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Music industry veteran Paul Porter has released the book Blackout, an explosive look at the corruption running rampant in the music industry. Blackout details Porter’s experiences in the music industry, from his first stint in radio in 1976 – when the busing riots in Boston sent him scrambling into WRBB at Northeastern University – to his tenure at BET and some of the nation’s top-rated radio stations.
“Blackout is a chronicle of my successes and failures, my dreams and disappointments in the music business,” Porter said. “It’s filled with the secrets the music industry desperately tries to keep, the stories no one tells. I wanted to expose the truth about the industry I love.”
Blackout takes readers on a ride through Porter’s whirlwind of media jobs, working for and with some of the music industry’s most colorful, well-known and scandalous players. It explores the insidious role of payola, an illegal practice that is firmly embedded in the music industry, deep in the grooves like tracks on a vinyl record. And it offers an inside account of how corporations killed Black radio and erased Black identity from mainstream Black music — and why Porter chose to fight back.
The book has already garnered the endorsement of major cultural figures, including Chuck D of Public Enemy, who called Porter a “guru and visionary” and said “Blackout will truly explain why things are the way they are.”
Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council, called Blackout a “compelling, personal story about how the music industry really operates” that “also offers an enlightening message of hope for the music industry and for its broader impact on our culture.”
Joy-Ann Reid, host of AM Joy on MSNBC, said “Blackout is essential reading for anyone who cares about the history and future of African-Americans in the multi-billion dollar music industry.”
Paul Porter has been a force in radio, music and television for four decades. His deep, seductive voice has resonated on the airwaves of many of the nation’s top-rated radio stations, and he spent 10 years at BET as Program Director, consultant and on-air talent. Porter’s expertise and activism have established him as a thought leader in the radio and music industry, and he is often sought out by major media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, SiriusXM, Entertainment Tonight and FOX News to comment on music, culture and race. He is the Co-Founder of music industry nonprofit Industry Ears and music and culture website Rap Rehab and currently serves as Program Director at Orlando’s low-power FM station The Wire 98.5.
Blackout is available for purchase at here.
Mr. Porter was on our show talking about Blackout: My 40 Years In The Music Business.
During our conversation, Mr. Porter talked about:
– Why he believes everyone is important
– Memories of growing up in Queens, New York and his start in college radio
– When he knew that music would be his life and his first big break
– Some of his major obstacles and how he overcame them
– Why he feels his book has been successful
– Some of the problems with the radio industry today including payola
– How did his stint at BET happen and thoughts about BET today
– The effect of video on Black music
– The story behind the book and the response to it
– Some of his favorite artists
– How can the consumer change the music industry
– His advice for people who want to get into the industry
You can contact Mr. Porter via:
Website
The Wire 98.5
Twitter
Instagram
Rap Rehab
Industry Ears
Industry Ears – Facebook
Email
Please feel free to email us at dr.vibe@thedrvibeshow.com
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God bless, peace, be well and keep the faith,
Dr. Vibe
dr.vibe@thedrvibeshow.com
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