*Update - Friday, August 18th, 2006: washpostarticle
From radioone25anniversary.com:
Press Release August 8th, 2006:
RADIO ONE’S STAR-STUDDED 25TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION IN NATION’S CAPITOL ON AUGUST 17
Celebrities from the Worlds of Entertainment, Corporate, Politics and Community Leaders will be on hand to Celebrate Milestone Event.
Radio One, Inc., the seventh largest radio broadcasting company in the U.S., will
celebrate the culmination of its 25th anniversary with an exclusive, star-studded awards gala to be held on Thursday, August 17 in Washington, DC. Hosted by national on-air personalities Tom Joyner, Russ Parr, J. Anthony Brown and Ananda Lewis, this
exclusive, black-tie event promises to be an evening of fine dining with performances from some of the nation’s most renowned artists.
Artists to date who are confirmed to perform during the evening include musical icon, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, and gospel musician/TV One show host, Jeff Majors. Special appearances will also be made by Janet Jackson, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Russell Simmons, Jay Z, Ciara, Jermaine Dupri, Kirk Franklin, Linda Johnson Rice, Rep. Maxine Waters, Dick Gregory, Richard Parsons, Suzanne DePasse, Rev. Al Sharpton, Eddie Griffin, Susan L. Taylor, Smokie Norful, Donald Lawrence, James Ingram, Rueben Studdard, Eric Benét, Marques Houston, Bo Taylor, Jean Carne, Marcus
Johnson and many others.
The awards that will be given at this festive occasion were designed by nationally
acclaimed artist, Annie Lee. Individuals from all walks of life will be the recipients of these awards in one of three categories; Humantarians,
Clients/Sponsors, Industry, Government and Radio One staff.
The Radio One 25th Anniversary Awards Gala is the finale of a year-long celebration for the corporation that stands 25 years strong with 71 radio stations in 22 urban markets (Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit and Washington, DC to name a few). The celebration’s kick-off began on October 3, 2005 in downtown Los Angeles when nearly 2,000 people from all walks of life including celebrities and executives from music, film, television and radio joined Cathy Hughes, Chairman and Founder, and her son, Alfred Liggins, President and CEO, at the official launch for the anniversary.
The event in Los Angeles marked the first of many special events, on-air promotions and contests, nationally as well as in its local radio markets. It was in Los Angeles where Ms. Hughes presented a check for $25,000 to Bishop Charles Blake of West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles for his “Save Africa’s Children” initiative as part of Radio One’s continuing efforts to support the community it serves. Commenting on her broadcast empire’s 25 years of community service, Hughes states “I was so grateful for the warm reception and diverse representation of the community that attended our kick-off celebration. We had athletes, entertainers, actors, actresses, broadcasters, gang members, executives and hurricane Katrina evacuees. I am proud that there were no class distinctions, no elitism…people were cordial, loving and warm. On that night, we were all brothers and sisters, and that’s what Radio One has always been about.”
Festivities for the anniversary will culminate in Washington, DC, where Radio One
began a quarter century ago. The first event will be the Russ Parr Bus Tour Grand
Finale held during the day at the Lincoln Theater on August 17. That evening, the
elaborate, black-tie awards gala and dinner will be held, followed the next morning with a live broadcast of the Tom Joyner Sky Show from Constitution Hall.
Premium sponsors for the anniversary awards gala include the Exxon Mobil
Corporation, Proline Hair Products, Green Dot Credit Card and Credit Suisse.
Radio One is dedicated to continuing to build their legacy of service to their
communities. Radio One stations in the 22 markets will be given $25,000 each to be of service to their respective communities. Most recently, Tom Joyner launched his
syndicated radio program in Los Angeles on KKBT-FM’s “The Beat.” His service to the
Los Angeles community was instituted with the "$1 per gallon for gas” promotion. The
promotion was a joint partnership with a local gas station and provided gas to residents at the reduced cost of $1 per gallon. Radio One stations in the markets will give back to their community by offering the same $1 per gallon gas promotion. This campaign will conclude in New Orleans as a service to the crescent cities’ residents who are still severely affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Radio One also offered the public the opportunity to attend the invitation-only black-tie anniversary event by entering the “Mingle With The Stars” on-line contest. Prizes included two (2) tickets to the awards gala, two (2) tickets to the Russ Parr Back To School Tour Finale Concert, two (2) tickets to the Tom Joyner Sky Show and $250 each in spending cash for the winner and his/her guest.
In 1987, when Radio One added Magic 102.3 to its DC line-up, it created the nation’s first urban adult music format. In 1999, Radio One, headed by an African-American woman, became a publicly traded corporation expanding its presence and formats nationally to include Mainstream Urban, Urban Adult Contemporary, Gospel and News Talk. With this national presence, Radio One is rapidly closing in on reaching 14 million listeners weekly.
Like Hughes, Liggins recognized the need to positively represent African-American life, culture and experience. He also recognized today’s challenges for the radio industry. With audiences having access to news, entertainment and information through a variety of sources, Liggins decided that Radio One must be the forerunner in the design, distribution and ownership of quality content that entertains, informs and advises. Liggins states, “I believe that by continuing to build as much distribution and content programmed to the African-American market as possible, Radio One will be distinctly positioned to lead this space for many years to come.”
Consistent with this trend Hughes, in collaboration with the Comcast Corporation,
launched TV One (www.tvoneonline.com) in 2004. TV One is a lifestyle and
entertainment network that targets African-Americans. With shows such as “Martin,”
“Good Times,” “New York Undercover,” “Turn up the Heat with G. Garvin,” “TV One
Access,” “The Gospel of Music with Jeff Majors,” and ”Sharp Talk with Al Sharpton,” TV One captures the full scope of subject matters relevant to African-American audiences.
In 2005, Radio One acquired 51% of the common stock of Reach Media, Inc. Reach
Media is the owner of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show and other
businesses associated with Tom Joyner including BlackAmericaWeb.com. The website
is a virtual town square that provides news, information, entertainment, games and
promotions for Internet savvy African-Americans. Radio One also programs “XM 169
The Power” on XM Satellite Radio. In January of this year, Radio One launched its new talk network, Syndication One, with on-air personalities Michael Eric Dyson, Rev. Al Sharpton and the 2 Live Stews aka Doug & Ryan Stewart. Syndication One livens the talk/news airwaves with fresh voices, perspectives and dialogues.
Radio One also made its debut into the film industry during 2006 . Their first project is the film, “Preaching To The Choir” - a collaborative effort with TV One and CodeBlack Entertainment. The film premiered at select theaters throughout the country in April 2006. The movie conveys the story about twin brothers who take radically different paths in life. With hints of humor, the drama entwines a story of community, unconditional love and redemption.
For photos and/or more information about Radio One’s year-long 25th Anniversary
Celebration, visit the official 25th Anniversary website at www.radio-
one25anniversary.com.
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