The story of Black radio in Philadelphia is actually the story of Black music, of civil rights and progress in the African-American community, and of how the radio medium has changed in the last century.
Today, a lot of people don't know what the term "Black radio" means. But starting in the 1950s, Black radio used to be one of the most important institutions in the Black community, not only in Philadelphia, but in cities across the U.S.Stations like WDAS in Philly, WDIA in Memphis, WWRL and WBLS in NYC, WHUR and WOL in DC, WERD in Atlanta, WVON in Chicago, WLAC in Nashville, WMRY in New Orleans, and KWBR in San Francisco featured radio personalities with styles all their own who played records you'd never get to hear on mainstream radio.
Beyond being hip radio stations, these were pipelines into the Black community that played pivotal roles in the Civil Rights Movement.
Hear conversations with well-known disc jockeys, radio professionals, record company executives, musicians, journalists, and scholars. Also listen to first-person accounts of Civil Rights events and rare archival audio of Black radio air checks from the 60s and 70s.
Going Black: The Legacy of Philly Soul Radio airs Friday, February 21, 2014 at 7pm CST on HPPR.
More about this program at mightyradio.org.
