Credit: Valerie Hill Since its founding, 101.7 The Truth has featured a lineup of notable on-air personalities including Denise Thomas and Telly Hughes (pictured here, June 2023), who broadcasted their show “Truth Be Told with DT and Telly” weekday mornings from April 2023 to January 2025.
Three Black media organizations in Milwaukee are now united under a new ownership structure and trust that leaders say will keep them independent, accountable to the community and running for years to come.
The Milwaukee Black Media Trust unites the Milwaukee Courier newspaper and radio stations WGKB 101.7 The Truth and, eventually, WNOV 860 AM/106.5 FM under one operating entity, known as Milwaukee Black Media LLC.
The trust was established by Madison-based Civic Media Inc., which acquired the Milwaukee Courier in late 2025 and is awaiting approval from the Federal Communications Commission to finalize the purchase of WNOV.
Under the trust, which is governed by three founding trustees, employees of Milwaukee Black Media benefit from a profit-sharing program that vests over five years. The trust aims to ensure that “no individual or corporation can sell, consolidate, or redirect these institutions away from the community they serve,” according to a news release Thursday.
“We are very excited about Milwaukee Black Media because it puts these important community media assets under the control of the community that they serve, with a financial structure that benefits the employees doing the work,” said Sage Weil, CEO of Civic Media. “We look forward to working closely with Milwaukee Black Media to support the new organization’s growth and success in the years to come.”
The Milwaukee Courier is a weekly newspaper serving the Black community in Milwaukee. It has been published since 1964 and was founded by Jerrel Jones. WNOV serves a largely Black audience in Milwaukee with numerous talk shows and gospel music on Sundays. The station was purchased in 1972 by Courier Communications Corp. with Jones as the majority stakeholder, making it the first Black-owned radio station in the state. Jones died in June.
The Truth was launched in early 2021 by Milwaukee-based Good Karma Brands to spotlight and uplift voices and experiences of the Black community. The platform airs 11 hours of live programming on weekdays, broadcasting from its studio at Good Karma Brands’ headquarters at The Avenue in downtown Milwaukee. Since moving into that space in 2022, The Truth has continued to expand its reach beyond the airwaves into the world of streaming via YouTube and other platforms. On-air personalities including Homer Blow, Bailey Coleman, Sherwin Hughes, Kyle Wallace, Tory Lowe and Ken Harris commentate on and engage listeners in conversations about local issues, national politics, pop culture, relationship dynamics, and more.
Milwaukee Black Media has entered into a local marketing agreement with Good Karma Brands to program 101.7 The Truth, with an option to purchase the station.
“Good Karma Brands is proud to support a model that keeps these important media institutions rooted in the community they serve and expands the opportunity for our teammates. From the start, our focus has been on building a strong platform and positioning it for continued growth and impact,” said Craig Karmazin, CEO of Good Karma Brands. “We’re proud of what’s been built with The Truth, and we’re excited to partner with Milwaukee Black Media who is best positioned to serve our advertising partners, teammates and Truth Nation.”
Civic Media will continue to support Milwaukee Black Media’s operations through a services agreement, providing administrative, technology, and sales support services. Milwaukee Black Media operates with full editorial and programming independence. All content and programming decisions are made by MBM’s staff and leadership, not by any outside party, according to the new release.
Robert “Biko” Baker will serve as general manager of Milwaukee Black Media, leading operations across the Milwaukee Courier and WGKB, working with program director Darren Deboe, editor Roemel Brown and sales director Doug Kelley. Baker joined Civic Media late last year as operations manager for both WNOV and the Milwaukee Courier.
The Milwaukee Black Media Trust founding trustees include Milwaukee alderwoman Milele Coggs; Tiffany Wynn, regional senior director of marketing at Ascension; and Roemel Brown, editor of the Milwaukee Courier, who also serves as the employee representative trustee. Those trustees have appointed the following board members for Milwaukee Black Media LLC: businessman Mark Wade as board president; John Torres, former owner of El Sol Broadcasting and WJTI in Milwaukee; and Chris Moreau, south region president for Civic Media.
“Milwaukee’s Black community stands at an important crossroads, and the role of media in shaping our path forward has never been more critical,” said Baker. “This is a pivotal moment: one that calls for tearing down silos, elevating authentic voices, and building media institutions that serve our community across generations. The Milwaukee Courier has anchored Black Milwaukee for over 60 years, and WGKB extends our ability to reach and engage audiences in new ways. What we are building is not simply a media company–it is a platform designed to inform, connect and uplift a community that deserves nothing less.”
