Ken Johnson

37 POSTS
Ken Johnson is an Urban/Hip-Hop columnist for Barrett Media. Born and raised in Washington DC, his career experiences include serving as VP of Urban formats for Cumulus Media, holding the Director of Urban Programming post at ABC Radio Networks, and programming stations in Birmingham, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City. He has also managed affiliate relations for the Nick Cannon show, and worked as the Executive Producer of The Hughley Truth Podcast hosted by comedian DL Hughley. Ken currently runs Mean Ole Lion Media, a content creation company and podcast network. He can be reached by email at ken@kenjohnsonmedia.com.

Reflecting on Radio, Accountability, and Change As I Sign Off

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"Outside of the use of AI, there is almost nothing truly new in all radio and music."

Christmas in Focus: What Radio Programmers Should Know About Serving Black Audiences

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"You don’t want to have your station's head in the sand."

Urban Radio Stations Can’t Ignore the Most Important Issues Affecting Their Communities

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"I’m not advocating for turning your music station into a talk station. However, you can’t keep your head in the sand and ignore the elephant in the community."

What Urban Radio Listeners Should Expect From The Format’s Best

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I’m comfortable making an educated guess about what listeners want from their adult urban station. But what they expect and what they deserve are not necessarily the same thing.

AI Music in Urban Radio Lacks Passion and Soul

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In case you missed my disclaimer in last week’s article, let me say it again: that piece was written entirely by AI. Its purpose...
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Breaking

Laid Off By Innovation? Use AI To Get Hired Faster

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"Remember, your advantage is not what was listed on your business card. It is who you are, not what you do."

Live Music Revenue Plateaus After Years of Record-Breaking Post-Pandemic Growth

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Men..are redirecting discretionary dollars toward video games, spending double on gaming versus live events in Q1 2026.

KXnO Layoffs Highlight the Changing Reality for Sports Radio Talent

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"The industry has spent decades telling talent to be genuine, build trust, and create authentic relationships with listeners. Yet when those same qualities extend beyond sports and into the realities of the business itself, they can suddenly be viewed as liabilities instead of strengths."

Paul Finebaum Reflects on His Legacy in Receiving the Sports Media Lifetime Achievement Award

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"I, somehow, have been able to survive and adapt. My career is full of different chapters. Every one of those chapters, I never really knew if I’d make it out of it."