Cathy Hughes
Cathy Hughes
media pioneer & founder of Radio One & TV One
Her Story
Humble Beginnings....
Cathy grew up in the projects of Omaha, Nebraska in a family of six. At age 8, her mom gave her a transistor radio for Christmas and she became obsessed. Locked in the one bathroom they had, Cathy practiced her radio talk show every morning in front of the mirror with a toothbrush as her microphone! She knew she would be on the radio one day.
Everyone thought she was crazy. There were no African American people in radio at the time, particularly no women.
Hard Work...
After breaking into the business at her college radio station and working her way up to station manager at WHUR in Washington, DC, Cathy put them on the map by launching an incredibly successful cool vibe music format which spread to cities across the country.
When Cathy had an opportunity to buy her own radio station, she seized it. After being rejected for a business loan 32 times, Cathy’s persistence paid off, and she purchased the station in 1980… beginning a long journey to what eventually has made her a major media mogul.
Her Empire...
Cathy has created a multi-media conglomerate generating content across the spectrums of radio, television and digital media.
She is the Founder and Chairperson of
Radio One, Inc., the largest African-American owned and operated broadcast company in the nation.
Radio One is the parent company of:
TV One, the premiere cable TV network and home of hit shows UnSung, NewsOne Now and more.
Reach Media,
which presents syndicated radio programs.
Interactive One, home of several popular websites including The Daily Grind and Hello Beautiful.
One Solution, a marketing firm allowing advertisers to take advantage of all the assets under the Radio One brand.
Cathy is now one of the wealthiest self-made African-American women in America.
"Research. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. No question is dumb. You have to do whatever is necessary to seek knowledge because information is power."
Words of Wisdom
"You should be learning everything you can about your craft. You should be attempting to meet with everyone that you’ve identified as doing what you would like to do in your career. Network, go to various conferences, and read everything you can get your hands on about individuals who are accomplished."
Cathy's website