When traversing the FM dial in the Triad, few voices are as familiar or as dependable as that of Manard "Busta" Brown.
A San Francisco native, Brown spent 10 industrious years at 102 Jamz (102.1 FM) before moving to sister station WQMG (97.1 FM).
In recent years, his show, "The Afternoon Thang," had become an institution -- a finessed mixture of message and music that had legions of loyal listeners and garnered a mighty market share.
But on March 19, Brown's show vanished.
"(They) wanted to go in another direction," says Brown of his former employer. "They wanted more music than talk, and I wanted to continue to give my listeners what they had grown to love -- the information, the building of lives, the different things like that. So we couldn't meet halfway there. I wasn't going to compromise, and they weren't going to compromise."
Although WQMG declined to comment on the reactions they've received, Brown says he felt his listeners' frustration.
"They were blown away," Brown says. "They were more concerned with 'Where are we going to get the information? How are our voices going to be heard now?' Because my show mattered to them; it was about them having a voice."
Over the years, Brown's show had evolved from a say-something-crazy drive-time show to a sophisticated forum, capable of entertaining and educating the masses on topics such as money, nutrition, fitness and love.
Brown's firm grasp on the afternoon slot left little room for competitors -- even the nationally syndicated powerhouse Michael Baisden, whose show was exiled from the dial by the hometown favorite.
When WQMG pulled the plug on "The Afternoon Thing," Brown knew he still had a commitment to his listeners.
"A lot of women were like, 'Who's going to tell us we're beautiful?' " Brown said. "I've had several women come up to me and say, 'You know my whole life you're the only person who's ever told me I was beautiful and that I was loved, ever, and I've never met you.' "
Due to popular demand, Brown resumed "The Afternoon Thang" on N.C. A&T's campus frequency, WNAA (90.1 FM), The Voice.
After serving a total of 17 years at WJMH and WQMG -- both owned by Entercom Communications -- Brown began a new chapter at WNAA on April 26.
"I was very happy that they said yes," Brown said. "Because that says, 'We respect what you do.' To come to an HBC -- the most prominent one in the area -- and for them to say, 'Come on?' That's huge."
A star is born
Growing up in the Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco, Brown was bit by the radio bug early on. While most kids were playing cops and robbers, Brown was playing disc jockey. While his peers imitated basketball greats like Wilt Chamberlain, Brown was imitating radio legend Rick Dees.
"I mimicked all the DJs," Brown recalls. "And whenever my family would leave the house, then I would get on that stage, the people would yell and scream, and I'd introduce the Jackson 5!"
Brown got a foot in the door at Bay-area mainstay WSOL (107.7 FM), but the anonymity of the overnight shift made him antsy.
"I was just reading liners. And I was like, 'But I'm funny! I'm as funny as these dudes in the morning! I want to do my thing!"
Eventually the prospect of creative freedom and $16,000 drew Brown to a station in Jacksonville, Fla., where he caught the attention of radio consultant Jerry Clifton , who quickly nabbed the personable jock for the morning show at 102 Jamz.
Big Man on Campus
In some ways, WNAA is a logical home for Brown's unique brand of "edutainment." Without the constrictive regulations for which corporate media is so famous, Brown's show is more relaxed, more spontaneous and more colorful. Busta is free to play a wider range of music and discuss a wider range of topics.
With the addition of "The Afternoon Thing," WNAA continues its tradition of providing a healthy alternative to the refined sugar found across the FM dial. There are no commercials, which consequently means there is no revenue -- a brave, if not illogical, move for a career DJ.
"For me, doing the show here is not about the money," Brown said. "It's about continuing to connect with my audience. Radio is really my outlet to promote what I love doing, which is helping people."
On top of his radio duties, Brown maintains a busy schedule of motivational speaking, mentoring kids through his Busta Buddy program and celebrating nine seasons of Midnight Basketball this summer at Barber Park.
"Where you been?" demands one caller. Brown is only one week into his new routine, and with the jock's underpublicized arrival, much of the buzz management must be handled first-hand. Even the WNAA faculty found the issue inescapable.
"I was at church," explains program director D. Cherie Loftin, "and someone approached me and said, 'Hey! I have a question for you.' I said, 'Before you even ask me, yes, Busta is at 90.1.' They said, 'How did you know?' I said, 'I have been taking those calls and e-mails for the last few weeks.' "
Through Brown's induction as an honorary Aggie, 90.1 gets a new voice, and A&T students gain invaluable experience working alongside an industry veteran.
"One thing about 90.1 is that we've always wanted to be that learning tool," remarks Loftin. "For you to leave an environment like this and move onto a company like Entercom or Clear Channel and be able to go right on working -- that makes a big difference."
Within the tight cinder-block confines of the WNAA sound booth, Brown swivels back and forth with the phones, CD players and sound board, cueing up songs and editing phone conversations for on-air playback. It's a high-octane multitasking environment, one that Brown seems to navigate through effortlessly, even giving wallflower students and spectator pointers along the way.
On this particular Thursday, Brown's first guest is area physician Dr. Abdel Nuriddin, and the topic is acid reflux.
"One of the things," Brown suggests, "you cannot eat this spicy stuff and then go to sleep."
"That's true," concurs Nuriddin. "Alcohol is a problem, too. Smoking's going to be a problem, too."
"Well don't do any of that stuff," Brown responds humorously. "What about weed? Is that a problem?"
After a fatherly glare from Nuriddin, Brown expounds. "But I'm saying, somebody out there's saying that's a natural herb."
"Natural? It don't matter!" exclaims Nuriddin. "It's going to affect your body somehow. Even if you chew it!"
Although these topics may have been taboo at a for-profit station, it is just part of the natural and often humorous dialogue between two professionals who share a common goal.
Nuriddin, who participates on a volunteer basis as well, feels that Brown's show is an important avenue for the betterment of the community.
"Busta is genuinely concerned about what goes on with the people that listen to him. That's why I'm there. Once the door opened, I stayed and I think we've done a lot of good for people. Because I see people in the street and they say, 'You know, just that one thing that you told me, I picked it up.' And a lot of times it's just hearing it from the radio that causes people to take action."
And so it is with these victories that Brown measures his own success.
"I'm not interested in becoming this world-renowned famous guy if I can't touch people. If I can't touch you, then what is it for?"
Admittedly, Busta's message isn't for everybody. But for more than 17 years, he has turned on more people than he's turned away.
"I mean in the beginning, yeah, people were like 'You talk too much, why don't you shut up?' I was like, 'You know what? I'm going to be like an IV; I'm going to keep coming everyday with information, and one day you wake up going, 'Wow, that was good. That helped my life.' "
Plus, he'll probably even play some Alicia Keys. Who says we can't have it all?
Jon Kirby helps maintain the music blog, CarolinaSoul.org. Contact him at JonathanCKirby@gmail.com.
