Warren Ballentine off the air in Atlanta!
Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 04:31PM 
Attorney Warren Ballentine
Warren Ballentine is off the air in Atlanta! All to often Black people will holla “it’s white male supremacy” that’s the cause of so many ills in the Black collective (Black community for some of you.) It’s in deed a fact that white supremacy has and is playing a role in the downpression of melaninated humans across the globe. And, it’s an accepted truth that the acceptance of Eurocentric culture has and is playing a negative role in the downpression of Black people across the globe, yet we have to examine our own collusion with white supremacy that aides in the downpression of Black people.
In this particular case the culprit is Catherine L. Hughes owner of Radio One. Cathy Hughes has allowed the management at Grown Folks Radio 102.5 FM, Atlanta to remove Warren Ballentine and Rev. Al Sharpton from the air waves. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a mourning fan of Mr. Ballentine or Rev. Sharpton, but I mourn the loss of some semblance of balance on radio. Some semblance of Maat. So , I say what a travesty. What a travesty to remove nationally syndicated Black talk radio from the air waves. What a travesty to remove two voices, whether you agreed with, liked, disliked, want to cuss out, or whatever you may feel for these men, to be gone from the city of Atlanta. Its a travesty. So why did they do this?
“We respond to what the people want” is the normal song radio station management sings when suddenly removing programming that positively impacts the Black collective from the air waves. In a December PPM (Portable People Monitor) 1,946 people carried the monitor. The ethnic groups carrying the monitor broke out with 623 Blacks, 158 Latino and 1,165 listed as “other”. Now these ratings are based on audience estimates and are only the OPINION of Arbitron and can’t be relied upon for precise accuracy and precise demographic of terrestrial radio programming.
I wondered how the “other” group affected the research and how they were perceived by PPM. In recent years there’s been an increase of people of color, that we in the United States would consider part of the Black collective, recording themselves as “other” (a subject I will cover in the coming weeks.) Considering this new phenomenon, was the data manipulated to prove the Black group was not in sufficient enough numbers to maintain Warren Ballentine and Rev. Sharpton on the air in Atlanta? In this case, is the data really reflective of the reality?
What other motive would Grown Folks Radio have to remove Attorney Ballentine from the air? It’s the enemy within that is the demon now. White supremacy is strong and fully at work, yet white supremacy is an enemy from without. The worst enemy is when the body attacks itself, the internal cancer.
We are entering into an age of knowing, knowing that we personally and collectively have to re-enter the womb of selfless mind and cleanse from the inside out. Atlanta is a huge African American radio market and Black owned radio stations remove a balance to the buffoonery that continues through the other comedic host in Steve Harvey, selling his brand of religion “Steve Harvey got a morning show….if it wasn’t for God…” and Michael Baisden, you know what kind of clowning that show pushes, will remain on the air in Atlanta. Black owned and operated so called Grown Folks Radio chooses this over real grown folk radio.
The enemy within is the worst enemy. All to often we fall under the ignorant spell that Black people with authority and power are going to “look out for our best interest” and do the best for the Black collective. Not so! The cleansing has to come from within, each and everyone of us has to begin internal cleasing on an individual effort. Cleansing our minds, bodies, thoughts and beliefs. The dumbing down of Black America comes not only by the hand of the oppressor, but also by the hand of the Black collective itself.
Reader Comments (25)
Mr. Robert Farrar
An excellent post about an appalling situation. What many folks lose sight of is that independent Black voices on Black radio had a large part to play during the Civil Rights Movement. SERIOUS Black radio voices helped mobilize and organize the community during those days.
There's nothing wrong with entertainment. In its proper place as one of SEVERAL data streams.
Not as the only voice to be heard. A radio menu that offers NOTHING but finger-popping, rump shaking, and minstrel show comedy routines is not conducive to our collective survival. As one Black radio talk show host in Chicago said years ago: "If we aren't careful, we're going to boogie our way into a gas chamber."
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
RAE, I appreciate you coming by. Unfortunately, these shows are wholey owned by Radio One Inc, and some other communications company would have to buy them to air them. or at least buy the time from Radio One.
Big Brother All Mi-T, thanks for coming by and thanks for the shout on your site. I listened to them from time to time and like I stated I am not a fan, but they do provide a voice for many that wouldn't normally try and ascertain any information outside of the gossip shows on tel-lie-vision.
Khadija, I always love it when you pass through. As you recognized and have said on your site in various ways that we are dealing with an enemy within on all levels. There seemes to be an intellectual assault on the collective by some, considered to be the Black Elite, and the physical assault by those of the permanent underclass and not withstnding, as you and the queens at Muslim Bushido point out, DBRBM!
Respect and Guidance.
Yep. What Cathy Hughes is doing is a perfect example of why I refuse to hop onto the "Let's Give Blind Support to Black-Owned Businesses" bandwagon. We need to scrutinize what EVERYBODY is doing with whatever resources they have available to them. From the poor to the wealthy. If somebody is not a good steward in general, then I won't support what they're doing. If a Black person with resources is not a good steward as pertains to Black interests, then I won't support them.
Too many members of our business and professional classes have the scruples of a crack dealer. ["Money is my God, and I don't care how my pursuit of my money affects other people"]
Since Ms. Hughes was clever and talented enough to acquire a radio network of her own, then she's smart enough to figure out a way to make money AND serve her people's long-term interests. That is, if she had that as one of her priorities.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Cathy Hughes I am so surprise that you gave in.
I, for one, get most of my information concerning us from the internet....Black websites, black bloggers, and black independent short films
If you listen to the white radio stations, they will play their hit songs in one hour and have commentary in the next...
We are our own worst enemy...whtie people are not doing anything to us...We are doing it to ourselves
I hold out no hope for us as a people
What are we going to do about it? Atty Ballantine and Rev. Sharpton have led so many protests to help our brothers and sisters, why can't we in Atlanta organize some movement to bring them back? These gentlemen have continued to encourage us to believe and proven to us that there is power in numbers. If there is already an effort going on to bring them back - someone please let me know.
If there is no known movement - why can't we start one? Either way - I would like to hear from someone. As soon as I create this post, I will establish the following email address:
bringemback@bellsouth.net.
Warren always said that Atlanta was his favorite city - let's not let him and Rev. Sharpton down!
insult to remove Warren and the Rev. Al Sharpton and to leave the other radio talk hosts who just like to tell jokes all the time, keep them laughing, and act silly there is place and time for all things. I feel that it is a form of slavery to keep all people uneducated. They are missed everyday. Radio here in Atlanta is not the same without them. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! bring them back. Thank You