(By Renee Cassis) NAB NY 2022 kicked off the radio portion of its conference with Radio Insights, a sold-out NAB members-only executive seminar at the Javits Center in NY and included a trip to Bloomberg for a tour of its state-of-the-art headquarters.
A highlight of the day was the” One-On-One with Radio Trailblazers,” a Q&A featuring Caroline Beasley, chief executive officer, Beasley Media Group, in candid conversation with Urban One founder and chair Cathy Hughes, about what has shaped today’s radio landscape and how can radio continue to flourish in the years and decades to come. This lively and insightful conversation took more than a couple of unexpected turns, which showcased the brilliance of Hughes and shed a little light on how this African American single working mom built a powerhouse media company. Today, under the leadership of Hughes’ son Alfred Liggins, Urban One has expanded beyond broadcast radio to digital, syndication, cable, gaming, and more.
But let’s look at those wonderful, unexpected turns:
Unexpected turn #1 – Due to a last-minute medical appointment that Hughes had been waiting on, she was not able to attend in person, but was live via a video call. The groundbreaking broadcaster’s personality and intelligence were not hindered by the lack of her bodily presence in the room. Hughes traced her career from her early roots in Omaha, Nebraska, recalling how she had been exposed to a lot of accomplished individuals in Nebraska… white individuals. With her move to Washington DC, Hughes was now exposed to – and profoundly struck – by black and multi-cultural accomplishments, as well. “I was in awe,” she explained. It was in Washington DC where Hughes also met a woman who would become her champion – Catherine Graham.
Hughes went on to describe her reactions to being the first African American woman to chair a publicly traded company. While that is a proud moment for her, she stressed that it was Liggins who pushed her to take the company public.
Unexpected turn #2 – Hughes turned the table on Beasley – or tried to – noting that they both are in generational business, but in reversed roles. Beasley did touch on how she admired her father, who, not surprisingly, was also her mentor, but deftly brought the conversation around to content — and to being the one asking the questions.
“Give the listeners what they want!” exclaimed Hughes. “I was sorry to see ascertainments go,” she lamented, because it gave her a glimpse into what was going on in the community. “Do your best to serve the needs of your audience,” she advised.
Unexpected turn #3 – Once again assuming the role of the interviewer vs. the interviewee, Hughes asked why conservative talk radio is so popular, but we can’t seem to find the formula for success with progressive talk. Once again, Beasley deflected, this time by calling on Dave Santrella, CEO of Salem Media Group, who was in the audience. Salem owns several conservative talk stations and runs a conservative talk network. Frankly, I have no recollection of what Santrella said and my hand didn’t seem to take any notes on his comments. But there is no doubt in my crystal-clear memory of Hughes urging the audience of radio leaders to find a way to make ‘the other side” (liberal, left, Democratic) work. “As we constantly seek sources of revenue, I would encourage you to try to figure it out. It’s up to us to bring these two philosophies together.”
Renee Cassis can be reached at [email protected].
