Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1951-12-15
X IN D RIx
CO M NJ ( n T S
The New Opportunities In Radio

The New Opportunities In Radio
Atlanta, Ga.-For the most part
we are still outside of the great
radio industry. Each time that |
visit Atlanta, / am, however, i'm
pressed with the gains thai we
have made in this area of Ameri-
can life and the many new oppor-
tunities that are opening in the
field.
By now all of my readers know,
| am sure, that Atlanta is the home
of Radio Station WEIRD, the only
standard broadcast operation in the
nation owned and operated by Ne
groes. True to its slogan, "The
Voice of Progress" 'WERD repre-
sents long step forward in the
industry. When you consider the
fact that there are probably as
many as fifteen hundred CONNER
cial radio stations in the nation,
you may not consider the Atlanta
operation an outstanding achieve
ment when viewed in prospective
with the whole, but it is definite
achievement for Atlanta.
Further it is achievement for the
FERD ownership that has entered
an avenue of business endeavor
that knows no racial bounds. Like
wise, we can point to WSOK, Nash
vile, which begun operation in
December as the first Negro sta
ton fostered by interracial capital,
with an interracial staff as has
WEIRD.
Actually, Negroes have made a
rather wonderful achievement in
radio since Jack Cooper of Chicago
entered the brand new industry at
least twenty-five years ago. But
the tangible progress may best be
seen in incidents that have been
momentus in the past five years.
These years have been wider
acceptance of the Negro in radio.
AT least ten or twelve operat ions,
principally in the South, have al
most completely stated their step
ups with Negro personnel. And
very recently, the little five-station
United Broadcasting Company,
mothered by WOOK in Washing
ton, had moved a Negro to the
key spot of program director.
Throughout the network, which
has outlets in Maryland, the Dis
trict of Columbia and Va, Negro
personnel is used in management,
sales, program and engineering
posts. So today, maybe one-fourth
of Richard Eaton's UBC owner,
staff is Negro. WEIRD, WSOK and
UBC are examples of the new par
ticipation.
Many of my readers will remem-
Der the only radio time available
to our racial group was that glven
to our religious leaders, the min
listers, which was usually restricted
to preaching and singing and con-
fined to the very early morning and
very late evening.
1t would appear that then the
industry felt that our only talents
rested in preaching, singing and
entertaining. As a consequence,
our preachers, singers and dance
bands had little difficulty in OBJ
tanning airline. | can well remem-
Der the early days when the net
works featured only our entertain
ment artists.
1t was not uncommon to hear
Cab Galloway or Duke Ellington
swing from the Cotton Club or the
Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots
coming in over the networks. Like
wise other such artists as King
Cole, Ethel Waters and Lena Horne
could be heard as we moved this
way in the twenty-five year period.
Ten or twelve years ago, such
programs as Glenn T. Settles
Wings Over Jordan the CHS
Sunday morning feature, became
quite. fad at number of local
outlets. And it can be recalled
that within the past five years. the
Mutual Network tried stab at a
departure when it offered the Will
lie Bryant variety show.
The Negro disc jockey has SEEM
lngly been the opening force of
Negro participation in the indus
try. Mr.. Cooper out in Chicago
is considered the daddy of this lot.
| have it that he still does mike
work, but his success is seen in his
radio advertising agency. In al
most every city of any size, Ne
groes work as disc jockies.
Many of these men and women
double as studio engineers, write
their own lines and sell their own
advertising taking the salesman,s
commission. These types of activi-
ties are In themselves noteworthy
OF the progressiyeness common
place in radio today.
There are a number of other
angles to this subject and a num-
Der of name-references that this
al