My Sirius XM Wealthy Ways show guest this weekend
is the Founder and Chairwoman of the largest Black-owned media company in
America, Urban One.
She is the one and only Dr. Cathy
Hughes.?
Dr. Hughes was born in Omaha, Nebraska where her
mother nurtured her love of radio with the gift of a “transistor radio” at age 8
– that her mother purchased through a layaway plan. The young Dr. Hughes would
listen to that radio all night long.?
Beginning her career in radio in 1969, her
first position was with a Black-owned radio station - KOWH. Her successes there
fueled many other opportunities.
Dr. Hughes came to Washington, D.C. to be the
sales manager at Howard University’s popular station WHUR-FM. It was at WHUR
that she created the “Quiet Storm” radio genre, becoming the #1 show in the
Nation’s Capital; having since been duplicated by radio stations around the
country.
Dr. Hughes purchased her first radio station in
1979 after being rejected by thirty-two bank. As a result of her refusal to give
up on her dream, Radio One was born.
Dr. Cathy Hughes has the distinction of being the
first African American woman to head a media company publicly traded on the New
York Stock
Exchange!