Nielsen Power Chat with Tony Coles, Division President, iHeartMedia & Founder, Black Information Network

Black History Month is frequently the time when brands step up their efforts to connect with Black consumers. And with the advertising industry’s commitments to spend with Black-owned media, new opportunities to expand programming have emerged for Black-owned radio, which reaches more than 6 million Black listeners each week.

From the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters network of radio stations airing More Than That with Gia Peppers, to the Black Information Network from iHeartMedia delivering news 24/7, audio content about the diverse experiences across Black America are in demand. 

In the video below, Charlene Polite Corley, Vice President of Diverse Insights and Partnerships at Nielsen, spoke to Tony Coles, Division President, iHeartMedia and Founder, Black Information Network, about the power of radio and creating a platform for more authentic Black voices and nuanced stories. Watch and learn more about:

• New opportunities to engage Black listeners with news and talk formats, beyond the usual Urban Contemporary or R&B formats
• The creation of the Black Information Network and the need to invest in more diverse news rooms 
• How COVID shook up the Network’s plans but resulted in better journalism for its newsroom

Learn more about the reach and profiles of Black-owned radio listeners in our Diverse-Owned Media Audience Reach and Profiles report.