Radio One gets the Red out on 104.1 FM
Black media giant adds hip-hop lite to its STL offerings
By Bill Beene
Of the St. Louis American
What you hear on WRDA 104.1 is not a test. It’s rocking a hip-hop beat.
Since Radio One last month copped 104.1 Red from Emmis for $20 mil, the Red is out and hip-hop is in. Hip-hop lite, that is.
With the purchase, the black-owned, urban-centered conglomerate, which also owns FOXY 95.5, is berthing the return of their hip-hop presence in the Lou – a return with a difference.
Don’t expect the return of crunk. FOXY’s 95.5 new baby sister is only rocking office-friendly hip-hop and rap, according to Garth Adams, PD for FOXY 95.5 and acting PD for the new Hot 104.1.
The term Adams threw out to define the station’s direction is “Rhythmic/Urban.”
“It’s more mainstream urban, less of a street edge,” Adams said. This explains the industry-to-street intelligence Charlie Chan put on the ‘vine while he was setting up for his Friday night gig at the Formula.
“It might not be hip-hop,” Chan, the former QJ, said, adding that it “might be like Z 107.7.”
That was Chan’s response to whether or not he would accept or apply for a gig at the new Hot 104.1.
You would expect for any club deejay turned on-air deejay and quasi-personality to jump at the chance to get back on he airwave mic after being dropped. A number of QJs got a pink slip when the former Q 95.5 went classic soul and R&B. Three of them, Isis Jones, DJ Needles and J-Nicks, landed gigs at The Beat. Some were relocated to other Radio One markets.
Then there’s DJ Kaos, whose humorous cop chit-chat got him in unwarranted trouble. He was let go by Clear Channel after a police organization threatened to boycott the station and its advertisers if the media empire didn’t fire him.
They would probably do the same thing if Radio One hired him, but listeners could protest on his behalf just like they could have done at Clear Channel.
Adams’ take on hiring deejays for the new station was as evasive as Mark McGwire’s response to questions about steroid use.
“Right now we’re executing our format and growing the station as planned” is all the Garth dropped on the ‘vine.
No wonder there. FOXY only recently hired its first on-air personality in Niecy Davis after about one year of operation.
The lack of on-air personalities is actually a new trend among stations trying to cut back financially. For instance, Déjà vu simulcasts a local Beat show from out of state.
Speaking of trends and new ventures, Radio One’s Tom Joyner Morning Show is now on the tube at 9 p.m. Saturdays on UPN46.
