When CBS (?) decided that WOL-AM in Washington DC was not a viable radio station in the 1980s, the station was sold to her husband. She ended up with a child, no husband, and a radio station with no revenue to pay for staff. She essentially ran the station by herself for many years, sleeping in the station, raising her son.
In 1999, money became available during the post-’96 merger mania, as the FCC and Congress were pushing hard to empower black owned radio stations. She formed Radio One, and later Urban One, the syndicated Black Talk network that still employs activist Al Sharpton.
Once her son graduated from college and went to work selling advertising, things improved. Her son now runs the company which is publicly traded if you would like to own a piece of black radio.
Are they now in the black? 😉
Yes. In the last quarter, they had $8 million in profits after taxes, and ironically got a $15 million windfall from the Republican tax cut. The company has been renamed Urban One, recognizing the company is inceasingly making its money from Cable TV, not be radio
The YouTube preview appears to have broken
If you meet her or her programming, General Motors may have, keep, and sell all the details:
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/17/17990052/gm-radio-listen-tracking-habits-advertising-future
Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.