Columnist Bernie Hayes
People often ask me why there is not a black-owned station in the St. Louis area that provides a platform for distinctive, locally produced programming that is reflective of the diverse cultures of African Americans and other minorities. My answer is always the same. African Americans wanted to buy two stations in the region that were black-owned, WESL and KIRL, but the black owners would not sell them to black people. Let me repeat that: the black owners would not sell them to the black groups!
And that is why I refer you to B.B. King, who sang, “It’s my own fault, baby; treat me the way you want to do.”
These are the cold facts. So, I must ask: Who exactly is the victim here?
If you aren’t happy with radio stations that play hip-hop and rap all day and night as though it’s a public service, and tolerate local and syndicated talk-show hosts shouting down their guests and listeners, then you need to be involved in changing what you can pick up on your radio. I say we all should sing, “It’s my own fault, baby; treat me the way you want to do.”
I am proud to remember how the community supported me in our struggle to maintain balanced and open programming on local airways, but now it seem that the community-at-large has forgotten its responsibilities to be ever-vigilant, to protect our liberties and to take care of business.
It is embarrassing to realize that we cannot find a space on the radio dial for our own voices, our own news, our own concerns and our own agenda. We constantly put entertainment in front of our interests, such as selling out thousands of seats to be amused by Gladys Knight and Al Green. We often cry broke but somehow we can find the money to support the price of shows at the Fox Theatre and other high-price venues.
Entertainment is a necessity for good mental health, but we also should be addressing the problem of achieving justice for communities and individuals that have been inundated with acts of racial injustice and civil rights violations. Local radio stations should be sharing information and co-operating in the way they serve the public by providing knowledge to a mass audience. We must find a way to make the local stations more responsible.
We once had, but lost, black mayors of Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and other major metropolitan communities. In St. Louis we once boasted and felt proud about having an African-American mayor, police chief, fire chief and school superintendant, but today we should be singing, “It’s my own fault, baby; treat me the way you want to do.”
We also are aware that Barack Obama has a great opportunity to make history, and we need to use this opportunity to create a new vision for the future. If he loses the presidential election, it will be because of voter apathy on our part. But if and when he is elected, he should sing another song B.B. King made popular; “I’m Paying the Cost to be the Boss.”
Tune into my daily internet radio show at LouRadio.com. I can be reached by fax at (314) 837-3369 or by e-mail at: berhay@swbell.net.