MEDIA

Radio One Buys Tom Joyner's Company

Radio One Inc., the nation's largest black-owned media company with 69 radio stations and cable network TV One, has purchased a controlling stake in radio personality Tom Joyner's media company -- Joyner's Reach Media Inc., parent company of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, an urban radio show broadcast in 115 markets and BlackAmericaWeb.com, a Web portal that had 539,000 visitors last month for $56 million. The purchase gives Radio One an Internet presence and ownership rights to one of the nation's top morning shows among black radio listeners.

Chief executive Alfred Liggins III wants to develop Radio One's Internet presence as the dominant Web portal for blacks. The top African American-focused Web portals, include

• Viacom Inc.'s BET.com,
• Time Warner Inc.'s AOL BlackVoices.com and
• Community Connect Inc.'s BlackPlanet.com.
• BlackAmericaWeb.com is closely linked to Joyner's show, trails those three sites.