Mad Hatta To Pilot Houston’s New Vibe
• 90.9 KTSU Public Radio, based at Texas Southern University and proudly serving the Greater Houston area is launching an Urban Alternative radio station this fall — The Vibe will appeal to Millennials and Gen-Z through a mix of Hip Hop, R&B and Neo-Soul.
KTSU GM Ernest Walker commented, “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. 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 pros to ensure the new station’s success, starting with the talents of Houston favorite Mad Hatta (left), who has been tapped as The Vibe’s new Content Director. Mad Hatta is best known and loved for his 20-year run as host of the Madd Hatta Morning Show across the street on Radio One’s KBXX (97.9 The Box) until January.
Hatta will be joined by newly appointed Marketing & Community Engagement Director Holly Charles (center) and multi-award-winning journalist and News & Digital Media Coordinator (and proud TSU alum) Nakia Cooper (right). Ms. Charles’ 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, and Ms. 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 FM, online at 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. Walker added, “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.”
