History of Black Radio

Black Radio: Telling It Like It Was, was hosted by Lou Rawls and produced for Radio Smithsonian in 1996, by Jacquie Gales Webb, with associate producers Sonja Williams and Lex Gillespie. Our production manager was John Tyler. John Paulson and Matthew Sakakeeny, post-production engineers; our EP was Wesley Horner. Research by Universal Media. Original Music by David Ylva Sacher. Promo

Hour 1: "In the Beginning" and "Pride and Enlightenment"
The series opens by traveling to the 1920s to hear how Black Americans fought for space on radio airwaves. Then, we hear about programs in the 1940s that dramatized issues and concerns in the Black community.

Hour 2: "Jack Cooper & Al Beson" and "WDIA, The Goodwill Station" 
Jack Cooper's popular program in Chicago debuted in 1929; he helped pioneer the DJ format and was the first to air news and sports coverage for Black audiences. Al Benson came to Chicago from Mississippi in the '30s, and gave voice to the culture of the street. In the second part of the hour, we head to Memphis, Tennessee, where WDIA's earliest announcers included B.B. King. WDIA was the first station to have all-Black on-air talent.

Hour 3: "Rappers & Rhymers" and "Sounding Black"
From the 1940s onward, legendary Black deejays created unique, ear-catching styles

Hour 4: "A Woman's Touch" and "In Control"
Women -- both on and off the air -- have had substantial roles in the development and power of Black radio, including African American station ownership.

Hour 5: "Civil Rights" and "Let's Have Church"
In the fifties and sixties, Black DJs did more than play music -- they were among the first messengers of the civil rights movement. In the second half of the hour, we hear about the importance of religious broadcasting to the Black community.

Hour 6: "Music" and "More Music and Less Talk"
In the first half of the hour, we hear how African American musicians found more acceptance as major record companies recognized the crossover appeal of Black music. In the second half of the hour, we hear about how AM radio lost its popularity to FM and how big personalities survived and prospered.