Charlotte Radio: News Anchor Beatrice Thompson Exits Radio

Beatrice Thompson

Beatrice Thompson, known for her radio shows “The Front Page with Beatrice Thompson” and Sunday’s “Straight Talk with Bea Thompson” and for her TV news career before that, is leaving the microphone to become spokesperson for a mental health nonprofit.

Since 2000, Thompson has been news and public affairs director at WBAV-FM V101.9 and WPEG 97.9 FM Power 98. Her incisive, shoot-from-the-lip commentary is unmatched among Charlotte radio hosts.

The Charolotte Observer reports she is one of the few media personalities to have spent her entire career in her hometown.  When it was time to announce important news in Charlotte’s black community, Thompson’s phone was the first one dialed.

Thompson became Charlotte’s first black female television news anchor in 1980, working on the “Good Morning” show with Jim Patterson. She left in 1985 to be a spokeswoman at Duke Power.

Three years later, she joined WCNC (Channel 36). When it started a morning newscast, she was chosen as anchor, then later reassigned. Her personality was too intense for morning TV, the news director said.

Thompson said then the real reason was that the industry favored “Barbie doll” women instead. “And I’m no Barbie doll. I’m a Raggedy Ann. A Raggedy Ann may be your favorite doll when things get tough. But when you want a showcase, you get out your Barbie doll.”