Lee Bailey:  Urban Radio Pioneer

Rabercom is owned and operated by Lee Bailey, the founder (and partner) of Lee Bailey Comm, Inc/Bailey Broadcasting Services.  Lee Bailey’s various enterprises lead the way in urban/black radio syndication and network programming.  Bailey is also the host of RadioScope and is the founder and publisher of the Electronic Urban Report (EUR).   

Lee Bailey has been in business since 1979.  Radioscope came on the air in 1983 and EUR came online in 1996.  Bailey says that Radioscope and EUR are his proudest business accomplishments.  Bailey won’t say this, so I will.  There would be no syndicated disc jockeys and radio shows as we know them without the pioneering work of Lee Bailey.  That’s right.  I’ll say it again.  There would be no Tom Joyner Morning Show, no Doug Banks Show; no Russ Parr in The Morning Show or other urban syndicated shows had it not been for Lee Bailey.  When I asked Bailey about this he was hesitant to admit it.  He was too modest, but by the end of the interview I got Bailey to admit that his work paved the way for the success of urban syndicated radio shows.  Bailey acknowledged that Tom Joyner is one of the reasons why Radioscope exists as an hour-long edition.  He told me that the original concept for Radioscope was a short 2-5 minute daily version.  Bailey used to do voice over work for Joyner when Joyner was a Program Director in Chicago at WJPC.  Joyner liked the format but requested a longer version for the weekend.  As a result, Bailey went back to the drawing board and that’s how the hour-long version of Radioscope began. 

So how did Lee Bailey get into radio?  “I got into radio while I was still in the Air Force, actually about 6 months before I was discharged.  I’ve always loved radio.  I had an opportunity to hang out at a radio station in Sacramento, CA, KPOP.  I talked management into allowing me to come to the station and practice in one of their production rooms.  After practicing it became clear to me that radio was what I really wanted to do.  The station wasn’t a 24-hour station and they needed a “soul” show, an outlet to expose black music.  After a short period of time I started making demo tapes and the folks liked them.  After a couple of months, I was ready to go on the air.  They would leave me at the station alone.  It’s funny how trusting people can be.  Nothing bad happened, but here you have this situation where these white folks, left this black guy at their radio station.  I could have turned their transmitter off.  God works in mysterious ways.  For the last year of my enlistment I was pretty much sidelined because I grew into an asthma condition.  I was assigned to a flying unit and couldn’t fly so since I was coming up to be discharged I had time to practice my craft.”  Bailey went on to say:  “By the time I got officially discharged I had generated some PR for myself getting the public ready.  About a week after my discharge I went on their air from 10:00 pm to midnight.  Within 2 months, my airtime went from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am.  After that the station went fulltime with R&B.  The market was ready.  By that time I had left the market having received other offers by then.” 

I think a large part of Bailey’s success was seeing the opportunity in the Internet early on and jumping on it.  Bailey explained:  “I got into the Internet because the web fascinated me.  I see it as the future.  I’m crazy enough to see that the Internet is the future of media.  It’s so versatile.  The Internet is an amalgamation of all media.  You have print, radio and television, not to mention that this is an interactive process involving the end user, the consumer.  So as one who is a content provider I find the Internet compelling, especially if you’re looking at the big picture.  I’m also a program supplier and to that end, sometimes things get frustrating because you’re constantly running up against a wall of gatekeepers.”  As Bailey sees it, if we can’t get pass the gatekeeper, then the listener will never know what exists. 

Bailey wanted to find a way to go directly to the end user without having to deal with gatekeepers and middlemen and the Internet afforded him that opportunity.  He believes that the Internet or the web is not at the same level as a radio or television network.  As Bailey sees it there are some improvements in wireless technology and portable electronics in the form of a handheld that can free a person from their traditional desktop computer.  When you listen to Lee Bailey talk about the advances in technology you can hear the excitement in his voice.  He drove home the point that if you’re not online today, you’re so far behind, literally and figuratively.  “If something happens in the world now, you will know about it now.  When you think about it, the print media is so different now, said Bailey.  “Newspapers such as USA Today, by having their online editions can stay on top of stories with the latest developments.  They couldn’t do that 5 or 10 years ago because by the time they got the story printed it would be old news.” 

I asked Lee Bailey to describe the best part of being Lee Bailey.  He started to laugh and then replied:  “I’m not sure.  I get to stay up all-night and work off of 2-3 hours of sleep a day.  That’s a big thrill right there.  Seriously, I get to do what I want to do.  I’m not doing this strictly for the money.  I’m doing what I want to do in life.  I want to be as big as I can possibly be as a content provider.  Being Lee Bailey provides me with access to a lot of important people.  This work affords me the ability to have access.  Some days are better than others, but I don’t have any desire to work for someone else.” 

I then asked Bailey:  “What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into radio?”  He replied that radio was not much different than any other field.  According to Bailey, “You need to learn the craft and know what the hell you’re doing and then go for it.  Be patient and be persistent.  It’s just that simple, there’s no real secret.  Work your butt off and network.”  This is advice coming from a guy that I was sure had mentors.  To my surprise Bailey said that he didn’t have any mentors.  He explained:  “Unfortunately, I can’t say in all truth that I have or had any mentors.  I can say that whenever I want to know something I don’t have a problem calling or writing a letter to whoever has the information that I want or need.  If they say no, or don’t want to be bothered, I’ll ask someone else.  It’s called networking.  I don’t have a mentor per se, but whenever there’s something that I need to know, I simply ask." 

I found Lee Bailey to be genuine, pleasant, honest and refreshing.  He’s a visionary.  He’s also a hands-on manager, who’s overworked.  “I’m not a control freak, says Bailey.  “I just have a lot that has to be done and if I don’t help do some of it, it won’t get done.  I don’t always have the manpower or human resources to get things done all the time.”  Bailey must be doing something right.  According to Bailey, EUR reaches approximately 1.5 million people a month and Radioscope reaches another 3-4 million people per month.  If you do the math, Bailey’s enterprises reach in excess of 5 million people per month and growing.  In short, Lee Bailey is an agent of change and enlightenment. 

Talking with Lee Bailey was inspiring, energizing and fun. 

Special thanks to Greg King, Ring Leader of The Big Balloon Communications for helping to arrange this interview.  This interview was originally posted in November 2002.

She's Queen of The Universe

Tahira Chloe Mahdi

Multitalented Tahira Chloe Mahdi is an author, freelance writer and entertainment reporter.  Tahira attended Morgan State University and the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland.  After graduation, she worked in the radio industries of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. at such stations as WTEM-AM, WXYV-FM (V103) and WPGC - FM & AM.  A staff writer position with Take Me Out to the Go-Go Magazine proved to be more spiritually fulfilling than her radio career, so Tahira decided to pursue her lifelong dream of being a full-time writer.  Six months later her book, “God Laughs, Too:  Incidents in the Life of a Black Chick” was completed.  Tahira’s new book is called, “How To Be Queen of The Universe.”  Tahira gave a select few of us a preview of her new book at the Jessica Tilles “Sweet Revenge” book launch party.  Tahira will launch her book at the Karibu Bookstores the first week of March. 

In the beginning stages of book promotion, Tahira did Public Relations and Promotion work for Jokes On Us Comedy Club and several small D.C. area businesses.  The year 2002 brought Tahira back to broadcast media with her own television talk show, “Tuff Crowd”, and duties as producer, floor director and fill-in host for multicultural talk shows and music video programs on Washington’s WIAV-TV 58.  Currently, she works as a freelance writer and entertainment reporter for D.C. based magazines, e-Zines, and television programs - most notably the Take Me Out to the GoGo DVD Magazine. Her sophomore effort, Becoming Queen of the Universe, is scheduled for any day now.  

Tahira has been writing since the age of 4.  Her first writing attempts were poems, plays and short stories, which she wrote as a hobby.  She showed such a knack with the big fat pencil that she was offered a scholarship for a college English course when she was in the third grade.  Since she was already the youngest in her class, having skipped a grade, her parents declined the opportunity.  

By the mid-80's, Tahira - like most writers at the time - had been bitten by the Hip-Hop bug and her writing was done through rap lyrics.  At Oxon Hill High School, in Maryland, Tahira was able to express herself creatively with other young Hip-Hop artists for school talent shows and fun while improving her technical writing through the school newspaper.  Her career path has allowed her to experience all aspects of media and writing, but Tahira's first love has remained BOOKS!  To learn about the woman that we affectionately call “Tee” check out our conversation with Tahira below. 

The Tahira Chloe Mahdi Interview 

BMIA:  When did you first start writing? 

TCM:  I started writing at 4 years old.  My father used to write poems and make my brother and I memorize and recite them.  That experience really helped my early writing development; unfortunately, it made me not like poetry when I got older. 

BMIA:  Did you always want to be a writer? 

TCM:  I always wanted to be a writer, but I thought it would be something I did as a hobby or when I got to be old enough to write a lengthy autobiography.  I never dreamed I would have made it a full time career by age 25. 

BMIA:  Tell us about your book, “How to Be Queen Of the Universe?” 

TCM:  "How to Be Queen of the Universe" is a fun, spicy survival guide for women that illustrates how and why our relationship, career and sexuality issues can be used as keys to unlock the secrets of divine happiness! With this book, I actually reestablish my trademark knack for bridging the gap between spirituality and everyday drama.  I guess I'm proving that I can entertain through nonfiction just as stylishly and shamelessly as I did through fiction in my first book, God Laughs, Too. 

The most fun thing about How to Be Queen of the Universe is the jaw-dropping bonus that complements the practical and sassy advice offered.  Adding an exhilarating flavor to the modern self-help recipe, I attached a signature of authenticity by infusing actual quotes from male and female focus groups whose candid, hilarious and often shocking sentiments will make readers call their friends screaming, "Listen to this!"  

This indispensable collection of strategies will be relished by literary thrill-seekers as well as readers who value quality inspirational reading.  I really left no stone unturned in How to Be Queen of the Universe, which I always say, "could easily find its way off the bookshelves and into the purses - as essential as the compact, I.D. and keys - of women who dare to take the throne."

BMIA:  Talk about the focus groups that you used and your experiences.  

TCM:  Man... Those focus groups were something else!  There was one male group and one female group.  Both groups encompassed people of different ethnicities, geographical locations, ages and professions.  In order to get answers to questions, I sent emails, conducted in person interviews, made phone calls and whatever else I had to do in the name of getting down to the nitty gritty of real relationship issues.  Actually, the women's group got off easy.  I asked them questions that gave them the opportunity to share their own stories of triumph and overcoming things like bad relationships, illness, and job or career obstacles.  This is because women are good at nurturing, coddling and encouraging other women when it comes to sensitive issues.

On the other hand, I asked men "REAL" questions on relationships because I wanted women to get some "REAL" answers.  The men were so passionate about the issues discussed and so eager to share their thoughts, that I didn't edit their responses to exclude profanity or things that a woman would view as insensitive or politically incorrect.  If you want to hear something that will comfort you and validate your feelings, you need to talk to a woman.  To hear an honest opinion - straight with no chaser - you need to talk to a man.  And I learned so much from talking to these men, that I am foregoing romantic relationships for 2005 while I collect my thoughts.  The thing is... I have game and I've also been praised for and accused of thinking like a man.  However, I know that if I want to be Queen of the Universe, I'm going to have to do certain things to keep my wits about me and maintain that upper hand.  (Not in a bad way... You've got to get with Stevie Wonder's song "That Girl" to understand where I'm coming from. *wink*)

BMIA:  What do you want people to “take away” from your new book? 

TCM:  This book shows a woman how to use her own God-given powers to rid herself of stress, drama, dissatisfaction and unhappiness.  We all go through tough times, but most of them are results of unnecessary BS we put ourselves through.  Through fun strategies, unconventional introspection, and the basic desire to be happy, women can gain control of their lives and their issues - instead of allowing themselves to be bogged down by things that can be very easily eliminated.  How to Be Queen of the Universe is practical, amusing, and wildly entertaining for women who are ready to step up and take the throne!

I want women to relinquish the roles of "fool-in-love," "damsel-in-distress," "drama queen," and "hopeless romantic"... WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT.  There is an art to using the "damsel-in-distress" and "fool-in-love" acts properly and they should only be used to stroke a man's ego.  With this being said, there is an art to selecting the proper times to stroke a man's ego.  This book will help a woman perfect her skillz.

Also, just as I did with my first book, I push readers to stop separating their spirituality from life's everyday human behaviors.  Bridging the gap between the two can work wonders!

BMIA:  How much of your personal life is reflected in the book?

TCM:  I am so glad you asked!  This book was ALL LEARNING for me.  If I’m the Queen of anything, I’m the Queen of Crash Test Dummies because you better believe that I went through each and every issue discussed and investigated in How to Be Queen of the Universe.  I wrote about some of the issues based on focus group discussions, extensive book and media research, and even meditation.  However, I found that if I hadn't personally experienced a situation by the time I included it in the book, I found myself smack dab in the middle of that situation shortly thereafter.  It was like the Universe was telling me, “Let’s make sure you know what you're talking about?”  And every time I edited the book (at least 30 times in 2004).  I found myself really needing the book and the strategies presented.  This is not coming from me sitting up on high and telling others what to do; these words are tried, tested and found to be true by many women, most especially me.

BMIA:  Ok, Tee.  It's time for you to get strapped in to the Black Men In America.com Hot Seat.  Are you ready?  This is where you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind.

TCM:  I'm ready!  Bring it on!

BMIA:  Great, let's get started.

BMIA:  A movie or a good book?

TCM:  Since I just began a movie project, I'll say a movie.  Research is always good.

BMIA:  Luther or Will Downing?

TCM:  I'll take Luther - but only the stuff before "Here and Now", the good 80's stuff. 

BMIA:  If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go who would you take?

TCM:  I'd go to Jamaica, and I'd take a man who was fun, good looking, considerate, intelligent, nicely built, SINGLE and offering to pay for stuff.  Wait, let me add that I'd have to be attracted to him.  I know 100 guys who fit that description!

BMIA:  If you could invite one person to dinner (living or dead) who would you invite and why?

TCM:  I'm currently crushing on an actor named Terrence Howard.  I'd invite him to see if he's as interesting as I think he is.  There's something about his face that leads me to believe he knows something important that I don't.  I'm dying to know what that something is.

BMIA:  Chris Rock or Bernie Mac?

TCM:  Tough choice but I'll take Chris Rock.  He's got the cool, funny nerd thing going.

BMIA:  A Corvette or an Escalade?

TCM:  A Corvette.  I've seen too many Escalades.

BMIA:  Volunteering your time or sending a large donation?

TCM:  It depends on the cause.  Something with kids, I'll do the time.  Adults can get the dough.

BMIA:  Tahira, you are officially out of the Black Men In America.com Hot Seat!

TCM:  That wasn't too bad.

BMIA:  Who were some of the people who inspired you? 

TCM:  As a young writer, I was inspired by Judy Blume.  When I got to high school, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison inspired me to write about Black women’s issues.  Once I got really into my career path of communications, I was inspired by author J. California Cooper, hip-hop group OutKast, cartoonist Aaron McGruder and journalist/activist Tavis Smiley.  Professionally, I was influenced by mentors such as Kato Hammond-editor of Take Me Out to the GoGo, Thea Mitchem – Director of Urban Programming for Clear Channel Communications, and Storm the Unpredictable –a hip-hop artist. 

BMIA:  What’s the hardest part of being a writer? 

TCM:  Nothing is ever hard for me unless I believe it is hard.  I have learned that my life is only what I believe it to be, so I choose to believe that being a writer is as easy as taking my next breath.  

BMIA:  What’s the easiest part of being a writer? 

TCM:  Not having to do what people tell me to do.  

BMIA:  What kind of books do you like to read? 

TCM:  I like fiction with lots of humor or inspirational books and biographies.  My next venture is to start reading mysteries and thrillers.  

BMIA:  Who are your favorite authors? 

TCM:  J. California Cooper, Maya Angelou, Eric Jerome Dickey and myself. 

BMIA:  You’re also an Entertainment Reporter for DC area magazines and television, you’ve worked in radio and you’re a freelance writer.  How did you get involved in other media and which job gives you the most fulfillment? 

TCM:  I went to Morgan State University and got involved with campus radio and television projects.  I left there to go to the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland, where I could get a more intensive program for on-air broadcasting.  Even though I was trained to be a TV news reporter, my first job break was “behind the hype” in radio. That gave me the opportunity to learn about the entertainment business while putting my writing skills to good use.  At the same time, I was writing for Take Me Out to the GoGo Magazine, where my editor allowed me to write whatever I wanted.  When I got so much positive feedback on my writing, I knew I eventually wanted to try writing full-time.  I left radio and spent two months concentrating only on writing God Laughs, Too but I needed more money and had to go back to work.  My next (and very last) job was doing Public Relations for Jokes On Us Comedy Club and my bosses allowed me all the time I needed to spend on my writing.  They encouraged me to follow my dream of being an author up until I left them in 2002.  Being an author is definitely the most fulfilling job because I work for myself and that means the world to me.  Even when I had my own show “Tuff Crowd” on WIAV-TV 58, I felt stifled because I couldn’t make too many decisions about the set-up. 

BMIA:  How did you get involved with Tuff Crowd and Go-Go? 

TCM:  I got involved with Take Me Out to the GoGo Magazine (TMOTTGoGo) through my brother, Rashid, who did a mini-documentary on go-go music for MTV back in 1998.  The editor of TMOTTGoGo called our house one day and I purposely answered the phone so I could ask him if I could submit an article.  I’ve been writing for them since then and the magazine is now distributed in DVD format.  Since I have a TV background, they asked me to host it.  Tuff Crowd Conglomerate is the name of my publishing company.  It represents my dream of powerful minds standing together against all of the junk that the government/corporate-run media throws at us every day. I plan for it to be a multi-media company. 

BMIA:  How would you describe you seminar “Self Publishing For The Soul? 

TCM:  As a self-published author, I have given and taken advice on what to do in order to be successful.  However, I learned a lot of things on my own that had to do with the personal side of the business.  The “Self-Publishing Seminar for the Soul” is designed to give authors some insight into how to mentally and emotionally deal with being a self-published author.  I believe it is just as important as the business and technical side. 

BMIA:  Does the business side of being a writer interfere with the creative side of being a writer?  If so, how do you manage this? 

TCM:  I used to think it interfered, but I’ve been reading this great book over and over called “The Game of Life and How to Play It”.  There are many things I can’t handle, so I give them to God.  That used to be such a cliché to me, but I fully understand it now.  It’s only difficult when I think too much about it.  In a conversation recently with Bigg Tigger (BET’s Rap City host), I told him that I was “trying” to do something.  He asked, “What are you trying for?  Just do it.” And he wasn’t selling me tennis shoes – he inadvertently gave me a life philosophy.  That’s how I manage. 

BMIA:  Is writing your fulltime occupation?  If not, what do you do to earn a living? 

TCM:  Writing is my full-time gig.  In addition to writing books, I write and design press kits for people and sometimes do editing work for other authors. 

BMIA:  What are the greatest challenge facing black men?  Black women? 

TCM:  Our greatest challenge is recognizing our own power – or the power of God within us.  Most of us are so jealous and critical of one another because we are not happy with ourselves.  All over the world, people are eating up this hip-hop culture and even transforming their bodies to look like us.  They even get butt implants now.  In recognizing the power within us, we wouldn’t allow ourselves to be pimped, unappreciated, degraded or used by politicians, clergy/religious organizations, or the corporations that run the entertainment industry. If we all realized how much power we actually have, many social issues would automatically be eliminated.   

BMIA:  Anything else you'd like to share? 

TCM: 

There have been real MIRACLES surrounding this project that have changed my life.  I can't wait to share this book and the messages within it so that more people will find miracles in their lives, even if they're simply realizing the ones that have been a part of their lives for quite some time.  

Thanks so much for letting me share my work with Black Men In America.com.  Realizing miracles, I know this site is one of my most cherished miracles! You're working wonders for our community and you are greatly appreciated!

Tahira and Gary Johnson on tour in Memphis.  Click on photo to enlarge.

Tahira will be signing her new book on Saturday, March 5th at 2:00 pm at Karibu Books in Iverson Mall and at 5:00 pm at Bowie Town Center store.  You can learn more about Tahira by visiting her web site at www.tuffcrowd.com.

 

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