LT Welcomes Soul:ID To LT's Jazzy Radio Loft & Lounge!

Soul:ID website: soul-id.com
Soul:ID myspace page: myspace.com/soulidmusic

I recently heard of a new group that I am really digging called Soul:ID out on ABB Soul Records. Their new album entitled 'Sex, Love & Philosophy' hit the stores in the USA on October 2nd, 2007. Soul:ID is in D.C. this week launching their first mini U.S. tour. Soul:ID took time out of their busy schedule to swing through LT's Jazzy Radio Loft & Lounge for a few questions, just to chill and kick it! Enjoy!

LT: Welcome to LT's Jazzy Radio Loft & Lounge, Soul:ID! For all those who may not be familiar with you, who is Soul:ID?


Dad'D: Soul:ID is an Afropean Soul music group, 3 singers and a producer/drummer hailing from Africa and Europe, Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Belgium respectively.

LT: How did you all come together?

V: We all met in Brussels/Belgium.

LT: How did you all meet?

Tchaï: Because the music scene in Brussels is so small, everyone who is serious about what they're doing in music sooner or later runs into each other. We all knew and respected each other long before forming this band.

LT: What began your musical journeys with each other?

V: Well, everyone was working as backing-vocalists or producers for other acts, it came time when Urban Deep and Tchai decided it was about time to pursue their own project as opposed to always work for other people. When starting working, it was natural to involve the two other members in the recording process, initially just as composers/vocal-coaches. Because we hit it off so well, their input became way larger than this, it naturally evolved into becoming a 4 person team.

LT: How would you describe your sound?

Dad'D: We call it Afropean Soul Music.

LT: What do you hope to do in the music industry with the impact you will have?

Urban Deep: First of all, we hope that we actually will have an impact [laughs] and then there's a message that has never been really conceptualized, but just the fact that we have a multiracial, multinational setting, the fact that we propagate a message of positivity, of peace and understanding, a different image of Africa than the cliche western media portrait. All of that, next to the music - we have received very enthusiastic reactions for. Every person can contribute to make this planet a better place. We are trying to add a tiny share to this process.

LT: What are your opinions on the music industry today? The web? Myspace? The ability for a band to sell itself and market itself compared to the old industry way of getting signed?

Urban Deep: There's the good and the bad side. The good side is that a whole new generation of business-minded artists is emerging. Today, everyone has tools at hand to create and produce an album. Today more artists than 15 years ago understand that if you control your product, you can sell fewer units and earn more than being signed. But you need to be ready to do the label's work for yourself, most artist are not ready to do that.

The bad side is that the upcoming of Reality TV has had a nasty impact on music. Being average, being your standard next-door-neighbor is being promoted. Being great at something or really talented is not important anymore. In that sense I am very happy that someone like Jennifer Hudson has a bigger career than any of these horrid TV show winners.

LT: What is the music scene like in The U.K. as far as Soul and R&B and Hip Hop is concerned? Any similarities to America's scene? Any differences?


Dad'D: We are not a U.K. act. Our first vinyl was released through a U.K. based label and I move to London for six months. But we are from Brussels/Belgium. Brussels is a tiny city, there's only a handful of people doing Soul/R&B, not enough to really create a scene. Everyone knows each other personally and funny enough, sometimes we get shout outs from way larger places like the scene in Paris/France, where people think Brussels scene is all alive and striving because we try to keep the quality level high.

Impossible to compare with what's going on in the U.S. Today our record has been named "hottest album of the year" and that's flattering to the point it's weird when inspirations like Jill Scott just dropped their record.

LT: There was the sound of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, etc. Do you think music is at a crossroads right now or are we on to the new thing at last?

Tchaï: Today everything is different. Today with the technological evolution and the way Internet has changed the planet, there might not even be a way for a typical sound of a decade to develop. Also, when you look like at the world of fashion.

Trends and tendencies used to last for a decade, there used to be typical colors, shapes. These days hyper capitalism makes that every 4 months a new trend needs to be started so that somebody can cash in. Of course nothing of distinctive nature has the time to develop. Maybe that's nowadays style!

LT: When will you be in DC? Where can folks come and see you?

V: We will play our first U.S. show ever on 10/20 at the Posh "an exclusive Howard University Homecoming event", come through!

LT: Thanks for giving me this chance to interview you! Peace and Much Love, Soul:ID!

Soul:ID: Thank you, LT! Peace and Love!

Soul:ID -- EPK 07

Rosario Dawson Honored At Hispanic Heritage Awards 2007, Washington, D.C.

Partying, Seriously
At Hispanic Heritage Awards, A Celebration of Community
By Monica Hesse
Washington Post Staff Writer
Photo by Ricky Carioti - The Washington Post
Article link: washingtonpost.com

From Hispanic Heritage Awards:

Rosario Dawson for Vision – an ethnic mix of Puerto Rican/Dominican/African American/Cuban/Irish, Rosario Dawson, who is best known for her roles in Sin City, Kids, and Rent, is being honored for her tireless work as co-founder and executive director of VotoLatino, an organization that leads the effort to increase voter registration among young Hispanics.

Ballou a documentary film

From balloumovie.com:

"Ballou is a documentary film about the Ballou Senior High School Marching Ban from South East Washington DC. Ballou High School is a struggling inner city school where only 5% of its students go on after high school and graduate college. During the filming of this documentary 58 violent crimes occured within 1500 feet of the school and our producer was robbed at knife point and beaten on the door steps of another DC public school.

"The Ballou Marching Band is a positive force in the lives of the students and in the community. Under the direction of Mr. Darrell Watson, along with the help from his tireless, all volunteer staff, the Ballou Marching Band gives its students opportunities that they would not have otherwise had. Mr. Watson tries to instill, “life lessons,” as well as simply teaching music to give them the tools they need to succeed in life. Listen to this great WAMU radio audio clip on the Ballou Marching Band.

"The breadth of the documentary follows the band on a journey from band camp, to the National High Stepping Marching Band Competition in Birmingham, AL sponsored by Asymmetrix. It is a very personal story about the lives of the band members, the director Mr. Watson, and his hard working staff who are all striving to be an award winning marching band.

"Every school should have a band! " - DC Mayor Adrian Fenty

*Update - Washington, D.C.'s Darrell Watson and members from his Ballou High School Marching Band appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday, October 5th, 2007.

"This school is in one of the worst neighborhoods in the country and the guy is making such a huge difference," Ellen DeGeneres said in a press statement. "The students love him. There was a 50 percent drop-out rate before and now everybody's happy and creative."

Two filmmakers, Casey Calister & Michael Partray, decided to make a documentary of this story. They're trying to get it into the Annual Sundance Film Festival. After the band members' appearance on the show, the White House called the filmmakers about possibly screening the movie at the White House which took place on Thursday, October 11th, 2007.

Rainbow PUSH Coalition Hosts Media & Telecommunications Symposium

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/11/2007 MEDIA ADVISORY

Rainbow PUSH Coalition Hosts Media & Telecommunications Symposium

WHO:
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps & FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein and public participants
WHAT:
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund Media & Telecommunications Project Annual Symposium Press Conference

WHEN: Friday, October 12, 2007 @ 12:15 p.m.

WHERE:
Capitol Hilton Hotel
Senate Room
1001 16th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20036

WHY:
Following five FCC hearings held around the country Rev. Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition will host its annual Media and Telecommunications Symposium.

"Media ownership should look like America, but instead we have too few owning too much at the expense of too many," said Rev. Jackson. "It's time to reverse the poor policy decisions that have shut out the public from our airwaves.

At the press conference during the two-day event Rev. Jackson and others will address topics that concern all Americans. Issues being highlighted will be broadband, public broadcasting, minority ownership, and the current state of media and telecommunications in America.

Some of the industry’s most knowledgeable and the general public will weigh in on and share ideas regarding media diversity and ownership.

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. For more information about the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, please visit the organization’s website, www.rainbowpush.org, or telephone (773) 373-3366.

*National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters: nabob.org

*This symposium will be broadcast on C-SPAN RADIO: c-span.org

LT's Jazzy Radio Loft & Lounge Gospel Album Of The Week - Marvin Winans 'Alone But Not Alone'

For the past 26 years, The Winans Family, led by Marvin Winans has spearheaded a musical revolution in the world of contemporary Gospel, R&B, and Pop music. Incomparable vocals, positive lyrics, unforgettable melodies and impeccable vocals, positive lyrics, unforgettable melodies, and impeccable production opened up a musical window that let in the likes of Kirk Franklin, Commissioned, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond, Sound of Blackness and beyond.

"Alone but Not Alone" in stores now!
myspace.com/marvinwinansmusic
purespringsgospel.com

*Tune In Tuesday, October 16th on TBN's Praise the Lord - 9pm Cst/10pm Est - Pastor Marvin L. Winans Hosts - Bishop Paul S. Morton, Pastor Jentezen Franklin, Bishop Darryl Hines, Pastor Marvin Sapp.

A Call To Action, 10,000 Men, It's A New Day - Sunday October 21st, 2007 - Philadelphia, PA

A direct response to the escalating homicide rate in Philadelphia. A city-wide call to increase the safety and sense of community in Philadelphia's neighborhoods.
10,000 Men In Philly: 10000menphilly.com
The Millions More Movement Philadelphia: philammm.com

Atonement Week - October 12th - 16th, 2007 - Preserving Life By Any Means Necessary Presented By The Peaceoholics - Washington, D.C.

A direct response to the escalating homicide rate particularly among young people in Washington, D.C. A city-wide call to increase the safety and sense of community in Washington, D.C.'s neighborhoods and young people.

Peaceoholics site: peaceoholics.org

The Thelonius Monk Institute Of Jazz Honors Jazz Icon Herbie Hancock With All Star Concert - October 27th and 28th, 2007 - Los Angeles, CA

Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition

THE THELONIOUS MONK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ AND THE RECORDING ACADEMY® LOS ANGELES CHAPTER PARTNER TO HONOR JAZZ ICON HERBIE HANCOCK WITH AN ALL STAR TRIBUTE CONCERT

STING, JONI MITCHELL, CHRIS BOTTI, GEORGE BENSON, CHAKA KHAN AND AL JARREAU AMONG THE SUPERSTAR ARTISTS TO PERFORM

CONCERT IS PART OF THE THELONIOUS MONK INTERNATIONAL JAZZ TRUMPET COMPETITION AND WILL BENEFIT JAZZ EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN LOS ANGELES AND NEW ORLEANS

OCTOBER 27th and 28th, 2007 IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

(Los Angeles, CA. � October 5, 2007) � The famous Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles will hold its first major jazz concert ever when celebrities, entertainment executives, government officials and musicians converge onstage to pay tribute to one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Legendary music icon and 10-time GRAMMY� winner Herbie Hancock will be honored in an all star tribute concert on October 28, 2007 for all he has contributed to jazz and the music industry throughout his illustrious career. Under the direction of Producer and Music Director Rickey Minor, the concert will feature special performances from five-time GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter and producer Joni Mitchell, 16-time GRAMMY-winning pop/rock icon Sting and other legendary musicians including Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Nancy Wilson, Wayne Shorter, Chris Botti, George Duke, George Benson, Terence Blanchard and Roy Hargrove. Additional performers and guest hosts to be announced. This year marks the very first time the world renowned jazz competition and concert will take place on the West Coast. The Competition and landmark tribute concert will air nationwide on BET (airdate TBA).

The Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition is the most prestigious jazz competition in the world. Each year the institute attracts the brightest young jazz talent in the world to compete for a series of scholarships. This year the competition will feature jazz trumpeters, with the semi-finalists performing before a legendary panel of judges including Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Terence Blanchard, Hugh Masekela, Clark Terry and Roy Hargrove at Schoenberg Hall on the University of California, Los Angeles Campus from 1:00-5:00 PM PST on October 27, 2007. Saturday�s semi-finals round is FREE and open to the public. On Sunday night, the top three finalists will have one more opportunity to perform before the judges and compete for the chance to become the winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and a $20,000 scholarship. The second place winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship and the third place winner will receive a scholarship for $5,000. The all star tribute to Herbie Hancock will immediately follow. READ MORE

LTs Jazzy Radio Loft & Lounge Radio Vibes - Hip-Hop Legend Lady B Back On Philly Air

Nice article on Hip-Hop Legend Lady B now heard on 107.9 WRNB FM from Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer:
(Photo by Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel/Inquirer Staff Photographer)

Hip-hop legend back on Philly air
Lady B was an early female rapper not afraid to spin some risky singles.
By A.D. Amorosi
For The Inquirer

Philadelphia radio legend Lady B has kept old-school hip-hop alive - not just by playing it, but by living it.
She was there back in 1979, making one of the first female rap records with "To the Beat, Y'all," and becoming one of the first radio personalities on Philly's WHAT-AM that same year.

She was there back in 1984, playing some of the riskiest raps from Public Enemy and Schoolly D on WUSL Power 99 FM. Her groundbreaking show "Street Beat" introduced Philly rap luminaries such as Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith, of course), Tuff Crew, and Schoolly D to radio audiences up and down the East Coast.

When that ended, she brought the classic old-school hip-hop to satellite radio in 2002, where she manned the BackSpin channel on Sirius.

And now, after five years away from the Philly airwaves, Lady B - Wendy Clark - returned to the FM dial at the end of August. Fans can catch her on weekdays and Saturdays, spinning R&B and hip-hop, new and old, on WRNB 107.9 FM.

"Lady B's lived and continues to live hip-hop. She walks it like she talks it," says Michael Coard, a Philadelphia lawyer who started a series of Hip Hop 101 classes at Temple University. "She promotes the 'let's get together and have fun' mentality of old-school hip-hop and the 'nonsexist and non-bling' positive side of new jack hip-hop."

Lady B sees herself as a hip-hop ambassador, working with Big Sisters of Philadelphia and lecturing at Coard's classes.

"Our younger generation needs to know that hip-hop was about more than money, sex, drugs and disrespect," she says. "We need to remind many of their parents as well about that fact."

Those parents are her age now. Clark turned 46 last month. She celebrated by readying patter for her Philly show, then heading, by train, to her satellite show at Sirius studios in Manhattan.

That's right, Lady B is a worker - not a diva.

"Before I met her, I heard she was conceited," says her manager, Jay T Austin III. Known as "Docta Shock," Austin, 45, operates the Web magazine Urbanbeatmovement.com, which champions old-school hip-hop.

"After I met her, I found that she is so nice and caring and honest, funny, exciting and intelligent," says Austin. "She cares deeply about people, and she's so, so down-to-earth. When you're with her you forget she's Lady B, she has no airs about her."

The Overbrook High grad from Wynnefield started young in the entertainment business, working as a waitress at R&B hot spot Kim Graves Night Club at 20th & Sansom. She was still in high school when DJ Lawrence Levan put a mike in her hand and showed her how to whip the crowds into a frenzy.

"I was too young to serve drinks, but I could rap as well as the men," she says.

An early fan of B's mike-rocking style and warmly sensuous flow, Perry Johnson of WDAS-FM encouraged her to record "To the Beat, Y'all" at Earmark Recording Studio with Nick Martenelli. Although Lady B has said she's not the funky tune's biggest fan ("I was rushed," she says), she's happy she made the track.

"It made me the first female on wax."

The record put B in earshot of Motown PR whiz Richard Cooper, who told her that Philly's premier African American station, WHAT-AM, was looking for interns.

The station also happened to have radio doyenne Mary Mason as general manager - which meant the world to Lady B. She started off doing odd jobs, while learning the art of radio chat from Mason, but she wanted more.

"I kept bugging her to let me play some of the records that were accumulating at the station," Lady B says. "I eventually convinced Mary to let me spin some of the new records that I had - about a milk-crate full - on the air."

In 1979, that meant singles by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5, the Treacherous 3, Sequence, Crash Crew, Funky 4 + 1, on labels like Sugarhill and Enjoy. It was the early dawn of hip-hop, and Lady B was among the first to bring it to Philadelphia radio, particularly when her show "Street Beat" began in 1984.

"It was a rush knowing we had impact," she says. "The struggle was getting militant or political artists like Public Enemy on the air. They were just too black and too strong. I guess it's still like that today - getting new artists on air with something to say."

Those who she championed still remember her impact. "Lady B was a very instrumental figure in my success," Will Smith said on a radio show in 2003.

"She was the first one to play my first record on air, even though she didn't agree with the subject matter of the lyrics," says Schoolly D of songs like "Gangster Boogie" and "P.S.K." "Smokin' weed, guns, etc., she played it. That's what counts."

For all that, VIBE magazine's History of Hip-Hop called Lady B "maybe the most influential female in hip-hop radio history." But it wasn't enough for Power 99 FM, which tried to tamper with success in 1989.

"They offered me an extreme pay cut and wanted to change the format, so I resigned," Lady B says.

It's not as if she didn't have options. She hit New York City in 1990, working at Sleeping Bag Records as national promotional director and WBLS-FM as an on-air personality.

She came back to Philly in 1997, when WPHI 103.9 FM hired her for a "Street Beat" ("Roots of Hip Hop") weekend show and a weeknight show called "The Truth," which played new music. But when Sirius made her an offer, her Philly FM tenure ended again.

Austin, who gave Lady B a Philly Urban Legend Award in 2002, believed she should stay on the air in her home city. "I used my Web site to solicit communication with the radio stations, to get old-school fans excited," he said. "Radio doesn't have fighters anymore."

And now, since August's end, Lady B - due to Austin's perseverance and the love of her fans - is back on the radio in Philadelphia at WRNB 107.9 FM.

Every Saturday, from 7 p.m. to midnight, and on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., she spins classic hip-hop and R&B on "Tha' Basement Party."

She loves bonding with her Philly people, playing hip-hop that, in Austin's words, "wasn't always all about sex, blunts, diamonds, rims and disrespecting women."

There may be some station resistance, at present, to her playing too much old hip-hop, as the show is programmed in part by its larger Radio One ownership. But Lady B is up to the challenge.

"It's going to be a battle, but I'm ready once again," she said. "Hip-hop has given us a voice, a voice we would not have, had it not been for the culture. This genre has given us a chance to dream and to fulfill dreams.

"Today we need the old school more than ever."

Why Did I Get Married? - trailer #2

Will be posting my review of Why Did I Get Married? very soon. Peace!
~LT

WHY DID I GET MARRIED? - Trailer 2
Uploaded by Lionsgate

Storyline:
A big-screen adaptation of Tyler Perry's hit stage play of the same title, WHY DID I GET MARRIED? is an intimate story about the difficulty of maintaining a solid love relationship in modern times. During a trip to the picturesque snowcapped mountains of Colorado, eight married college friends have gathered for their annual seven-day reunion. But the cozy mood is shattered when the group comes face-to-face with one pair’s infidelity. As secrets are revealed, each couple begins questioning the validity of their own marriage. Over the course of the weekend, husbands and wives take a hard look at their lives, wrestling with issues of commitment, betrayal and forgiveness as they seek a way forward. Perry stars alongside a talented ensemble cast that includes Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Jill Scott, Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Denise Boutte and Lamann Rucker.In theaters 10/12.

Motown Historical Museum 22nd Anniversary Celebration, Saturday, October 20th, 2007

The Motown Museum schedules annual fundraisers for the museum which is centrally located in downtown Detroit. The city's elite and Motown legends suport the event with the sounds that made Motown famous and preserve this national heritage.

African Burial Ground Memorial Dedication, October 5th thru 6th, 2007, Lower Manhattan, NYC

African Burial Ground site: africanburialground.gov
National Park Services site: nps.gov

The 15,000 square-foot plot where the memorial is situated is but a small remnant of an expansive burial ground that served as the final resting place for enslaved and free Africans from the 1690s to the 1790s. As many 15,000 are buried in what is considered the largest colonial-era cemetery for blacks in the United States. The remains of 419 men, women and children that were excavated were reinterred in 2003 in seven carved wooden crypts. All the bodies were discovered with their heads to the west and their feet to the east, so the memorial itself is oriented along an east-west axis, off the Manhattan grid.

Schedule of Events:
Friday, October 5, 2007
1 p.m.
Grand Opening of the African Burial Ground National Monument Memorial
Duane Street between Broadway & African Burial Ground Way (Elk Street).

6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Greet the Torch
Castle Clinton & Battery Park
Drummers and a mass choir greet the ceremonial torch as it arrives from the Statue of Liberty.

8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Candlelight Procession
Battery Park to Foley Square
Honor the Africans who helped build the city of New York by marching in a candlelight procession from Battery Park to the African Burial Ground Monument. Performances to follow at Foley Square.

Saturday, October 6, 2007
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
International Tribute Concert
Foley Square
Performers from Africa and the African Diaspora celebrate the ancestors of the African Burial Ground.

October 8 - 12, 2007
Youth Week
African Burial Ground National Monument
Educational programs for youth. For class or group reservations, call the African Burial Ground National Monument at (212) 637-2019.


Rodney Leon is the heart and mind behind the design chosen for New York’s $3 million African Burial Ground Memorial. He is also president and co-founder of AARRIS Architects, an African-American firm specializing in residential, commercial and institutional design. Leon has accumulated more than a decade of experience in architectural design in the United States and abroad. He has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Pratt Institute School of Architecture and a master’s degree of architecture from Yale. A pan-Africanist at heart, he continues to “look for ways to incorporate cultural forms into architecture.”

Tuesday On Montel - Race On Trial: The Jena 6

From today's montelshow.com:

Today's show will focus on the "Jena 6" - the controversy surrounding six black males who face serious criminal charges for fighting with a white classmate in their hometown of Jena, Louisiana. Robert Noel, an attorney for Mychal Bell, one of the teens who is charged, will update us on the case that has called national attention to the flaws in our justice system and the racism that quietly plagues our country. Griffin Scott, a local news reporter from KTVE-TV, will fill us in on how the town of Jena is handling all the media attention. While Billy Fowler, a school board member, will attempt to dispel notions of racism in Jena. We'll also hear other shocking stories of how race still divides our country. Shaquanda, an African American teenager, claims she unfairly spent one year in a youth prison for "assault on a public servant." Find out what happens when Nikki, a white high school student, spends the day at the home of Jasmine and Kim, a black family, to see if some of her pre-conceived notions about black people are true. Plus, most people will be surprised to know that there are still segregated proms in the South. You won't believe what Jay and Amanda did to desegregate theirs.

Responsive Radio Testimony Excerpts by Alfred C. Liggins III

Responsive Radio Testimony Excerpts by Alfred C. Liggins III
Monday, October 1, 2007; Page D03
From washingtonpost.com:

The House subcommittee on consumer protection held a hearing last week on stereotypes and degrading images in the mass media. Alfred C. Liggins III, chief executive of Lanham-based Radio One, the nation's largest African American-owned radio broadcaster, told members of Congress about his company's efforts to protect its listeners from potentially offensive content. Here are excerpts of his prepared testimony:

"Our Radio One network consists of 60 radio stations and can be found in 19 cities around the nation. Taken together we reach over 12 million listeners across the country. . . . However, those numbers do not really paint the full picture of who Radio One is. Radio One takes its responsibility to serve its communities very seriously. For this reason, the content broadcast on Radio One stations is a product and reflection of the audiences we serve. We at Radio One pride ourselves on our close-knit relationships with our listening audience and view them as members of our extended family. This causes us to be responsive to and engaged in the many public affairs issues facing the local communities where we broadcast.

"How we serve our audiences can be summarized with two recent examples. Just within the last week two of our popular radio DJs who host shows with a hip-hop format, one of whom can be heard in Dallas and Augusta and one of whom can be heard in Detroit, played an instrumental role in bringing national attention to the issues faced by six black teenagers known as the Jena 6. We are proud to say that the efforts of many of our local radio stations to raise awareness of the Jena 6 case and organize bus caravans helped lead thousands of citizens to Louisiana . . . and played a pivotal role in making the rally for justice in Jena such a resounding success.

"Also, last week, in response to the senseless violence that is currently plaguing Philadelphia, causing the city to lead the nation in homicides, our local station Praise 103.9 organized a sold-out gospel concert featuring Yolanda Adams and Les Brown at Sharon Baptist Church focusing on the theme of Black Life Has Value. We broadcast the concert live on 103.9 and also had personalities from our hip-hop station in attendance to show their support for this important message.

"I mention these events because they represent Radio One's commitment to our audience and are important to truly understanding who we are as a company . . .

"Throughout the course of our nation's history there have been many debates and differing opinions regarding musical content, freedom of speech and what constitutes art. . . . When it comes to hip-hop, some may choose to focus on particular artists or music that they find objectionable, and I believe that sort of debate is healthy and ultimately good for our society.

"However, it should be noted that hip-hop music is not representative of the bulk of the content that we at Radio One provide. . . . Only a small minority, 14 out of 60 total stations, have an urban contemporary format and they play hip-hop music that often reflects the realities that many in the audiences face and observe in their daily lives.

"Radio One is also not in charge of creating content, or in the business of censorship or determining what is in good or bad taste. However, while other media platforms do not have public-interest obligations . . . we are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. Radio One has always taken great care to comply with FCC guidelines and standards in regard to content. In fact, it should be pointed out, that of all the music platforms available to listeners today, only broadcast radio is required to take steps to protect our listeners.

"Furthermore, it is Radio One's policy that no song can be broadcast over the radio until it is listened to and the content reviewed. Every Radio One station has a program director who is directly responsible for the music that is broadcast on that station. Each of our radio stations receive radio-edit versions of songs, which, if necessary, are further edited consistent with FCC regulations and local community standards . . .

"That being said, part of the success of Radio One is based on the fact that we as a company respond to the variety and diversity of musical tastes of our audiences . . . Radio in many ways is a reflection of its community and what its listeners want to hear. We pride ourselves on being local broadcasters, with the emphasis on "local." It is broadcasters that offer the localism that communities need and deserve. Furthermore, while hip-hop music is many different things to many different people, it is important to remember this revolutionary art form has created a multitude of opportunities and economic benefits for those who may not otherwise have had such an opportunity. . . .

"We at Radio One are proud of our track record and are committed to serving the needs of our diverse audience and being responsible broadcasters."

A Discussion of The Jena 6 On Today's Dr. Phil - The Conversation Continues

Today at 4PM on NBC.

From today's DrPhil.com:

Friday's debate over the Jena 6 grew so heated, the Dr. Phil show needed to keep the cameras rolling! Now, see the show that happened after the show, when Dr. Phil returns to the stage and speaks with members of his audience on both sides of the issue.