[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 106 (Friday, June 20, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CELEBRATING CARTER BROADCAST GROUP'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 20, 2025

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 75th 
anniversary of the Carter Broadcast Group (CBG), a pillar of Black 
music and culture in the Kansas City metropolitan area, and the oldest 
Black-owned and family-operated radio broadcast company in the United 
States. Let us take a moment to reflect on the 75 years of creativity, 
75 years of challenges overcome, and 75 years of community contribution 
that have undisputedly been instrumental in shaping the Kansas City I 
know and serve today.
  The station's story began with a visionary, Andrew Skip Carter. Born 
in 1919, in Savannah, Georgia, Carter always had a passion for radio. 
However, Carter's ambitions coincided with a time when segregation and 
Jim Crow laws worked to prevent their realization. Due to the color of 
his skin, Carter was turned down from jobs and forced to work in a 
hostile industry. However, in keeping with the principles that would 
come to define CBG, Carter advocated for himself and his community. In 
August 1948, he wrote a letter to Broadcast magazine criticizing the 
FCC's prejudiced treatment of African Americans. Through this effort, 
he was able to make a connection with former Kansas Governor Alf 
Landon, who would assist Carter in receiving his FCC license in August 
1949, making him the second African American to obtain one. Through 
financial backing from Landon and continued demonstrations of grit, 
Carter was able to launch KPRS, the Kansas People's Radio Station, in 
1950. Two years later, Carter purchased the station, making it the 
first Black-owned radio station west of the Mississippi River.
  CBG prioritizes playing Black music of all genres, with a specific 
focus on exploring jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, and hip-hop. Not only does 
the station promote Black music, but it engages with the artists behind 
it, interviewing creators who have cultivated fan bases around the 
world, including Kansas City locals like Janelle Monae and Tech N9ne. 
Indeed, listeners throughout the KC area all feel the impact of having 
a radio station that amplifies Black voices and stories.
  Beyond music programming, CBG is an informational hub. Its hosts 
regularly interview political figures to discuss topics ranging from 
student debt on a national level to issues facing Kansas City locally. 
In hopes of building a healthier Kansas City, programmers craft 
segments to inform local listeners of critical resources. Whether 
disseminating information regarding suicide prevention and COVID-19 
vaccination clinics, or shining a light on local organizations like 
Giving Hope and Help, which works to support domestic abuse survivors, 
and Harvesters, which works to prevent food insecurity, the Carter 
Broadcast Group consistently serves the city it calls home.
  Indeed, this station epitomizes the ideas expressed in 1 Corinthians 
12:25-27, ``So that there should be no division in the body, but that 
its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part 
suffers, every part suffers with it: if one part is honored, every part 
rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you 
is a part of it.'' Carter Broadcast Group recognizes the obligation we 
have to one another and surpasses it to a commendable degree.
  The impact is clear. Countless listeners proclaim their praise for 
the station, citing the significance it has had on their lives and the 
lives of their loved ones. CBG is dedicated to providing a Black radio 
station that plays amazing music and nourishes the community 
culturally, socially, and politically. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues 
to join me in celebrating CBG's 75th anniversary. This is an 
accomplishment deserving of recognition in our Nation's Capital, and I 
am honored to extend my congratulations as the station begins its 
celebrations. I anticipate many more monumental anniversaries, for I 
know CBG will continue to be a fountain of knowledge and joy for our 
community, progressing the innovative work of Andrew Skip Carter.

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