With most of Pensacola's Black-owned media gone, these 2 stations give 'voice to the people'

Radio man Robert Hill came from Montgomery to Pensacola and started his radio station WRNE-AM 980 in December 1990 with one goal in mind.

"To find a buyer and move on," Hill said. "But I remember Eugene Brown (former longtime director of the Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission) said I would never get out of town."

Now, 33 years later and still at the radio control board, what is the goal?

"To find a buyer and move on," Hill said, no trace of humor or irony in his rich tenor voice, a trusted and respected voice that is heard each morning throughout the community. "I'm still trying to get out of town."

Nearby, Hill's friend Vernon Watson just laughed.

He knows that Hill is a staple in Pensacola, especially in the African-American community he targets with his mixture of rhythm and blues and gospel, along with Hill's morning program where he conducts interviews, talks about community events and sharpens his focus on things important to Pensacola citizens, especially Black citizens.

"Hill is the voice of the community," Watson said.

Everyone calls Robert Hill "Hill." He answers the phone "Hill" and his 6-9 a.m. morning show is called "Hill in the Morning."

"If he ever did go, it would leave such a huge void," Watson said. "He's that important to Pensacola. There are other Black-formatted stations, but they're not entrenched in the community like he is."

But some say the same of Watson, owner of WBQP-TV, which started transmitting from his home in west Pensacola in 1992 with a 190-foot antenna up in the yard.

Watson and Hill are two Black media owners now working side-by-side. They share offices and production spaces in a complex off of Nine Mile Road.

"We're the last of the Black media breed in Pensacola,'' Watson said. "We used to have radio, TV, newspapers and magazines. Now it's just us."

There used to be more - Les Humphrey's "Pensacola Voice" newspaper and Admiral Leroy's "Pensacola Out Front" magazine come to mind. Hill and WRNE filled the void left when WBOP-AM, long a staple in the Black community, went off the air in 1989.

"WBOP was very important to the Black community, and important to keeping the community informed," said the Rev. John Powell, founder of Truth for Youth, a nonprofit that provides at-risk children with mentoring, social, recreational and educational activities. "When we lost that, we didn't know what we were going to do. Then up pops Hill and WRNE."

Today, Hill's station is broadcast on the flagship 980 AM frequency as well as 106.9 FM.

"Hill is, for the Black community, the icon of the media," said Pensacola architect Eddie Todd. "He relates to the community, he communicates and shares news and events that are important. People depend on him."

WBQP-TV broadcasts on both VHF Channel 12 and UHF Channel 53.4. WBQP TV is a full market station serving 12 counties in the Mobile/Pensacola/Fort Walton Beach area. It is also found on many streaming services and in 1998, WBQP became the first Pensacola television station to broadcast on the Internet. WRNE-AM can also be accessed through the Internet.

Both WBQP - "The Station That Cares" - and WRNE-AM - "Your Community Station" - are known for their community outreach and involvement, which includes coverage of local events important to those in the African-American community.

WBQP recently broadcast the live funeral of noted educator, activist, business owner and preservationist Georgia Blackmon who died last month, and also shot footage of the recent fundraiser luncheon for Epps Christian Center and the "Many Faces of Tina Turner" fundraiser event for FavorHouse of Northwest Florida.

"I think both stations are important for our community," Watson said. "There hasn't always been a lot of Black television that gives voice to the people."

Todd said the work and services Watson provides are important to Pensacola, noting WBQP's coverage of the Blackmon funeral and other local events.

"That's very important, especially to older people who might not be able to make it to an event in person," Todd said. "It becomes a way for people to have the opportunity to participate and see events in the community. That's invaluable."

Not only does WBQP cover community events, but it is also an affiliate of TheGrio, which is a network targeting African-Americans and features a variety of programming, including sitcoms, justice shows, talk shows, comedy programs, movies, news programs and, notably, HBCU athletics.

Powell said Hill and Watson and their media companies are needed in Pensacola.

"We lost a lot of Black media in Pensacola," he said. "They're the last pieces of the puzzle."

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Pensacola's Black-owned media WRNE radio, WBQP TV still standing