KTSU Public Radio is launching an Urban Alternative radio station, The Vibe, broadcasting and streaming from the campus of Texas Southern University starting this fall. Appealing to Millennials and Generation Z through a mix of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Neo-Soul, The Vibe is launching with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
“90.9FM KTSU Radio has dominated the public radio spectrum for nearly 50 years and plans to raise the bar by filling a void in the Houston market with not only chart-topping music, but rising local and national artists, live and virtual performances and events, thoughtful programming, community outreach and an urban news perspective,” said KTSU General Manager Ernest Walker. “Most importantly, The Vibe will carry on the KTSU legacy of empowering and providing opportunities for TSU students and alumni, all while serving the community.”
KTSU Radio has pulled together an all-star team of professionals to ensure the station’s success. Houston favorite and former host of 97.9 The Box’s Madd Hatta Morning Show, Madd Hatta joins KTSUs The Vibe as its new Content Director. His 30-year career in music and radio includes a 20-year run as Houston’s most popular morning show host.
He is joined by the newly appointed Marketing and Community Engagement Director Holly Charles, whose community outreach as publicist, author, playwright, speaker on the African Diaspora and social equality, and philanthropist will compliment Hatta’s decades of radio expertise and appeal as hometown hero.
Rounding out the expert team is proud TSU alum, multi-award-winning journalist and News and Digital Media Coordinator Nakia Cooper. Cooper’s edgy, no-nonsense approach to journalism will brand the station as ground zero for trending urban news in entertainment, sports, politics, social justice and more.
The Vibe will be heard on 90.9 on the FM dial, and streaming 24/7 at www.vibehouston.com and via The Vibe mobile app. The station and the Urban Alternative public radio format were developed with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
The Vibe becomes part of KTSU’s rich legacy of cultural contribution to Houston, Walker said. “KTSU 90.9FM Radio was the first African American station to introduce Hip-Hop to Houston listeners, right here from the historic Black campus of Texas Southern University. How appropriate it is in 2020 for us to go back to the basics, reaching a new generation of listeners with not only Hip-Hop, R&B, and Neo-Soul, but with innovation and digital expansion. We’d like to publicly thank the Corporation For Public Broadcasting for grant provisions which allow us the opportunity to reach a younger and more diverse audience.”
