WBOK 1230 AM relaunches with new website and programming
3rd February 2020 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
On January 27, WBOK 1230 AM, Louisiana’s oldest African-American radio station, re-launched with a new brand, a new website, and new programming.
Equity Media now owns the station after acquiring it in a sale from the Los Angeles-based Bakewell Group in spring 2019. The new ownership group consists of New Orleans native and actor/producer Wendell Pierce (“The Wire,” “Treme”), Spears Group President/CEO Cleveland Spears III, Henry Consulting Managing Partner Troy Henry, and founder of Thomas Media Services Jeff Thomas.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Spears said.
The station’s programming will continue to showcase its “Good Morning Show” with Oliver Thomas. Veteran broadcaster Ro Brown and Saints legend and NFL Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson will host “Rickey and Ro Talk Sports.” Other shows include “Sports Overtime with Nader,” “The Neutral Ground” with Kelder Summers, and “The Professor and Reagan.” There’s also a new theme jingle produced and performed by Grammy award-winning artist and New Orleans native PJ Morton.
“We will have seasoned broadcasters leading thoughtful conversations every day,” Spears said. “It’s a station of good, quality programming and content.”
Spears stressed that the programming would follow a set schedule from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday. In the past, programming would vary after Oliver Thomas’ morning show. Fans can find the schedule on the station’s updated website (wbok1230.com) and can stream the station live from there. He added that the new website will soon feature an archive where fans can listen to previous shows if they were unable to tune in live. In an effort to keep up with a changing media landscape, podcasts will also be featured on the site.
“People are consuming information in different ways now and we need to be sure we’re available to people wherever they are,” Spears said.
The station will continue to address current events from an African-American perspective, but Spears emphasized the content will be inclusive and interesting to listeners of all backgrounds.
WBOK also announced a strategic partnership with Xavier University of Louisiana (the station’s new location) to serve as a learning platform for communications and journalism majors through internships, mentoring, and career opportunities for students and graduates.
“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,” said Dr. Reynolds Verret, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, in a press release. “Our students will receive real-world experiences in the media industry, which will give them a competitive advantage upon graduating from Xavier.
The Bakewell family, who purchased WBOK in 2007, are pleased with the recent relaunch.
“We couldn’t be happier about the relaunch of WBOK, the new ownership group, and what WBOK stands for in the community and what it will continue to stand for in the future,” said Danny Bakewell Jr. “When we started this journey, we wanted to be sure African Americans had a voice in the media and we feel we accomplished that goal and the new ownership will continue the mission.”
Local listeners are happy about the rebirth as well. Dr. Raphael Cassimere Jr., a professor emeritus of history at the University of New Orleans, said WBOK has been a part of the African-American community for much of his life.
“As a civil rights activist, it was always one of the outlets to get the news that other TV and radio stations ignored,” said Dr. Cassimere. “I was so happy to learn that local business leaders such as Wendell Pierce are part of the new ownership, which will assure that it continues its role as a major voice of the community, now in a more expanded way. I look forward to its future operations.”
This article originally published in the February 3, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
