Play Ode is a new app that streams Black radio stations and podcasts. The Ode Audio product also provides Black news and information by partnering with iHeartMedia and BIN: Black Information Network.
“A bridge is the greatest connector there is,” explains Howard Robertson, Ode Audio creator and CEO. “The Play Ode app is a digital bridge connecting Black radio listeners across a wide communications chasm between local Black communities. Wherever you reside, chances are, you’re still keenly interested in what’s going on in your hometown. Ode is that convenient connection.
Robertson got the idea for Ode during a 2018 NABOB & Power of Urban Radio Conference in Washington, DC. He first shared the idea with friend and fellow Memphis-based entrepreneur Larry Robinson, CEO and founder of the digital content company Kudzukian.
Play Ode features Black and independently owned stations including: KRNB/KKDA (Dallas), WJZA (Atlanta), WLOK (Memphis), KPRS (Kansas City), WOJG (Jackson, TN), WMBM (Miami), WVON & The FM Omni-Channel (Chicago), WAEG (Augusta, GA), WNOV (Milwaukee), WBOK (New Orleans), WDAO (Dayton), KINB (Oklahoma City) and WEIB (Springfield, MA).
