Columbus GA Radio: Davis Broadcasting Stops The Music

A group of community leaders met at Davis Broadcasting headquarters on Friday for a community conversation about violence plaguing the nation.

According to the Ledger-Enquirer, the broadcasting company, which owns five urban programmed stations in Columbus, stopped its regular programing from 5 to 6 p.m. for the call-in show, which included a panel discussion with law enforcement officials and other segments of the community.

Organizers said the conversation will continue July 15 with a public forum.

The “Stop the Music, Stop the Violence” discussion was moderated by Michael Soul, the station’s program director, and Janee Renee, an on-air personality at one of the radio stations. Panelists included Muscogee County Marshal Greg Countryman; Tonza Thomas, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Brother Student Minister Stephen Muhammad; the Rev. Walter Taylor of the Life Church of Columbus; Maj. Freddie Blackmon of the Columbus Police Department; and Cecilia Howard, a Muscogee County prosecutor. Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and the Rev. Johnny Flakes III called in for the discussion.

The program aired on HipHop WFXE 104.9 FM Foxie 105, Rhythmic Oldies WOKS 1340 AM, R&B WKZJ K92.7 FM , WIOL 95.7 ESPN FM  and WEAM Praise 100.7 FM.

Geniece Granville, the company’s business manager, said it was the first time the company had stopped playing music to discuss an issue. She said the decision was in response to recent police shootings in Baton Rouge, La., St. Paul, Minn., and Dallas, as well as recent shootings within the Columbus community.

Tune in at 5pm as we STOP THE MUSIC and pause for the cause foxie105… https://t.co/UGqJUJIbml

— Michael Soul (@mikesoul105) July 8, 2016

“The purpose is to open up the phone lines to have a real conversation with the listeners and the citizens of Columbus, Georgia, to give them an outlet to express any of their feelings as to whether the things happening nationally are impacting them locally,” she said. “It’s a combination of the ongoing shootings and deaths that have occurred in Columbus with many of our younger people, and it involves the shooting deaths both in St. Paul, Baton Rouge, and now in Dallas.”

Callers expressed outrage at the recent shootings, both of black men and white police officers. They said they were saddened and frustrated by the events, and asked law enforcement what could be done to avoid such situations in Columbus.