Hal Jackson
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2011) |
Hal Jackson | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 3, 1914 |
| Died | May 23, 2012 (aged 97) New York, New York, USA |
| Career | |
| Show | Sunday Classics |
| Station | WBLS-New York |
| Country | United States |
| Previous show(s) | The Bronze Review WINX-Washington, D.C. The House That Jack Built WOOK-Washington, D.C. |
Harold Baron Jackson (November 3, 1914 – May 23, 2012) was an American disc jockey and radio personality who broke a number of color barriers in American radio broadcasting.
Biography
Early years
Jackson was born in Charleston, South Carolina and grew up in Washington, D.C. where he was educated at Howard University.
Career
Jackson began his broadcasting career as the first African-American radio sports announcer, broadcasting Howard’s home baseball games and local Negro league baseball games.
In 1939, he became the first African American host at WINX/Washington with The Bronze Review, a nightly interview program. He later hosted talk show, a program of jazz and blues on WOOK-TV.
Jackson moved to New York in 1954 and became the first radio personality to broadcast three daily shows on three different New York stations. Four million listeners tuned in nightly to hear Jackson’s mix of music and conversations with jazz and show business celebrities.
In 1971, Jackson and Percy Sutton, a former Manhattan borough president, co-founded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC), which acquired WLIB — becoming the first African-American owned-and-operated station in New York.[citation needed] The following year, ICBC acquired WLIB-FM, changing its call letters to WBLS ("the total BLack experience in Sound"). As of the late 2000s ICBC, of which Jackson is group chairman, owns and operates stations in New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Fort Lauderdale, Columbia, South Carolina, and Jackson, Mississippi.[citation needed]
As of February 2011, nonagenarian Jackson continued to host Sunday Classics on WBLS each Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m.,[1] with Clay Berry and Deborah Bolling Jackson, known professionally as Debi B., his wife[2] of 23 years[citation needed].
In 1990 Hal Jackson was the first minority inducted into the National Association of Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. In 1995, he became the first African-American inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.[1] He was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 2003. In October 2010 he was named a "Giant in Broadcasting" by the Library of American Broadcasting.[citation needed]
Jackson was the founder of the Hal Jackson Talented Teens Miss International Competition.[3]
Death
On May 23, 2012, Hal Jackson passed away at the age of 97.
See also
References
External links
- Hal Jackson (8 November 2008). "Still On The Air After 69 Years" (audio) (Interview). Interviewed by Scott Simon. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
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