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

"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

"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

"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

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

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...

Breaking

Joe Davis, Former Salem Media COO, Dies at 82

"He was our guide, our anchor, and our greatest supporter. I am a better man and a better father because of his example."

Ernie Johnson Hopes His Retirement Doesn’t Mean the End of Inside the NBA

"I would hope that they could continue the show in some form. And there are plenty of great studio hosts out there who could do what I do."

Ben Stevens Elevated To Full Time Co-Host of “D-Fish & Decker” at 97.1 The Fan

"Stevens has been a rotating fill-in host since 97.1 The Fan launched in May."

Borrell Associates: Digital Advertising Will Reach 80% of Local Ad Spending by 2030

Borrell Associates projects that figure will climb considerably over the next four years as the industry undergoes what it describes as a "great reshuffling."