| Louisiana’s oldest African American radio station, WBOK 1230 AM, is relaunching on Monday, Jan. 27, with a new brand, website, programming and more just in time for Black History Month. |
New owners, Equity Media, comprised of New Orleans native and Actor/Producer Wendell Pierce, Spears Group President/CEO Cleveland Spears, III, Henry Consulting Managing Partner Troy Henry and Thomas Media Services Founder Jeff Thomas, have invested heavily in the station which also includes a partnership with Xavier University of Louisiana, the station’s new location.
“WBOK has always been and will remain a critical source of news for the people of New Orleans, especially in the African American community,” Equity Media partners said in a statement. “We have spent the past several months investing in our programming, talent and overall brand to provide our listeners with a better product for consuming their news. Our team is excited about WBOK’s future.”
Expanding its digital footprint, WBOK will launch a brand new, state-of-the-art website with on-demand listening and a more user-friendly experience. With a push for greater predictability, the station will now have consistent programming from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day. Along with these updates, WBOK will premiere a new theme song produced and performed by Grammy award-winning artist and New Orleans native PJ Morton.
WBOK’s strategic partnership with Xavier University, the nation’s only Black and Catholic university, will serve as a learning platform for communications and journalism majors through internship, mentoring, and career opportunities for students and graduates. Not only will WBOK offer employment opportunities to local journalists, but it will also serve as a training hub for the next generation of radio broadcasters through its partnership with Xavier.
“We are thrilled to have WBOK on our campus to provide our students with a platform and tremendous opportunities to propel Xavier’s mission to create a more just and humane society forward,” said Dr. Reynold Verret, President of Xavier University of Louisiana. “Our students will receive real-world experiences in the media industry, which will give them a competitive advantage upon graduating from Xavier.”
WBOK has revamped its programming lineup to add familiar voices to the station. The new programming will feature a variety of well-known, dynamic personalities on a consistent schedule. It will include current Good Morning Show host Oliver Thomas, NFL Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson, actor/producer and Equity Media owner Wendell Pierce, Programming Director Kelder Summers, former news personality Gerod Stevens, veteran broadcaster Ro Brown, DC Paul and Jon Moody.
