“If you could figure out where he [Robert Moses] got the power, and I could write about it, I’d be explaining something new about urban power.” Robert Caro. Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Power Broker C-Span 5/13/2003 Perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in the history of radio has been the power of urban radio. Despite it’s enduring presence as both an American media and business model -- through good economic times and bad, urban radio’s true power has been long shrouded in mystery, hidden from view, and locked away for now over 60 years.
One of the major contributing factors has been a lack of true insight around the perception and prowess of urban radio. As a consequence, urban radio uniqueness and ‘power’ have far too often been misunderstood, underestimated, and undervalued in both the radio and advertising communities.
Another contributing factor has been urban radio’s uncanny ability to continuously evolve and expand throughout its history. For example, starting in the 1990’s urban radio began to dramatically grow in audience size, share and ratings, and even became dominant stations in many markets.
But ironically, its growth and success started to reveal stark disparities between what mainstream radio stations were able to garner in the marketplace in terms of advertising dollars versus urban stations. Urban radio soon began to reposition and re-brand itself around its power, but one major aspect was missing – what was the source of its real power?
W.G. Smith has recently announced the upcoming release of its groundbreaking report on urban radio: Urban Radio: The Power Unlocked! The forthcoming report is the culmination of a far-reaching media study that delves deeply into the mindset and psyche of urban radio audiences, professionals, and the advertising community to unlock the code behind urban radio’s power and to bolster its ad value proposition.
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2 comments:
Urban radio is syndicated radio. If it aint on donnie simpson steve harvey Monique or michael baiseden then it aint on. I dont think simpson is syndicated and i dont know why.
As you know black syndicated radio which is national/urban radio helped put a black in the white house, well at least get out the black vote.
I think it sucks that blacks have to depend on comedians and dj for the critical issues of the day
A major part of Urban Radio is what I call Black radio. Some people said it might become obsolete in the 21st Century, but Black radio is alive and kicking.
According to Arbitron: “well over 90% of Black consumers aged 12 years and over listen to the radio each week—a higher penetration than television, magazines, newspapers or the Internet. Radio reaches Black audiences everywhere they are: at home, at work and in the car; in stores and restaurants; online; and, more recently, via cell phones. Regardless of age, time of day or geography, radio is the true media companion of Black consumers.”
Furthermore, according to well known political scientist Ron Walters: "When you need the black vote you deal with black radio…" In an election that saw 97% of the Black electorate turn out Black radio personalities launched a massive campaign to put an African American in the White House for the first time in American history. The result was Black radio solidified its place in the future by moving the black community toward political action in the election of President Barack Obama.
Urban Radio is Black radio and in the 21st century Urban Radio is more powerful than ever.
John T. Barber
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