By Edward C. Evans

(from RBR/TVBR's Solutions Magazine, 12/05 issue)

When I first began a career in radio sales some 20 years ago, it was at a declining AM R&B station, which changed its format when I was there to Classic Soul. Excited about the change, I went out to pitch the station to the agencies. As I went to a well-known downtown ad agency and met with the media buyer, I told her our story. I showed her the adult audience we hoped to reach and I went on to say that we strive to achieve similar aspects as other oldies formatted stations. At that point she said, "How can you say that...you're Black."

There it was, plain and clear. Regardless of your format, if you have a majority black audience, it's a black radio station period.

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Now let's fast-forward to today and many may say that was then, and that doesn't happen today. Right. Well let me tell you that it still does. In some cases it is obvious, but for the most part it is subtle. The radio industry, like government, redefines blacks and their communities to urban. We no longer call poor black communities ghettos, it's now the "urban" inner cities. Thus the term urban means, for the most part, blacks or from this point African Americans.

In the radio industry we live and die by the defining one's format, whether it's AC, Hot AC, Rhythmic AC or CHR, Rhythmic CHR, Classic Rock, Modern Rock, well you get the picture. Now each of those formats just listed get a fair opportunity to stand on their own as it relates to audience composition, rates and the like. The buying community may pit some formats or station against each other. But when was the last time you had a buyer say, "I have all the 'general market' (non ethnic) consumers I need on one or two stations." Probably not too often. However that's what takes place for many so-called urban-formatted radio stations. So if the format is Urban Hip-Hop, Rap, Urban AC or Classic R&B or Urban Talk, the audience is the same for many of those who plan and place media budgets. It is not uncommon to hear that I can reach the "urban" market with this one or the other station.

The bottom line is that it is plain insulting in today's world that these practices still occur. The print industry understands demographics and the African American lifestyle by publishing magazines from fashion to business, hip-hop to sports, cars to wealth building. The industry has grown from the roots of the Ebony magazine that first targeted the African American consumer in November 1945.

As a society of the 21st century there are those who still believe that African American are somewhat all the same. Remember when the "The Cosby Show" first aired in September of 1984, many believe that program was an unrealistic portrayal of an African American family. However the show became a rating hit because is showed a family, who was African American, going through the same issues and situations many American families experience.

Just think for a moment, now what radio stations did you think the Huxtable's listened to during the week. It's possible to say Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable might have a jazz or smooth jazz preset and his wife, attorney Clair Huxable might have enjoyed a Urban AC, the kids, five in all, might have ranged for Alternative to hip-hop to Radio Disney. Also let's review their income, education and lifestyle preferences. It was a truly an upscale, highly educated and an active family lifestyle. The fictitious Huxtable family is not as rare as it might seem. There are a large and growing number of affluent African Americans across this nation. But what is rare are the number of corporations, media outlets and the general population that believe it does exist.

The African American population is not monolithic, but a diverse group, living in various communities with a broad range of professions and political interests. Thus, I must make the case that the buying community must separate and allow each "urban" formatted radio station the same opportunity as any "general market" radio station. When an advertiser states a no-urban dictate, it's not the format, it's the audience they don't desire, based on some preconceived ideas. That type of dictate excludes the diverse economic power, who like their "general market" contemporaries, buy homes, cars, dog food, toothpaste, computers, office equipment, etc.

The real issue is the lack of diversity at the decision-making level. If the corporate CEO's, Marketing Directors, Research Managers or the ad agency planners, media directors and others lack knowledge have or in some cases, may not have an interest regarding the African American market, then it is an opportunity lost. That's the real shame, because a real effort is needed to fully understand the diversity of the African American consumer by hiring individuals who know the marketplace. I can state many facts that support my views, but one is no more compelling as this one. Nationally, in 2004, as compiled by the Selig Center's Study, the African American buying power was $723 billion. For 2005 it is projected to be $766 billion and in 2009 to be $965 billion, that's a 33% increase in just five years. States like New York, California and Illinois with similar growth and with Texas, Georgia and Washington showing 40%-45% growth. African Americans have the eleventh largest economy in the world when compared to the gross national income of other nations. It is an advertiser's great opportunity to grow their market and share by making an effort to reach the African American consumer. I must also state there are many companies who reach out and value the African American consumer. Their efforts have been rewarded with market growth and consumer loyalty.

As I stated in the beginning, all "urban" stations are not the same. The urban musical landscape is wide and vast. Urban radio brings us cutting edge hip-hop to traditional R&B to Motown Classics. It is a range of listeners, which is truly diverse, "Urban radio is more than the music, it's an American lifestyle."

Edward C. Evans is the Strategic Accounts Manager for KJLH-FM Los Angeles. You can reach him at [email protected].