’re on iPhone, Android, and several other mobile devices, it is becoming sort of the de-facto new version of radio. And with the release of iOS 4 for the iPhone, Pandora finally got another killer feature: the ability to stream music in the background. I have no doubt that usage is skyrocketing thanks to that — Pandora has long been one of the all time most popular iPhone apps.

Read more at Tech Crunch

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Shepard Smith Does the Right Thing - He Calls Out His Network FOX News and the White House over Shirley Sherrod Firing

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"We here at Studio B did not run the video and did not reference the story in any way for many reasons, among them: we didn't know who shot it, we didn't know when it was shot, we didn't know the context of the statement, and because of the history of the videos on the site where it was posted, in short we do not and did not trust the source."

WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO: Nicki Minaj “Your Love”

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Nicki Minaj fans have been waiting a long time for this one. Their girl, Nicki, just dropped the video for "Your Love". As we reported yesterday, she is building quite a following with her fan base to rival Lady GaGa.

It's 'Showtime' in Raleigh

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Radio personality Showtime has been hired as the newest on air talent for Radio One's K97.5 (WQOK) in Raleigh, NC. A native of Hampton Roads, VA, Showtime has spent many years on the air in his hometown market. Prior to heading to WQOK, Showtime hosted The Talk of The Town Morning show at Norfolk's WNSB. He was also previously employed by Steve Hegwood's On Top Communications at WWHV in Virginia Beach, VA.

Showtime, who is extremely excited about his new venture will be handling weekend and fill in duties at his new station. "I am thankful to Radio One for granting me this opportunity" he said. "This is a great opportunity for me to work for one of the greatest companies in broadcasting. I am excited about being a part of the WQOK family.

How did the Media Takeout Shirley Sherrod's Job?

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Yes this is a play on words but it's not a joke. Media Takeout is one of the most popular websites filled with nonsense, while FOX News is the popular television media outlet that is filled with nonsense too. Both media sources can ruin the lives of innocent people, but FOX News furthers the political agenda of The Tea Party, and conservative media, but most importantly divides people and wreaks havoc in the country, all in the name of ratings.




The bottom line in all of this is: The White House caved in to pressure from FOX News. The NAACP got played by FOX News and has now retracted its original statement condemning comments made by a Shirley Sherrod, the former Agriculture Department official who resigned after a video clip surfaced of her discussing a white farmer. The NAACP has even gone back and deleted tweets on their Twitter site that supported Ms. Sherrod's firing eariler on Tuesday.

Also, how did Roland Martin let himself get played by FOX too? Roland you look foolish. You made a statement without investigating the speech clip first? Ms. Sherrod lets him have on CNN and says she can't listen to anymore of what Roland Martin has to say. Somebody needs to give her "her job" back! ...and Roland, you need to apologize to Shirley Sherrod.

Check out:

From YouTube - Sherrod to Martin: 'You are dead wrong!'

From CNN - NAACP 'snookered' over video of former USDA employee

From Jack and Jill Politics -

"Wow. The Tea Party Has Black People Shook!"

"Shirley Sherrod is my hard-working grandmother.

She grew up in the South, worked hard to gain a senior position within a historic administration, and in a matter of days, is a living example of the stupidity of 24-hour news, out-of-context grainy YouTube clips (read: ACORN and Rev. Wright), and as one commenter put it, a victim of ‘reverse reverse discrimination’." ...Read more

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Dr. Boyce Watkins and former 98.7 Kiss FM host Raqiyah Mays talk Relationships and Facebook

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Inside Atlanta's Radio Numbers, Rickey Smiley and Hot 107.9 Gaining on V-103 in the Morning

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Atlanta TV and Radio blogger Rodney Ho says "Rickey Smiley’s morning show demolished Frank and Wanda among teens and almost beat Frank and Wanda among 18 to 34 year olds. This was by far Smiley’s best month since he began a couple of years ago and his performance has steadily improved all year. His 18-34 numbers have nearly doubled since January and up 58 percent among 25 to 54 year olds." Read more of the breakdown in the AJC.

FOX News is Doing African American Voters a Favor by Exposing The New Black Panther Party

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As incredible as this may sound, a contributor on the CNN show "Reliable Sources" says that FOX News is providing a service to African American voters who wanted to vote for Barack Obama during the 2008 elections, but were intimidated. TV One host and TJMS contributor Roland Martin appears on Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz and Jim Geraghty to discuss Fox News' extensive coverage of the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case.

Comment from YouTube-"Roland is right on. Fox News is trying to accomplish 3 things here. 1. To make everyone talk about them, 2. To create the "Scary Black Man" syndrome amongst white voters, and 3. (and this is most important) try to paint the picture that President Obama will not prosecute these people because they are black. (Some of that race-baiting that they claim they hate so much). The truth is no one would know who these 6 or 7 lunatics were if they weren't on faux news so much."

Citadel Media Inks Multi-Year Deal with "The Bad Boy" Michael Baisden

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Citadel Media, (formerly known as ABC Radio Networks) signs syndicated radio personality Michael Baisden (pictured here with co-host George Willborn) to a multi-year extension. "The Michael Baisden Show," launched in 2005, airs on more than 75 affiliate stations.

"The opportunity to continue our partnership with Michael is a tremendous win for our affiliates and advertisers," said Citadel Media President John Rosso. "He is a dynamic host and has repeatedly proven his ability to connect with his listeners who are fiercely loyal to his brand. I'm proud we will be working with him well into the future."

"Every day my goal is to engage our audience with a meaningful discussion on the topics that matter most in their everyday lives. I'm pleased to know I'll continue doing that with the team here at Citadel Media," added Baisden. "For the last five years, we've been able to grow the program - not just in markets and ratings - but also in the way we touch our communities."

This extention comes on the heels of Citadel's decision earlier this year to eliminated other urban syndication radio shows. Those shows were Big Boy's Neighborhood, Brian McKnight, and Doug Banks.

One Last Word on LeBron James and Jesse Jackson's Comments from Radio Host Bomani Jones

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Do you know “The Morning Jones” host Bomani Jones? Neither do we until we saw him absolutely blow away two other sportswriters on a recent episode of the ESPN show "Outside the Lines." Finally we have an an intelligent fact-based argument and perspective on the "runaway slave" statement by Jesse Jackson.

Jones hosts his own show from 7 am to 10 am ET for Canada’s Hardcore Sports Radio, that's heard on Sirius Channel 98 and available for free from iTunes. The Canadian based show is hosted by Jones from Raleigh-Durham, NC.

Two of the better comments from the "Outside the Lines" clip on YouTube were:

Everything's Not Cool with Sheryl Underwood Joining The Steve Harvey Morning Show

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Did you notice that comedian Sheryl Underwood was missing from the Tom Joyner Morning Show? Sheryl has joined The Steve Harvey Morning Show as a regular weekly contributor to the show. She will also be Steve Harvey's guest host when Harvey is on vacation.

This change however did not go over well with the TJMS according to AOL Black Voices. "She has forever burned her bridge with the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Radio One and all of its affiliate companies," a source told BV Newswire. "Unlike LeBron James, the way she handled things were unethical and she'll likely regret it in the long run."

The biggest mistake was bashing Tom on Steve's show," the insider continued. "That just wasn't good form at all!"

Underwood, who can also be heard regularly on Jamie Foxx's satellite radio show 'The Foxxhole,' appeared on Harvey's show last week. When reached by BV Newswire, she vehemently denied any wrongdoing -- noting that she first appeared on Harvey's show to promote Census 2010.

"I was just on Steve's show to promote the clubs I was in various cities," she added. "Even though I am no longer a contributor to TJMS, I will continue to support Tom Joyner's Take a Loved One to the Doctor, The Virtual College Tour and HBCU's 100 percent. ...I said as much to Oscar Joyner in a very warm phone call."

"This new work with Steve," she noted, "allows me the opportunity to expand my brand into different avenues. It's the chance of a lifetime. It was an offer that I couldn't refuse."

Source

VIDEO: Mos Def - "Quiet Dog Bites Hard"

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John Legend and The Roots - "Wake Up Everybody" featuring Common & Melanie Fiona

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A remake of the 70's classic song from Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass

Big Tigger still Doing Big Things with his TV Show

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“Direct Access With Big Tigger” which airs on The CW50 in Washington, D.C. will get the chance to go national. The show hosted by WPGC's morning host Big Tigger (Darian Morgan), has been picked up by Tribune Broadcasting, which owns TV stations in Dallas, Philadelphia and Hartford for a 10-week run. Big Tigger’s “Direct Access” ratings have been phenomenal. Not only is it the number one show in it's time slot, "Direct Access" received triple the ratings of “Sex in the City” reruns that previously aired in the Saturday 11p.m. spot and it beat the local news.

The Money Decision to Keep the Number One Record in the U.S.A. by a Rapper Off of Urban Radio Stations

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The number one record in the country sold 800,000+ copies it's first week on the charts. No it's not Drake. Right now it's at 1.2 million. He's killing Drake! It's by a Hip Hop artist who has his own Sirius XM channel. An outlet that has become a haven for many Hip Hop artists because of its diverse playlist dedicated to expose hip hop fans to stuff they would never hear on terrestrial radio.

The first release "Not Afraid" by this rapper is played heavily on Rhythmic/Top 40 Hits radio, it's just that you won't find it at all on Hip Hop/R&B urban radio stations. Doesn't it have crossover appeal? We would say so.

Because corporate radio is run like your neighborhood Blockbuster Video Store. (Can you find one anymore?) The album "Recovery" from Marshall Mathers aka Eminem is not played on Hip Hop radio because he is White. "WE can't be put him into the Hip Hop CATEGORY, we have to keep him in the Rhythmic CATEGORY. God forbid our listeners start to drift over to the urban station we own. We have to keep our listeners on the station they are currently listening to. We don't want ratings to drop on our rhythmic/Top 40 hits station." It's not a matter of competition it's a matter of money. Corporate Radio, owns hundreds of stations across the country. Corporate radio gets more advertising dollars on rhythmic radio stations than they do on urban radio stations. It's quite simple. It's the bottom line.

The hot talk is always about 'Who sold the most Units' on Hip Hop/R&B stations from Hot 97 to V-103. That just doesn't seem to be so important anymore? How come nobody's got BEEF with Eminem? Not even Drake.

Unable to find a clean version of the song on YouTube, but you can listen here to the first release "Not Afraid". Eminem has to tell us in the song that it is a rap song! It's from the TOP SELLING ALBUM IN THE COUNTRY. Shhh!!! It's Hip Hop but don't tell anybody...

Ciara and the new video for "Ride" - Come on baby girl, Does it take all of that

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Actually it's not Ciara's fault. Syndicated morning host Rickey Smiley observed on his show this week that he wasn't really feeling this "new" Ciara. He liked the image of Ciara that was introduced to the masses back in late 2004. The Ciara that received a Soul Train Entertainer of Year Award way too soon...(lol) The Ciara that had a female swagger in the style similar to Aaliyah.

We won't preach here...but it's the same sort of thing media and music industry watchdog websites like Industry Ears and Hip Hop author and critic Tricia Rose continually talk about when it comes to sexually explicit lyrics and media images aimed at and consumed by young African Americans. The so-called Hip Hop generation.

Take a look at the following videos both featuring Ludacris. Ciara's "Oh" in 2005 and "Ride" the first release from her new album. Hmmm.... makes you wonder what videos will be like in 2015. Will there be anything left to the imagination?

Another Day, Another Social Media Platform called Hitch Radio

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Hitch Radio is a social network built upon real-time broadcast radio search. Simply, type in what you want to hear and Hitch Radio searches 33,000 radio stations in real-time to find what stations are playing what you want to hear right now. Once you find a station, you can hitch-a-ride and listen to that song or artist and then discover what plays next.

You can also connect with others by posting your ride on Facebook and Twitter and inviting your friends and family to join you in a real-time concert-like listening experience by clicking on that link. Soon, you will even have the option of building your own playlists and hitching-a-ride automatically from one favorite song or artist to the next.

Read more about one blogger's experience with Hitch Radio from Black Web 2.0.

VIDEO: Joonie "So Fly"

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Is he the next Ne-Yo? A songwriter who couldn't find a singer to sing his music the way he wanted it sung...SO he had to do it himself! He's worked with Warren G., Mos Def, Angie Stone, and two ‘American Idol’ contestants Rubben Studdard and Elliot Yamin. No one?

Nice vibe on the song...

John Monds Heads Back to D.C. on Majic 102.3

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Majic 102.3 brings aboard John Monds to take over the afternoon slot in the revamped format at the station. A veteran radio personality, his last major market stop was at Radio One's former Los Angeles station V100.

Monds has also had long runs in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Area listeners will remember him as the morning man at 96.3 WHUR prior to Tony Richards hosting "The Real D.C. Morning Show". Monds exited the PD and afternoon drive position at Magic (formerly Mix) 106.1, WRRX Pensacola in June.

VIDEO: Common - "The Corner" featuring The Last Poets and Kanye West

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An edited comment from YouTube:

"This brought back my love for hip hop! right now, hip hop is like that old girlfriend. Hate her but when you see her, you [are] in love! But when she opens her mouth [now] you remember why you can't stand her a**!

Just a random Media and Advertising Observation...about the AT&T 57th President Commercial

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A guy named Steve observed on the AdFreak website; "...this commercial makes no sense in terms of timing."

"President Obama is the 44th President. The kid of this couple is supposedly the 57th President - i.e., a difference of 13 [presidents]. But if you go back 13 Presidents, the 31st President was Herbert Hoover, who took office in 1929. That's 81 years ago. So by that math, this kid is going to be 80 when he's sworn in. And assuming his parents are 25-30 years older than him, they're going to be anywhere from 101-106 at that inauguration. That's nonsense."

But wait, could it be possible? If the next 13 presidents serve just one 4 year term (not likely though), then that would be only 52 years from now... is someone trying to tell us something about the Presidential election in 2064. Anyway how does an older "Caucasian looking couple" have a child that looks Asian at the piano and Hispanic blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Where's Arsenio Hall when you need him... Things that make you go Hmmm..."

AT&T has enough problems anyway... Did you see that Consumer Reports suggest using duct tape to improve the AT&T wireless reception with the new iPhone 4!!! (LOL)

Jacque Reid Returns to host 'The View'

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Jacque Reid will be a special guest host on 'The View' on July 21. "I am looking forward to returning to 'The View' to guest host. I always enjoy the opportunity to be on that show," Reid told BV Buzz.

Reid was considered one of the front-runners for Star Jones' vacant seat on the ABC talk show back in 2007. The coveted job was ultimately given to comedienne Sherri Shepherd.

A former news anchor for both CNN and BET, Reid currently works as a co-host on the 'D.L. Hughley Morning Show' on 98.7 Kiss FM (WRKS) in New York City. She can also be heard on the nationally syndicated 'Tom Joyner Morning Show,' where twice a week, she offers female-driven commentaries called 'Inside Her Story.'

Earlier this year, the multimedia journalist starred on VH1's 'Let's Talk About Pep,' where she made headlines for confessing she had never had an orgasm.

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Jesse Jackson Calls Racism Over LeBron James Criticism

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Rev. Jesse Jackson responds to the following statement on The Ed Show from MSNBC.

Jesse Jackson statement: The Rev. Jesse Jackson blasted the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers for treating Miami-bound LeBron James like a "runaway slave."

The civil rights leader slammed owner Dan Gilbert for calling James "disloyal" and "a coward" in an open letter to Cavaliers fans.

"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," Jackson told The Associated Press. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave-master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave."

Clear Channel donates four radio stations to support minority ownership initiative

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Clear Channel Radio has agreed to donate stations and equipment to the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council as part of a move to increase diversity in media ownership. Clear Channel Radio will donate a number of AM station to the council through the MMTC-Clear Channel Ownership Diversity Initiative. Initially, Clear Channel Radio plans to donate AM radio stations KYHN in Fort Smith, Ark.; WTFX in Winchester, Va.; KMFX in Rochester, Minn.; and WHJA in Laurel, Miss.

The council will work with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Education Foundation’s Broadcast Leadership Training Program to use these radio stations for training purposes as well as incubate a new generation of minority and women broadcast owners, says David Honig, president and executive director of the council.

VIDEO: Halle Berry Doing a TV spot for Radio Station WZAK Cleveland

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Raw footage of Cleveland native Halle Berry doing a TV commercial for WZAK in 1991. To be honest Halle nailed it the first time, but if you were the videographer, you would make her do it over again and over again until she got it just right. What would you do? Do you think Halle was getting a little annoyed... (LOL)

This was shot almost twenty years ago when Halle had just starred in the movie "Strictly Business" with Tommy Davidson. Click here to see a clip from that flick... at the height the New Jack Swing era in urban music.

VIDEO: Eric Roberson "Still" Raises Awareness About Breast Cancer

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Singer and songwriter Eric Roberson just released his new video, “Still” from his current album, "Music Fan First". The song raises awareness about Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer is the most common form of cancer among women. Its the second most common cause of cancer death among African-American women. More info at the end of the video.

DC's Majic 102.3 Makes It's Big Announcement

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No, the announcement has nothing to do with Donnie Simpson returning to the Washington, D.C. airwaves, in fact Donnie may not even fit in with their new format. The announcement doesn't even have to do with the station naming new hosts after firing the entire airstaff two weeks ago. It has to do with Majic 102.3 (WMMJ) going commercial free for 102 hours and according to the website DCRTV, Majic is looking to tweak their format to appeal more to women 35-44.

This format focuses on playing R&B from the "80's, 90's and Today", and is currently running on Radio One's urban ac station My92.7 WQNC in Charlotte. However we seem to remember this approach was tried earlier in the year at 107.9 WRNB in Philadelphia. It did not go over very well.

D.C. still seems to be a Phyllis Hyman, Luther Vandross and Frankie Beverly kind of town. New airstaff are expected to be named by the end of summer.

Here's Proof from GRITtv: No One Understands How to Use Social Media including the News Media

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Farai Chideya, the former host of NPR News and Notes and social media expert joins in on a discussion on GRIT TV on the topics of participatory media, privacy concerns, the iPad, Net Neutrality and more. At the heart of the discussion is the question of how Twitter and Facebook are injecting our personal lives and values into the public space and forcing the doors wide open for potential change. Huh? Exactly.

Of course you know what Twitter and Facebook are, but you may not know what Net Neutrality is?

Neither do we ...But check out this example of you having limited access to certain sites on the Internet.

Most of you can listen to V-103's CBS Radio Internet stream by clicking onto the link, but not if you live in the U.K., China, India or anywhere else outside of the U.S.A.

However you can only view these Erykah Badu videos if you live outside of America.

Is that right?

Hear "Laydown" from the new Prince album "20TEN" here, even though he said the Internet is over

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Prince - "Laydown"

In a Daily Mirror interview
Prince said that the internet is OVER, but how else are we going to hear his music... it surely won't be on the radio.

"The internet's like MTV,” he continued. “At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers, and that can't be good for you." Is this akin to Nas saying that Hip Hop is Dead? Take heed y'all.

Prince does get a monetary advance from the British newspapers when he releases his music there, but there is no advance for anyone's music when it is placed on iTunes and such. That's just the way it is in America.

Of course there are more tracks from 20TEN on YouTube at the moment, take a listen before Prince makes them take it down...

Track source: NYMag Vulture

VIDEO: The Roots performing Dear God 2.0. ft. Monsters of Folk

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The first release from The Legendary Roots Crew's new album, "How I Got Over", a self-described reflective and introspective record. Are they looking for broad base commercial success and appeal with this? Probably not.

That was suppose to happen with Jay-Z's push on their 2006 Def Jam release of Game Theory. That didn't happen. All in all The Roots move to join the Jimmy Fallon show has been more successful in terms of their awareness to the masses, although they've always remained popular with underground hip hoppers and indie fans alike.

VIDEO: A Soul Classic from Erykah Badu - Bag Lady

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Put those bags down...

LeBron James "The Decision" Overshadows the Oscar Grant Verdict in the National Media

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"Oscar Grant will not be playing for Miami cause he was murdered by a cop."

Bartunde Thurston co-founder of Jack and Jill Politics provides commentary on the trial and resulting verdict in the Oscar Grant case in Los Angeles yesterday. Grant was shot and killed by a BART transit cop in Oakland on January 1, 2009.

Anything But A Quiet Storm, 93.1 WZAK Drops Format to Allow Cleveland to Give It to LeBron James

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The Quiet Storm host, Kym Sellers was put in the position as therapist, counselor, and psychiatrist for the entire city of Cleveland last night on the heels of former Cavalier LeBron James' decision to sign with the Miami Heat.

She became the place to vent as she fielded calls on her night show at 93.1 WZAK. The regularly scheduled "The Quiet Storm" was put on hold for the evening. The callers were, as we find out, more calmer than the callers over at sister station, Hip Hop Z107.9 (WENZ). The news reporter claims the "f-bomb" was the norm for callers over at Z107.9. Here's the report from WOIO TV.

More Radio One Management Changes, Cy Young Exits in Raleigh

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Cy Young, (pictured here with singer Mya) a 22-year Raleigh market vet and Radio One Operations Manager exits the cluster where he oversaw Urban "K 97.5" WQOK-FM and Urban AC "Foxy 107.1 and 104.3" WFXC-FM.


Below is a great interview with Cy Young on the radio business and just simply life...

High School Students Receive Honors for Documenting the Civil Rights History of WDAS

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From the Daily News column "Masterman students go far documenting WDAS' civil-rights impact"

In the 1950's and 60's many Black radio stations across the country were the sounding board for the civil rights struggle, and one in particular was WDAS 1480 AM.

In photo from left to right, radio personality Georgie Woods, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, (CBS 60 Minutes correspondent, then WDAS news reporter) Ed Bradley, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., (WDAS station GM) Bob Klein and (local community activist and councilman) Cecil B. Moore.

"Photo courtesy of the Bob Klein Archives, by special permission to UrbanRadioNation.com, ALL RIGHTS RESRVED -No other use of this photo is authorized without the express written permission of WDASHistory.org/BobKleinArchives "

Rob Redding back "on the air" on 1380 WAOK Atlanta

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Author, award-winning journalist and syndicated talk radio host Robert "Rob" Redding Jr. is scheduled to return to Atlanta's News & Talk 1380 WAOK-AM, the nation's No. 7 market for radio, on Sunday's from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. starting this weekend.

Redding, who is known as "America's Independent Voice," is bringing his syndicated radio show, "Redding News Review," to the WAOK, where he started his successful talk radio career almost a decade ago.

AirKast and Radio One Sign Agreement to Deliver iPhone, BlackBerry and Android Mobile Applications for 51 Radio Stations

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Mobile Apps Target African-American and Urban Listeners in 15 U.S. Urban Markets, In case you were wondering the download is free


A couple of weeks ago we speculated in a post that Radio One would be making this move to develop a mobile app. Now they have made the announcement. Clearly Radio One's business model is to replicate Clear Channel and CBS Radio models to the African American community. Look for The Rickey Smiley Show and gospel personality CoCo Brother to become even stronger brands for the company to market to mobile device users.

- AirKast, the leader in digital content and advertising solutions, and Radio One, the urban media specialist based in New York, NY, announced today that the companies have signed an agreement to deliver iPhone and BlackBerry mobile applications for Radio One radio stations. In total, 51 Radio One stations will have both iPhone and BlackBerry mobile applications available to listeners by the end of summer 2010. Android mobile applications will be available soon thereafter.

The Rickey Smiley Show Part of Cumulus' Changes in Myrtle Beach

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WSEA-FM changed its name and format from Power 100.3, “#1 for Hits and Hip-Hop” to “i100”, “Today’s Hottest Hits.”

i100, “Today’s Hottest Hits” will be simulcast on WSEA-FM 100.3 and WXJY-FM 93.7.

David Lewis, market manager, explains the "i" changes in the VIDEO below.

i100 is a Contemporary Hit Music station developed by radio personality and programmer, Mr. Jan Jefferies. Mr. Jefferies now serves as Senior VP/Programming for Cumulus Media, Inc. based out of Atlanta, Georgia.

Mercedes Howard Joins KS107.5 Denver

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Rhythmic CHR station KQKS-FM (KS1075) Denver brings in Mercedes Howard to take over the night show. Mercedes recently handled nights and weekends at KHTS-FM, Channel 933 in San Diego.

Mercedes tweeted to her former station -
Privileged to work with the Best in SD.Thank you to Frankie V frm @channel933 an Tre frm @z903 for Puttin Me OnThat Tough Love was WORTH IT!

...and to her fans - For those who Don't know.... I can Officially Say It =) "Mile High Status" Geeked!

You can follow Mercedes on twitter here: twitter.com/YaGirlCedes

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Michael Baisden Stirs Up His Listeners Against Carter and Sanborn and WDAS

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Although Michael Baisden is on vacation this week, he's not far away from his listeners. Baisden posted the following on his Facebook fanpage :

"We’re off the air in Philly! I did not agree to be replaced during vacation. This is some Fragernackle Bull!!!"

After the status update the Baisden Live fans were immediately inspired to attack the programming decision by WDAS and some attacked Carter and Sanborn also. Brian Carter and Dave Sanborn, the former top rated morning show hosts at WDAS and Power 99, filled in 3 days last week for Baisden.

YouTube and iTunes Hacked on The 4th of July

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Is there an opportunity here for terrestrial radio operators to hammer home the following point?

“Remember this day … Today is a reminder that we can still shake the foundation of the internet.”


In the spirit of revolution, two major websites were hacked into while infecting users with malware on their computers. YouTube was hacked into by the group Chan4. An unknown hacker compromised several accounts on iTunes.

Slum Village Calls It Quits

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T3 tweeted -"[Oh] yeah one more thing... This is the last Slum Village album."

Not sure what's going on," responded fellow member Elzhi. "I hope Slum Village's label and T3's manager respect what I do for SV. Either way I appreciate y'all support."

It’s been a rough road for the members of the Detroit rap group Slum Village. With two of the original members, J. Dilla & Baatin, now deceased, the group soldiered on with original member T3 continuing on with new member Elzhi.

VIDEO: Corinne Bailey Rae - Closer

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Corinne Bailey Rae - Closer ...short, sweet, and infectious

Dave Dickerson leaves 96.3 WHUR

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Howard University Radio 96.3 WHUR Operations Manager and Program Director Dave Dickerson has exited the station.

Dickerson has been in the programming chair during some of the station's highest ratings in the 2000's, which saw a return to the number one ranked spot in D.C. WHUR also launched one of the best HD2 radio station in country, WHUR World.

However, also under his tenure, the station added the syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show and the Michael Baisden afternoon program, which were unpopular choices at the time with many listeners. No word on his replacement at the station that "Sounds like Washington."

Howard Stern Sidekick, Robin Quivers Weighs in on Gabourey Sidibe's Weight

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"People are being naïve when they say, 'Oh, it's great that she has this attitude.' This girl is in trouble and people want to deny that. We have an epidemic of obesity in the black community, especially among black women."

"Carter and Sanborn" back on the air at WDAS

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Brian Carter and Dave Sanborn (pictured here with Quiet Storm host Tony Brown) and even "Horace the Taurus" are guest hosting this week on the afternoon show from 3-7 p.m. at WDAS FM in Philadelphia.


While Michael Baisden vacations and most other markets across the country are running Baisden's "Best of" this week, WDAS took the opportunity to bring back the beloved morning duo.

"Carter and Sanborn", were the most popular morning show throughout the 90's at urban/hip-hop station WUSL Power 99 FM in Philadelphia. After their Power 99 run, Carter and Sanborn made a triumphant return to the airwaves in 2004, when The Tom Joyner Morning Show was dropped from the WDAS lineup. When the Steve Harvey Morning Show came aboard in 2005, Carter and Sanborn had garnered better ratings than the TJMS.

Brian Carter currently in on the air at Sirius XM Satellite Radio and Saturday afternoons on 107.5 WBLS in New York, while Dave Sanborn (known as Bill Simpson on the old smooth-jazz station WJJZ), is now a holistic health practitioner. The show sounds like old times, even down to the news with Loraine Ballard Morrill, currently the News Director and Community Affairs Director for Clear Channel Radio's six Philadelphia stations.