Source: Mike James, Brian Stukes, Patricia McDougal and Earl Gibson / Urban One Inc.

On Saturday (October 2), WOL News Talk 1450 in Washington D.C. celebrated its 41st anniversary – a moment which showcased the perseverance and tenacity of its founder, Urban One maven Cathy Hughes.

The radio station, which serves the D.C. area with today’s news, politics and community events, was the first station in the Urban One family. Currently, the company has stations that stretch from D.C. to Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Raleigh and Richmond.

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In a post on her official Facebook account Monday (October 4), Hughes wrote, “Thank you GOD for 42 years of blessings and we pray for 42 more. This was then and this is now! Happy anniversary WOL News Talk 1450!”

Founded on October 2, 1980, Urban One was the brainchild of Hughes by taking the power of radio and focusing it squarely on the Black community in heavily Black populated cities across the country. Soon the reach of Urban One would expand into a television network (TVOne) and land a partnership with Reach Media bringing talent such as Rickey Smiley and others to even more airwaves nationwide.

Considered by many to be the largest distributor of urban content in the country, Urban One has found a footprint in Black America, from radio to television and more, providing programming geared to listening to and amplifying the voices of the people. In 2019,  the company launched Urban One Honors, a celebration of Black excellence, history makers, change creators and more with honorees including Jamie Foxx, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott and more.