New Urban Alternative Format Brings Hip Hop, R&B and a Touch of Neo Soul to H-Town
KTSU Public Radio recently announced that it is launching a new, innovative Urban Alternative Station, The Vibe, to begin broadcast and streaming this fall from the campus of Texas Southern University (TSU).
The new format will appeal to Millennials and the Generation Z demographic, offering the latest in Hip Hop, R&B and Neo-Soul on the FM dial and through 24-hour online streaming.
KTSU 90.9FM Radio has dominated the public radio spectrum for nearly 50 years and plans to raise the bar by filling a void in the Houston market with not only chart-topping music, but rising local and national artists, live and virtual performances and events, thoughtful programming, community outreach and an urban news perspective. The Corporation of Public Broadcasting provides federal funding to nearly 1,500 locally managed public media outlets across the United States, and has included the all-new KTSU The Vibe to its roster of awardees. Most importantly, The Vibe will carry on the KTSU legacy of empowering and providing opportunities for TSU students and alumni, all while serving the community.
KTSU Radio has pulled out all the stops by electing an all-star team of professionals to ensure the station’s success. Houston favorite and former host of 97.9 The Box’s Madd Hatta Morning Show, Madd Hatta, joins KTSU The Vibe as its new Content Director. His 30-year career in music and radio includes a 20-year run as one of Houston’s most popular morning show hosts.
Madd Hatta will be joined by newly appointed Marketing and Community Engagement Director, Holly Charles, whose community outreach as a publicist, author and playwright, speaker on the African Diaspora and social equality, and philanthropist will compliment Madd Hatta’s three decades of radio expertise and appeal as a hometown hero. Rounding out the expert team is proud TSU alum, multi-award-winning journalist and News and Digital Media Coordinator, Nakia Cooper. Cooper’s edgy, no-nonsense approach to journalism will brand the station as ground zero for trending urban news in entertainment, sports, politics, social justice and more.
“KTSU 90.9FM Radio was the first African American station to introduce Hip Hop to Houston listeners, right here from the historic Black campus of Texas Southern University,” said Ernest Walker, General Manager of KTSU 90.9FM Public Radio, as he discussed the full-circle moment of The Vibe Radio launch. “How appropriate it is in 2020 for us to go back to the basics, reaching a new generation of listeners with not only Hip Hop, R&B and Neo Soul, but with innovation and digital expansion. We’d like to publicly thank the Corporation For Public Broadcasting for grant provisions which allow us the opportunity to reach a younger and more diverse audience.”
Stay tuned for more information about programming and scheduling for The Vibe by visiting www.ktsuradio.com.
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