Cathy Hughes Bet on Black, and Built a Media Empire

Before “media mogul” became a title people chased relentlessly, Cathy Hughes was already living it. Years ahead of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, she was buying radio stations, building audiences and community, and proving that Black-owned media wasn’t just feasible, but necessary.

Hughes’ journey began before call-ins and syndication became the norm for radio and television. Born in Omaha, NE, she was raised in a family committed to uplifting Black communities. As a teen, she worked at the local Black-owned newspaper, The Omaha Star. There, she developed a foresight that would ultimately shape her career, rooted in the belief that Black media is both a business and a responsibility.

From there, Hughes moved to Washington, D.C., where she made history as the first woman to serve as general manager of Howard University’s radio station, WHUR. That opportunity gave life to many things, including The Quiet Storm — a late-night radio format blending soulful R&B and slow jams that would go on to influence stations nationwide.

Cathy Hughes’ ambition was always fueled. In 1980, she took a leap into ownership, purchasing WOL-AM after being turned down by more than 30 banks. Within a year, she transformed the station into a 24-hour Black news hub, tripling its advertising revenue. In many ways, she laid the blueprint for Issa Rae’s philosophy — betting on Black news, Black conversations and Black audiences.

In 1999, Hughes made history as the first Black woman to found and chair a publicly traded media company when Radio One went public. The moment resonated far beyond Wall Street. By that time, Hughes had already spent years demonstrating that Black media wasn’t a niche market. It was an essential cultural infrastructure.

Her vision continued to expand. In 2004, Hughes entered the television space with the launch of TV One, a subsidiary of Urban One, designed to serve Black audiences often overlooked by mainstream networks. Today, her legacy lives through Urban One, the largest Black-owned media company in the United States, spanning across radio, television and digital platforms that collectively reach tens of millions. TV One alone reaches nearly 60 million households, while Urban One’s radio network includes more than 60 stations nationwide.

Accolades didn’t trail very far behind. Hughes was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2010 and later honored by Howard University, which renamed its School of Communications the Cathy Hughes School of Communications — a full-circle moment for a woman who once volunteered simply to be near the mic.

Cathy Hughes didn’t just build a media empire; she built access, ownership, opportunity and longevity. And with one of her greatest accomplishments, Radio One, turning 45 this past October, Hughes continues to give real meaning to the phrase “built to last.”