First all-Black-led sports radio station hits airwaves in Detroit
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — Detroit is a city of firsts, and the city's latest first is an all-Black-led sports radio station that just launched on the airwaves.
"[This is] history-making," said Rob Parker. "[It's] groundbreaking, [and] we just believe that the time has come."
A former Detroit sports anchor, Parker is at the helm of this endeavor. He launched Sports Rap Radio on AM 1270 on Tuesday, and this Black-owned radio station featuring all Black hosts is a first not only for the city of Detroit, but also across the country.
"Just four years ago, there were no Black full-time sports hosts on the radio in Detroit," Parker said. "In a city that's nearly 80% black, I looked at that as a problem."
He found a solution but said he couldn't do it alone. He assembled a team of co-owners, including his longtime friend Dave Kenney, former NBA player BJ Armstrong and former Detroit Country Day football star and University of Michigan wide receiver Maurice "Moe" Ways.
"Moe was the missing piece. I needed somebody young, smart, from the city," Parker said.
Parker and Ways met when Ways was in high school, and they've kept in touch ever since.
"[Rob's ] whole thing is passing the torch," Ways said. "He's been my mentor for ten years. We met [when I was] 18 [and] we had numerous conversations about life and career and my dreams and my goals."
An injury dashed Ways' NFL dreams just four years ago, but Sports Rap Radio puts him back in the mix, giving him a chance to add his voice to the conversation while helping fill a gap in the realm of sports radio.
"Life has an amazing way of showing you signs and dropping seeds and coming full circle," Ways said. "So, [I'm] very humble, very grateful, and ready to get to work."
Now that the station has officially launched, you can listen to an all-local lineup from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and some local programming on the weekends.
