Today, the Living Legends Foundation pays tribute to the Black radio station owners who helped define & elevate the culture. This is part 5 of 6.
As President and General Manager of WVON, Melody Spann Cooper leads the only Black-owned radio station in the nation’s third-largest market. In 1999, she purchased controlling interest in Midway Broadcasting Company, continuing a family legacy deeply rooted in Chicago radio.
Practically “born into the business,” she is the daughter of legendary Chicago DJ Pervis Spann, known as “The Blues Man.” Spann and fellow broadcaster Wesley South purchased WVON decades ago, and the station has remained in the Spann family ever since. Under Cooper’s leadership, WVON has maintained its powerful talk-radio format and community advocacy. In 2019, she added author to her résumé with The Girlfriend’s Guide to Closing the Deal, reflecting her business acumen and commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs.
As President of Miles Ahead Entertainment & Broadcasting, Sheila Eldridge purchased five radio stations in Augusta, GA from her mentor, Founder and Chairwoman of Urban One Inc., Cathy Hughes, that launched her broadcast ownership into radio that has today transitioned into a multimedia platform with national reach.
That evolution led to Cafe Mocha, an all-female syndicated radio show hosted by hip-hop pioneer Yo-Yo, media executive Angelique Perrin, and comedian Loni Love. Designed to empower, inform, and uplift women of color, the program now airs in more than 40 markets, including key affiliates such as WBLS (New York), WHUR-FM (Washington, D.C.), Majic 94.5 (Dallas), Majic 107.5 (Atlanta) and Soul 106.3 (Chicago), and is also heard nationally on Sirius XM Channel 141.
The brand expanded into television with Café Mocha TV on TheGrio TV Network. Sheila has also partnered with Tubi to create new opportunities for HBCU filmmakers, reinforcing its commitment to cultivating the next generation of storytellers.
The story of KPRS dates back to 1950, when it became the first Black-owned radio station west of the Mississippi River. Founded by Andrew “Skip” Carter, the station’s humble beginnings included a transmitter shack that once served as a ticket booth at the Kansas City Monarchs baseball stadium — its antenna running through the rafters. Its call letters stood for “Kansas City’s People’s Radio Station,” a mission that continues today. The Carter Broadcast Group is recognized as the oldest continually Black family-operated radio company in the country. The company added an FM station in 1963, transitioned its primary audience to FM in 1971, and repurposed 1590 AM as KPRT, dedicated to urban gospel programming.
Skip Carter’s grandson, Michael Carter, became president in 1987, continuing the family legacy. In 2025, the Carter Broadcast Group completed its acquisition of an interest in KSJM-FM in Wichita, Kansas, marking yet another chapter in its remarkable, multigenerational story.
Chicago-based broadcaster Tony Gray leads Gray Communications, a trusted radio programming consultancy with more than two decades of experience. The firm specializes in Urban Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Urban Alternative formats, as well as market-specific research and talent recruitment. Gray is Chairman of the Board of M&M Community Development Inc, owners of WNOZ (Smooth Jazz 95.3) in New Orleans, where he also serves as President and General Manager. They are a listener-supported, volunteer-programmed station dedicated to preserving the Smooth Jazz format and serving its loyal audience.
A 2024 inductee into the Radio Hall of Fame, Barry Mayo is widely regarded as one of the most influential Black radio executives of the modern era. His journey began at Howard University, where he became the first General Manager of the campus station.
After programming stations in Chicago, Nashville, Little Rock, and Norfolk, Mayo’s defining moment came in 1981 when he helped launch WRKS-FM 98.7 KISS in New York. There, he made history by integrating hip-hop into a Black Top 40 format — a bold move that reshaped urban radio nationwide.
He later became the first Black Vice President and General Manager of RKO General and went on to serve as President of Radio One. As co-founder of Broadcasting Partners, Inc. (BPI), he grew the company from five to twelve stations before selling his share in 1995 — leaving an indelible mark on media ownership and executive leadership.
These leaders carved out platforms that amplified Black voices and built institutions designed to endure.
If you have memories of these trailblazers, share them in the comments.
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