WGPR-TV

HOT 107.5 WGPR FM shares its history as Michigan's first Black-owned FM radio station, and Detroit's only all-hip hop radio station.

The always outspoken and entertaining Stephen A. Smith will be in Detroit this week for a special gala, and he’s bringing ESPN’s “First Take” along with him.

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith and the WGPR Historical Society discuss the legacy of WGPR-TV 62, America's first black-owned TV station.

Fundraising Gala Celebrates Legacy of WGPR-TV 62, America’s First Black-Owned TV StationDetroit is a city that’s filled with many firsts, including being home to the nation’s first black-owned and operated television station, WGPR-TV 62. WGPR-TV 62 went on the air in 1975 and launched the careers of several African American media professionals before being sold in 1995. ESPN commentator and sports journalist Stephen A. Smith, the keynote speaker for the Sept. 10, 2022 event, and WGPR Historical Society President Joe Spencer join “American Black Journal” host Stephen Henderson to talk about an upcoming fundraising gala celebrating the legacy of WGPR-TV 62. The gala will also feature the first annual WGPR Enduring Legacy Awards, which will be presented to four Detroiters. The gala benefits the expansion of WGPR’s William V. Banks Broadcast Museum & Media Center, housed at the former TV 62 studios.

DETROIT – Five places in Detroit have been officially deemed historic for their role in the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement sought to demand equality for African Americans in the North as much as in the South,” said Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Martha MacFarlane-Faes. “By listing these sites, the National Register recognizes Detroit’s significant role in the growth of the movement. Officials say these five sites now join nearly 2,000 existing historic sites in Michigan that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The newly-selected sites were chosen by a 14-person Civil Rights advisory committee comprised of local historians familiar with Detroit’s Black history, as well as staff members from the State Historic Preservation Office and Detroit’s Historic Designation Advisory Board, officials said.

WGPR-TV, the Detroit broadcast pioneer and first television station in the United States to be independently owned and operated by African Americans, is now officially a historic landmark. Unlike other local Detroit stations, independent WGPR-TV didn't have to rely on a national network to supply its programs. The station filled the majority of its broadcast day with shows produced by local writers, producers, directors, and performers. All Night Movies made WGPR the first station in the Detroit television market to broadcast 24 hours a day. It was also the first local station to use electronic news gathering (ENG) cameras, which created an edge over local stations still using 16mm film.

(CBS DETROIT) – Karen Hudson-Samuels’ career in broadcast journalism spanned over four decades in Detroit. To preserve the history of the country’s first black-owned and operated television station, WGPR, Samuels worked tirelessly to bring the William V. Banks broadcast museum to life. “When this museum got into the national registry she was very, very proud,” her husband, Cliff Samuels said. The 68-year-old’s sudden death leaves the industry reciting her legacy and questioning why she had to go so soon. The Detroit media icon was found dead at her home by her husband last Tuesday, just one day after taking the COVID-19 vaccine but the official cause of her death is still unknown.

(CBS DETROIT) – Karen Hudson-Samuels’ career in broadcast journalism spanned over four decades in Detroit. To preserve the history of the country’s first black-owned and operated television station, WGPR, Samuels worked tirelessly to bring the William V. Banks broadcast museum to life. “When this museum got into the national registry she was very, very proud,” her husband, Cliff Samuels said. The 68-year-old’s sudden death leaves the industry reciting her legacy and questioning why she had to go so soon. The Detroit media icon was found dead at her home by her husband last Tuesday, just one day after taking the COVID-19 vaccine but the official cause of her death is still unknown.

DETROIT – For decades, WGPR-TV in Detroit provided a distinct perspective as the first Black-owned TV station in the country. It was a movement spearheaded by Karen Hudson Samuels, who worked as the station’s news director for years. He sold several properties to raise enough money, with which he launched the TV station in 1975. “My mom said to call the station and talk to Karen Hudson or Joe Spencer,” James Jackson said. WGPR aired its last TV show in 1995, offering a distinctly Black perspective for three decades.

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