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! 

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Twitter: @bjmurphshow