We enjoyed seeing Cathy Hughes speak a few years ago at the Sistahs in Business Expo in Philadelphia. Her story was simply unique, from single teenage mom to the first African-American woman to head a publicly-traded company in 1999 – the only woman to own a radio station still in operation (Washington DC – WOL 1450).
On December 31st, 2020, it was announced that Cathy Hughes, Chairman, and Founder of Urban One, Inc., and CEO Alfred Liggins III received Congressional Commendations for Urban One, having 40 years of service in national media. Now that’s what we call Black Excellence!
Urban One has been a pioneer in radio and African American communities for years.
“I am deeply humbled by this prestigious recognition and grateful that Urban One’s contributions are now a part of our nation’s Congressional record,” said Hughes. “The year 2020 will long be remembered as a year that challenged and changed our country, and while we faced unprecedented trials, this honor and our opportunity to be of service to the black community are among the highest distinctions we have received.”
Hughes was also inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Hall of Fame along with other worthy media professionals. Past inductees include Tom Joyner, Michael Days, Wanda Lloyd, and more.
“Urban One, Inc. (urban1.com), together with its subsidiaries, is the largest diversified media company that primarily targets African-American and urban consumers in the United States. Urban One is the parent company of Radio One, Reach Media, Inc. (blackamericaweb.com), TV One (tvone.tv), CLEO TV (mycleo.tv), iOne Digital (ionedigital.com), and One Solution. Formerly known as Radio One, Inc., the Company was founded in 1980 with a single radio station and now owns and/or operates 59 broadcast stations (including HD stations) in 15 urban markets in the United States, making it one of the nation’s largest radio broadcasting companies. The Company’s growth led to diversification into syndicated radio programming, cable television, and online digital media. As a result, in 2017, Radio One, Inc. was renamed Urban One, Inc. to better reflect the Company’s multi-media operations. While the Company was renamed Urban One, Radio One remains the brand of the radio division and all of its radio assets. Through Reach Media, Inc., the Company operates nationally syndicated radio programming, including the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, the Russ Parr Morning Show, and the DL Hughley Show. TV One is a national cable television network serving more than 59 million households, offering a broad range of original programming, classic series, and movies designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. Launched in January 2019, CLEO TV is a lifestyle and entertainment cable television network targeting Millennial and Gen X women of color. iOne Digital is a collection of digital platforms providing the African-American community with social, news, and entertainment content across numerous branded websites, including Cassius, Bossip, HipHopWired, and MadameNoire branded websites. One Solution provides award-winning, fully integrated advertising solutions across the entire Urban One multi-media platform. Through its national, multi-media operations, the Company and One Solution provides advertisers with a unique and powerful delivery mechanism to African-American and urban audiences. Finally, Urban One owns a minority interest in MGM National Harbor, a gaming resort located in Prince George’s County, Maryland.”
Learn more about Hughes’ legacy and unprecedented achievements chronologically on URBAN ONE.
Photo credits and source via Urban One
