Build A Broadcast Organization Now!

I would really love to see the pioneers of urban radio develop media companies that will put todays media outlets to shame.

It is a lack of will power on our part to create and do something for ourselves. That statement was for people who still want to be in the biz.

You must know that "We can, and we should create our own media"!

The Case of Gary Williams

A young man named Gary Williams in Raleigh NC is my hero. While I was a student at Shaw University in Raleigh NC in 1984 Gary was an 8th grader who loved radio. He use to call the station everyday to speak with me or Tim Greene on WSHA 88.9fm (Shaw U radio). We became role models for his career. From 1984 to this day, I still talk with Gary at least twice a week. One day in 2007, Gary called me and said BJ, I have an internet station that is playing Gospel music and I am charging Pastors to air their sermons. I charge $100 a month x's 10 ministries. I said Gary this is a great business! Then he started an internet TV station, then one day he told me some engineers from WRAL in Raleigh gave him an Transmitter from Japan. He could not continue because of FCC rules and lack of money, but I went to Gary's house to my surprise he had the antenna on top of his house broadcasting at 91.7 or something like that.

Recently he tried to LMA an AM  station but I told him it was not a good deal. I have to credit him with sparking my study and research on becoming an Independent media company.

Gary has not gotten the experiences many of us have had traveling around the country doing radio, but his genius and belief in himself  fuels his passion to be a success. I said to myself why aren't we doing what Gary is attempting?

So how should we go about building our own broadcast organization?

Here are a few ideas.....

1. In your own city, look at what is not being promoted.  Let's take High School sports. Create a website that promotes local sports in your city. Interview players coaches, video behind the scenes footage. High School Football soccer and basketball. If you like sports this could be a great money generating business supported by business's that support the teams. Booster clubs in some cities have alot of money donated.

2. Create your own blog for news in your city. Create a team of Iphone reporters that send you video reports on what is  happening on their side of town. You could be a game changer in your city with exclusive footage of important events.

3. I know a young lady that created an online magazine that featured people from Charlotte. Local everyday people. A lot  of photo's and neighborhood stories. She interviewed people that just got out of jail, family reunions, local models, local events. She charged $2.99 to buy it online.

4. Become a talent coach. If you have been doing this for awhile successfully, then you know how to train people to become great communicators. Don't doubt your ability to do this.

5. Team up with out of work media people and brainstorm. Stop trying to do things all by yourself.

6. Again, there are so many brilliant broadcasters working at Sears or Macy's or sitting at home waiting for a mystery phone call for a radio job. Get started building your media empire!

7. Find like minded individuals who see this as a way to continue doing what they love. Be careful that you don't bring any spirit killers in your camp. This is not a paid gig yet, but it will be.

I don't care what the nay sayers say about making a living in the age of new Media on-line. Trust me, people are doing it. You just have to be patient to watch it grow.

There are 7 billion people on the planet. About 360 million in the U.S. and about bout 40 to 50 million black people in the United States.  Look at the population in your city and do the math.

Imagine charging $3.99 a month x's ,2000 people = $7.980 dollars a month. Use your imagination and go for it.People are doing this!

Subscribe to my blog today and email friends in the industry.

My email is bjmurphyshow@gmail.com

George Wilborne replaces Rudy Rush on the Doug Banks Show

Shocker!!!

Just learned that Comedian Rudy Rush who has been with the Doug Banks show for years is being replaced with long time comedian side kick from the Michael Baisden Show George Wilborne.
Both guys are funny so we will see how this works out.

Seems Doug Banks is making some moves since the departure of Michael Baisden. Will Skip Murphy add Rudy?

George

Rudy 

Doug Banks and Dee Dee Mcguire

The Boston Bombing and the creation of New Black Media

All throughout the media coverage of the Boston bombing did you notice that something was missing?Where was the Black media's reporting on this massive event? I am not pointing fingers at any media outlet, I am just saying what was our take? I am positive that people did cover it the best they could, and if you work for a mainstream media outlet, you were definitely restricted in what you could say. As I looked at the story with so many holes in it, it was a time to question some of the evidence especially about the how the man who found the suspect in his back yard (Tsarnaev, 19, who was charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death, according to a statement from the Justice Department) in his boat. He looked inside and saw the suspect and you mean to tell me he just sat there and waited for the police to come? Really?

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Since we do not have news departments in Black radio stations anymore, we have to get back to reporting what is happening around us. Since we have the Internet we should use that medium to create news organizations that can compete with any news outlet in America.

I have some suggestions for alternative news gathering businesses we could start today.

1. An IPhone news gathering team. With this device and a great production person, you could create a news gathering team in any city that would knock the local 6pm news cast out the box. Create a website or a blog that is the go to site for news in your city. With your IPhone or Android reporters out in the field, you could get instant audio and video. You could have a daily newscast (video) that you upload everyday at 6pm or 7pm that people can watch at their leisure. Hyper local news reporting that goes deeper into any story your local TV stations cover. Example...if there was a police shooting in your city and people say that the youth who was shot, did not have a gun and there were witness's. You could interview each witness and get all the details. Mainstream media can't and won't do that. "If you want the truth about the (blank) story go to www.mynewscharlotte.com.  Create a mynewsChicago a mynewsDetroit a mynewsMiami a mynewsPhilly website and kill'em!

2. All newscast are determined by an editor that chooses which stories should be important for us to consume. Who said so? Why do you get to pick what is important for us to know? See this Internet has leveled the playing field. You want to be relevant in your radio career, then get busy doing something as simple as this. The days of waiting for a phone call for a job is OVER! (I will write more on that topic later).

3. Creating content is the business you want to be in. You and I should do this! Buy a domain name, build a website that you can update and upload content yourself!  Create a staff of creative people and teach them how to gather information.

4. Marcel who use to work with the popular Russ Parr show is pioneering on the web. He is creating his own media company called (www.wmarmedia.com).We will be creating a video blog soon so he can teach us how to capitalize off what he is learning how to master.

Marcel

5. Videocasting is the new radio!
Marcel is doing it! Check him out here (Marcel Video show).
YouTube is replacing TV watching, blogging is the new news source, especially twitter which gives you instant news within seconds. Podcasting is also the new radio without brick and mortar and radio towers. People are making a living off these pre-recorded shows that are uploaded for people to consume at there leisure.

Missed opportunities?

I hope this article is inspiring you in some way to begin your new media career online. Just like you were the hottest thing on the radio in your city, you can reinvent yourself and become even hotter, and best of all no one can tell you how creative you can be. Don't miss an opportunity to do something for yourself in the new media space!

To All of my radio friends out there I believe in you and I want you to use the God given talent that you have and shoot off like a rocket!!


Please if you have any creative ideas leave a comment!

Please Subscribe today!!!

Rick Party:He's more than back on the air!

Congratulations to Rick Party  as he returns to Miami on Hot 105!

A well deserved opportunity has come around for one of our stars of Urban Radio Rick Party to take over Afternoons Hot 105 welcomes Rick Party on legendary Urban AC Hot 105.

It's about time!!!

Real radio people need to be given an opportunity to get back on the air and showcase  how it should be done! After sitting back for years  all of us have been watching the radio business change. Most of us say, when I get back on you watch how I do it this time!

Rick Party is a jocks, jocks! I remember watching video air-checks of this man in amazement! So talented, brash and brilliant! As Rick Party continues to do pursue his voice over career while on the radio,  (VO Demo of Rick) Rick Party will put on a clinic in Radio presentation that we have not heard in a long while.

Rick has personally done some things for me when I asked for his assistance and I have never forgotten his graciousness and kindness towards me. I watched how he was developing his business and staying relevant in the career he chose for himself. Rick is a text book case of how you should use the multitude of talent all of us are endowed with and do for self! (I will write on that topic very soon)

Here are my observations of Rick Party.

1. He is a very hard worker. He never gave up on himself when doors closed.

2. He used his production skills and networking abilities to be the voice of major advertisers and became the signature voice of BET and TV One.

3. I have heard countless stories of how Rick Party has helped other radio dj's develop themselves especially in voice over production.

4. Rick is always willing to give away knowledge talks about his career at no cost.

5. Rick Party is a student of the game of radio and a master of the most minute details and nuances of doing a radio show.

6. Major market high quality persona. He looks like a star in the way he carries himself.

7. Always respectful.

I would admonish to all you up and coming radio talents to study his career and become a student of Rick Party and ask him questions on how this brilliant talent went from Norfolk to Dallas to Chicago to Miami to New York and nationally known voice over artist!

I salute you Rick. I bet you never knew I have been studying you too! (smile)

Please tell our radio media friends to subscribe to my blog. I am ready to share so much of what I think about the current state of radio and the future of black media

Who is training the next generation of broadcasters?

This is the question that we as black broadcasters must answer. Are we going to take on the responsibility to train the next generation of Black media people. Will these brilliant young people have to figure it out themselves? I sure hope not. All of the super talents that I have known through out my career can all point back to a long list of men and women who shaped their careers.

I started my career in 1983 at Shaw University in Raleigh NC. WSHA was our college radio station. Cathis Hall and David Linton were my instructors and Tim Greene was my mentor. While in school I worked part-time at WLLE 57am Raleigh NC under the guidance of Cash Michaels and WFXC Foxy 107 in Durham NC under the late Alvin Stowe all while at college. All these Icons in the industry helped to mold me while at Shaw U.

My first full time gig was with WQOK Raleigh NC under Vinny Brown who would later become the King of New York programming  98.7Kiss and WBLS.

I Left Raleigh in 1988 to work with Andre Carson at WWDM Columbia SC where I did Afternoons. Andre fired me  in 1989. We went out to lunch he Doug Williams and I the same day I was fired. It was not personal, the owner wanted to make a change. In the same building was the great Don Early Bird who did mornings on The Big DM. I learned so much from them! Andre, Doug and Don were like my big brothers. In 1995 Andre Carson rehired me to be his morning man at WPEG in Charlotte NC where I had the longest run of my career in any city.

Sam Weaver:
I could write a whole book on my experience with Sam Weaver. He believed in me so much and trained me hard core to whip me into shape as a broadcaster. He hired me to do Afternoons in Greensboro NC, then to mornings in 1990 where I became known in the industry. Sam hired me in three different cities, Greensboro NC, Kansas City MO and Dallas TX. I was with him from small to medium to major market. He introduced me to Jerry Boulding who helped me get to Baltimore MD to work for Roy Sampson at V103. Roy gave me my first shot working in a big city.  I was nervous working in an environment where I had daggers coming at me from inside my own camp but it helped me to grow as a morning man on how to manage people.

Radio consultant Tony Gray:
Tony has been my friend since 1991 when he was consulting WQMG in Greensboro NC. I use to read about him all the time, and to be working with him tripped me out. From programming the iconic 98.7 Kiss fm that he and Barry Mayo made an industry standard was always something I aspired to be a part of. We talk every week and his advice is always on point even though we all have gone against his better judgement and paid the price for it.

Charlotte made me!
From Andre Carson, Wayne Brown, Terri Avery's mentor ship I was able to make a name for myself and have a quality of life that was very rewarding in Charlotte. I really blossomed from 1995-2004 while in Charlotte and became nationally recognized. I got to know Jay Stevens and Reggie Rouse at WPGC Washington DC, because I use to fill in for Donnie Simpson when he was on vacation working with CBS radio.

Working in a top 5 market in Dallas in 2004 and doing a syndicated show through Superadio was a great experience and going to Chicago in 2006 to work with Elroy Smith at V103 was awesome. Elroy was one of my heroes and Chicago my favorite city in the world besides Charlotte, I was in heaven.

As you can see, I had so much help in my career and I will be sharing my experience in this blog on how to become a great communicator!

I wanted to share some brief history about my career to say that I was blessed beyond measure. Will we bless our future generations with our knowledge and wisdom we have acquired from the great ones of our industry? We should not take our knowledge to the graves and bury it. We must find a way to revive black radio and the new forms of communication that are before us.

What I think we must do?

1. Create a think tank of the great minds of our industry and set a road map for the new media that is upon us.

2. We must get back to having learning conferences or one day fly ins to teach and not party.

3. I would love to put together a panel discussion with veteran programmers on trends we should be looking for in the next 3 to 5 years online

4. Go on a speaking tour to broadcast students in area colleges and universities to lend your expertise.

5. Embrace the new media and use what we have learned from corporate radio to carve out a future.

In this blog we will be diving into how to transform Black radio and inspire the veterans of black radio and cultivate those coming after us! 

Please subscribe today!

Please leave a comment if you like.

Twitter: @bjmurphshow

New opportunities coming for urban radio?

Skip Murphy

Jasmine Sanders

Sam Sylk

Guy Black

This past week we got some good news with 4 industry vets back in the game in a major way. First Skip Murphy and Jasmine Sanders and Guy Black with the Skip Murphy Show replacing Michael Baisden's vacated syndication slot.  Sam Sylk a Chicago radio vet is making another run in Cleveland at WZAK this time.

I spoke with some programmers and consultants and they seem to think that there will not be the ground swell of opportunities in the future as some would think including myself. As some of the syndicated shows may be coming to a close in a few years the possibility of broke stations going local may be kinda slim in regards to budgets to hire talent.

 Keep working on your new media platforms and get ready for the revolution. There are so many ideas of how to take ourselves to the next level in the new media space.  Remember that while we are working on terrestrial radio we must build our own platforms before the next contract negotiations go sour. All my vets out there, you know what i'm saying.