RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Members of this Body are pleased to congratulate 95.1 FM Chicago as it celebrates its first anniversary as a Black woman-owned radio station; and
WHEREAS, 95.1 FM Chicago's Chicago-style steppin' format began in 2005 as Internet radio station Clubsteppin by veteran radio programmer Lamont Watts. The station expanded into FM broadcasting in August 2018; and
WHEREAS, Tracey V. Bell purchased 95.1 FM from Windy City Broadcasting in August 2019, having affiliated herself with the station after a long and illustrious career in the corporate world; and
WHEREAS, Prior to taking the helm at 95.1 FM Chicago, Ms. Bell worked in a variety of fields, beginning her career in the radio broadcast division of Johnson Publishing Company before turning to corporate strategy and integrated marketing for several retail brands; and
WHEREAS, Of the more than ten thousand radio stations in the United States, only 20 are licensed to Black women. Under Ms. Bell's ownership, 95.1 FM Chicago remains the only Black-owned FM radio station in Chicago, the nation's third largest media market; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bell uses her platform as the owner of 95.1 FM Chicago to uplift small businesses and the communities they serve through initiatives such as "We Are Chicago," which has provided relief to small businesses that have been pummeled by the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, 95.1 FM Chicago partnered with Mayor Lori Lightfoot for the station's "The Mayor's Minute" segment, which provided listeners with information during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, With more than 50 percent of its on-air personalities being women, including program director Kris Hutchinson (known on-air as "First Lady"), 95.1 FM Chicago has more female broadcasters than any other station in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, 95.1 FM Chicago is the only music station in Chicago catering to Black adults 35 and over as its primary demographic, providing listeners with a mix of classic R&B, Chicago house, gospel, and smooth jazz; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this ninth day of September, 2020, do hereby congratulate radio station 95.1 FM on its first anniversary as an African-American woman-owned radio station; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Tracey V. Bell as a sign of our congratulations and good wishes.