The Mutual Black Network (MBN) was founded by the

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Golden Age of Radio, ...

in 1972 as the first national full-service

radio network There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass media, mass-media entertainment, and the two-way radio (Duplex (teleco ...

aimed at African Americans; it was initially branded as Mutual Reports Network (MRN) before the branding change to MBN. With 98 affiliated stations across the United States, including flagship WNJR in New York, the network broadcast an hourly five-minute newscast at 50 minutes past the hour. It also aired sports and feature programs, and for one year beginning in the spring of 1974, a 15-minute daily soap opera called ''Sounds Of The City''. Some of its special programming focused on

African-American history African-American history started with the forced transportation of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Africans to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. The European colonization of the Americas, and the resulting Atlantic slave trade, ...

, much of which was researched, written and narrated by MBN news anchor Ben Frazier. Other MBN news anchors included Glen Ford, John Askew and Ed Castleberry; Castleberry also hosted a celebrity interview program, ''Soul of Entertainment''. In 1979, the Mutual Black Network was purchased by Sheridan Broadcasting, an African American-owned company which had been a minority stockholder in MBN, and renamed the Sheridan Broadcasting Network. In 1991, SBN merged with the rival National Black Network, forming the present-day

American Urban Radio Networks American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) is the only African-American-owned-and-operated Nielsen RADAR-rated radio network in the United States. The American Urban Radio Networks has been privately held since its founding, and it has not changed ow ...

Affiliates

* WNJR, Newark, New Jersey, in the New York City market --

flagship station In broadcasting, a flagship (also known as a flagship station or key station) is the broadcast station which originates a television network, or a particular radio or television program that plays a key role in the branding of and consumer loyal ...

* WDAS-FM and WDAS in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania *

KCOH KCOH (1230 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio station in Houston, Houston, Texas that airs an talk radio, urban talk and urban contemporary format. It is a return to the heritage format that aired in Houston from 1953 to 2013 on KSHJ, ...

in Houston; Texas * KJET in Beaumont, Port Arthur, Texas * KOKY in Little Rock, Arkansas * KPRS AM‐FM in Kansas City * KYAC AM‐FM in Kirkland and Seattle, Washington * KWK in St. Louis, Missouri * WABQ in Cleveland, Ohio * WERD in Jacksonville, Florida * WIGO in Atlanta, Georgia * WRBD, Broward County, Florida and its sister FM station WCKO * WVKO in Columbus, Ohio *

WWIL-FM WWIL-FM (Life 90.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary Christian music format. Licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, United States, the station serves the Wilmington, Jacksonville and North Myrtle Beach areas. The station is ...

in Wilmington, North Carolina

References

African-American radio Defunct radio networks in the United States Defunct radio stations in the United States Mutual Broadcasting System Organizations established in 1972 Organizations disestablished in 1991 Radio stations established in 1972 Radio stations disestablished in 1991 {{radio-org-stub

Affiliates

See also

References