Cathy Hughes

Cathy Liggins Hughes built the largest Black-owned radio network in the country from a single struggling AM station and became the first Black woman to chair a publicly traded corporation when Radio One went public on the NASDAQ in 1999. Today, her company — now called Urban One — encompasses radio, television (TV One), digital media, and is the largest Black-owned media company in America.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1947, Hughes got her start in media at the age of 12, selling advertising for a local Black newspaper. She attended Creighton University, worked at KOWH radio, and later became the first woman and youngest person to lecture at the Howard University School of Communications. In 1980, she purchased WOL-AM in Washington, D.C., and transformed it into a ratings powerhouse by personally hosting a morning show — at one point sleeping at the station because she couldn't afford both an apartment and operating expenses.

Hughes expanded Radio One station by station, targeting urban markets that larger media companies ignored. Her stations became community institutions — hosting political forums, voter registration drives, and neighborhood events. She understood that Black radio wasn't just entertainment; it was a lifeline. Under her leadership, Urban One has grown to include over 50 radio stations and multiple media platforms.