Remembering Tanita Myers
• In a week that has already been marred by the loss of one of our own, we are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Tanita Myers, Vice President of News Operations for iHeartMedia’s BIN: Black Information Network. Myers, 49, passed away at 4:44am ET Wednesday at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. We are told that she was in town to attend the Essence Music Festival and celebrate her 49th birthday on July 1; she was apparently stricken with a serious medical emergency the following day and had been in the Tulane ICU since then.
This tragic news was shared with the staff in a memo from Tony Coles, President of BIN and Division President of iHeartMedia’s Multiplatform Group, which reads, “It is with profound sadness that I share the tragic news that Tanita Myers has passed away this morning.” Coles continued, “Tanita was a passionate leader, a champion of women in journalism, and one of the driving forces behind the Black Information Network. We are a better organization because of her dedication to our mission, and we are better humans because of her love, her humor, and her spirit. While she took great pride in her work, it was her friends and family who brought her the most joy. Tanita’s smile always got a bit brighter when she spoke about her mom and her son Brandon.”
In closing, Coles said, “On a final note, several of us were fortunate enough to spend time with Tanita recently in New Orleans. She spent those days doing the work she loved, celebrating with the people she loved, laughing loudly at life, and hugging those around her. She leaves us with an amazing legacy, and we owe it to Tanita to live her legacy every day.”
Myers joined BIN as Director of News Operations when the service formally launched in June 2020 and was elevated to VP last August. Myers was a seasoned network and local Producer, broadcaster and news anchor who previously spent 15 years at Reach Media, where she rose to Sr. Director of Radio Operations. Myers was formerly Director of Operations for The Tom Joyner Morning Show; Executive Producer of The Rickey Smiley Morning Show; and a reporter for various major market stations.
Tanita’s mother, Rosetta Carr released a statement that reads, “Tanita’s passion in the radio business was felt by every radio station she worked with. Her beloved son Brandon used to tease her and say that radio was his little brother that needed a lot of attention!” She added, “Tanita’s bright smile and love for everyone she met will live on forever. As we go through the grieving process please keep our family in your prayers.”
Gary Bernstein, President of Oceanic Tradewinds, said, “Tanita worked with me at both Reach Media/Syndication One and Westwood One. Between the two, it was almost a decade full of countless and usually historic syndication launches. Yet the moments I treasure the most was the time spent away from work where she was so passionate about her family, and so interested in my family. She was a great mom, a great friend, just a great person to be around. Her smile was infectious. Her light was always the brightest in the room. When she spoke, we all listened and fed off her infectious energy. She truly cared about everything she did and everyone who was lucky enough to be in her presence. She was a true treasure.”
