Devoted to women of color in business

We can all learn from African-American women CEO's, and Cathy Hughes's story is an inspiring one. In May 1999, Hughes became the first African-American woman to list a company on the stock exchange, when Radio One ROIA  went public and raised $172 million at $24/share.

Hughes has held every position possible in radio and has worked from answering the phones and collecting payments all the way up to general manager, as well as hosting her own talk radio show.

Her career started in 1969, with her first job at KOWH, a radio station in Omaha, Nebraska. From there, she was asked to join Howard University, where she was a lecturer and assistant to the dean of communication for two years. She then moved on to become General Sales Manager for five years at WHUR Radio, where she increased annual sales revenues from $300,000 to more than $3.5 million. Next was a stint as Vice President at WYCB Radio for two years.

Starting in 1979, she and her then-husband Dewey Hughes decided to buy their own station: they were rejected by 32 banks but finally found a lender to assist them in purchasing WOL-AM, a Washington, DC based station.

Shortly after the purchase, her marriage ended: she raised her son, Alfred, as a single mother. She went on to purchase 27 radio stations in nine major markets, and on May 6, 1999, her IPO made Radio One the largest black-owned broadcast corporation and the 16th-largest media company in the United States. Some even call her "the most powerful woman in radio".

The company is currently run by Alfred C. Liggins, III (Hughes's son).

"It is not enough for you to do your very best. You must do what is required of the situation." is one of her quotes.

Radio One, Inc. (www.radio-one.com) is the nation's seventh largest radio broadcasting company (based on 2005 net broadcast revenue) and the largest radio broadcasting company that primarily targets African-American and urban listeners.

Radio One owns and/or operates 71 radio stations located in 22 urban markets in the United States and reaches approximately 14 million listeners every week.

Additionally, Radio One owns interests in TV One, LLC (www.tvoneonline.com), a cable/satellite network programming primarily to African-Americans and Reach Media, Inc. (www.blackamericaweb.com), owner of the Tom Joyner Morning Show and other businesses associated with Tom Joyner.

Radio One also operates the only nationwide African-American news/talk network on free radio and programs "XM 169 The POWER," an African-American news/talk channel, on XM Satellite Radio.