Backstage Pass: Michael Baisden out at WDAS
By Kiarra Solomon
For those of you who have not already noticed, long time syndicated radio host Michael Baisden is no longer on the air on WDAS 105.3 FM. Baisden had been on the air in Philadelphia for many years, however, Clear Channel made a decision to go in a different direction with their afternoon programming. While 'The Michael Baisden Show' was on the air in Philadelphia, Clear Channel consistently beat the competition by at least 10 points in Arbitron ratings.
Earlier this week, Clear Channel officially announced an opening for their midday time slot. In the meantime, longtime WDAS on-air personality Mimi Brown will be holding down the afternoon drive.
On Monday, January 7, 2013, Baisden posted a letter to his fans on Facebook stating that "there seems to be a disturbing trend in urban radio to opt to give the Black community less information about what's going on in our community, even when my program is competitive, and in some cases winning in its time slot." Baisden continued that he didn't "blame the radio networks that remove (his) program; (he) blames us as a community," and asks "is this in our best interests?" (You can read the complete letter on his Facebook page.)
While Baisden's show is important to maintaining Black voices in radio, it is important to note that syndicated radio as a whole has continued to destroy local radio by only addressing nationwide issues, as opposed to Black Radio of the past that addressed local issues and was an integral part of the community. Let us not forget that Baisden is paid based on the amount of markets he is in. That is not to say that his letter to fans was not genuine and that his concern is not real. However, we must keep in mind that every market that Baisden (or any other syndicated radio show) is aired in, fills a position that could be held by an up and coming or local radio talent.
A few questions remain, mainly, who will replace the 'Michael Baisden Show'? The last time Clear Channel suddenly got rid of a longtime personality they flew someone in from Florida to fill the spot (Cappuchino who replaced Shamara). Will they fill the slot with someone listeners already know and love, or will they be introduced to new talent? One important note that Baisden made in his letter to fans is that radio is an advertising business first, and a people business second. And a multi-million dollar corporation like Clear Channel is certainly looking to increase ratings and revenue with this move.
+ Top Story
You want honest and well-run elections. This starts by choosing the people who work at your polling place. Elections for Judge of Election and Election Inspector are on the May 21 ballot. You can read about what they do here.
This year marks the 29th anniversary of the Celebration of Black Writing Festival, one of the oldest Black literary festivals in the country. For nearly three decades, the Celebration has grown from a one-day gathering of authors and literary intellectuals to a weeklong event...
The Honorable Vincent J. Hughes Senator, 7th Senatorial District in the Pennsylvania will be the Keynote Speaker at the Fourth Saints of Valor Martial Ministry Appreciation Awards Ceremony Dinner hosted by Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.
A Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General investigation of 19 Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation contracts has found that 11 prime contractors used JHS and Sons Supply Company to circumvent the City’s antidiscrimination requirements by...
The Franklin & Marshall College Poll is produced in conjunction with the Philadelphia Daily News, WGAL-TV (South Central PA), Pittsburgh Tribune Review, WTAE-TV (Pittsburgh), WPVI-TV6/ABC (Philadelphia), Times-Shamrock Newspapers, Harrisburg Patriot-News, and Lancaster Newspapers.
Orphaned at 18 and left to support and care for his 13-year-old brother, the odds were stacked against Ronald E. Wilson going to college, let alone graduating. So, it is not surprising that Wilson was overwhelmed by emotions upon learning he will be one of 1,934 candidates for graduation at CCP.
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Tuesday unanimously approved H.R. 301, authored by Reps. Seth Grove, R-York, and James Roebuck, D-Phila., to designate May 7 as “Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition Day.”
To better inform voters about the candidates in this statewide election, the Pennsylvania Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Commission today issued its ratings and descriptive paragraphs for all appellate judge candidates appearing on the May 21 primary ballots.