Today In Black History
Cathy Hughes, African American Woman Founder of the largest American radio media company
Issue #547 Today In Black History, Thursday, March 28, 2024
Today’s Black History WOW!
Cathy Hughes was born on April 22, 1947, in Omaha, Nebraska, and is the founder and chairperson of Urban One, Inc. (formerly Radio One), the largest African-American-owned and operated broadcast company in the nation.
After attending the University of Nebraska and studying business, Hughes began her radio career in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, at KOWH (AM), a station owned by a group of African-American professionals.
In 1971, Hughes moved to Washington, D.C., and became a lecturer in the newly established School of Communications at Howard University. During her tenure, she served as General Sales Manager at WHUR, Howard University Radio, increasing the station’s revenue from $250,000 to $3 million in her first year.
Hughes also became the first woman Vice President and General Manager of a station in the nation’s capital and created the format known as the “Quiet Storm,” which revolutionized urban radio and was aired on over 480 stations nationwide.
In 1980, Hughes purchased her first radio station, WOL-AM, in Washington D.C., and pioneered yet another innovative format – “24-Hour Talk from a Black Perspective.” With the theme, “Information is Power,” she served as the station’s morning show host for 11 years.
In 1999, Cathy Hughes became the first African-American woman to chair a publicly held corporation, following the sale of more than seven million shares of common stock to the public. Since that time, she, along with her son and business partner Alfred Liggins, III, has grown Radio One, Inc. into a multi-media company that is an urban radio market leader with 56 stations comprised of hip hop, R&B, gospel, and talk radio formats.
Radio One is the first African-American company in radio history to dominate several major markets simultaneously and is the first woman-owned radio station to rank number one in any major market. Its success has earned Cathy Hughes hundreds of prestigious awards and recognitions including the ADColor Lifetime Achievement Award, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chair’s Phoenix Award, the NAACP Chairman’s Award, the Giant of Broadcasting Award, the Uncommon Height of Excellence Award, the Essence Women Shaping the World Award, the Ida B. Wells Living Legacy Award, and induction into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame.
Cathy Hughes’ passion for education is evident in her efforts to continue her family’s work and legacy at The Piney Woods School in Piney Woods, Mississippi. She is a staunch supporter of the school, which was established by her grandfather in 1909 and is the largest of only four African-American boarding schools in the country.
Cathy Hughes is a mentor to countless women and an advocate dedicated to empowering minority communities.
Today In Black History
- In 1796, the first African-American church, Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church was founded.
- In 1804, Ohio passed a law restricting the movement of Black people.
- In 1925, award-winning Black poet Countee Cullen won Phi Beta Kappa honors at New York University.
- In 1935, Black inventor Benjamin Thornton created the precursor to the modern answering machine when he created a device that could be attached to the telephone and could be set to record a message from a caller. By utilizing a clock attachment, Thornton’s machine would also forward the messages and keep track of the length of the messages.
- In 1966, Bill Russell became the first African American to coach an NBA team when he was named head coach of the Boston Celtics.
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