BY TAMECA JOHNSON
Freelance Writer
If at first you don’t succeed, keep trying. That’s the mindset of members of Tampa Organization of Black Affairs as they continue efforts to help the community find ways to restore classic R&B and community talk show programming to Bay area air waves.
Their mission has been ongoing since this market lost WTMP last September, the area’s only R&B and Classic Soul station that provided local talk shows geared towards the Black community. Davidson Media Group took over the station’s lease, call letters, website, FM and AM dials and according to TOBA spokesman, James Ransom, regaining ownership has been extremely challenging.
“We had people in place who had the means to invest money to buy back WTMP. We did our research and determined the value of the station is $1.5 million, but the asking price went from $3 million, to $4 million to now $5 million, with no justification for it. So, those potential investors felt it was not in their best interest to pursue the deal because the asking price was inflated.”
Ransom says TOBA then met with a larger group of smaller investors in an effort to lease an AM dial station, but later determined of the 14 people who were interested, only five really had the means to move forward financially. The larger group of investors was willing to commit approximately $125,000, however, that amount fell short of the $300,000 needed to move ahead with the lease deal.
TOBA is now calling on the community at large and asking those that have an interest in this effort to contribute what they can to a community investment fund. Investors should contact TOBA at P. O. Box 3485, Tampa 33601, include a contact number and/or email address along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Ransom says a certified accounting firm would be hired to establish an escrow account to receive and manage the funds. The names of investors and the amount they invested would be published regularly in the Florida Sentinel Bulletin. If the amount raised falls short of the $300,000 needed, Ransom says all monies would be returned to those who sent it.
“The call to action is simple,” he says. “It’s not what we say, it’s what we do. We don’t have a strong record of philanthropy on a major scale in Tampa, but if we all pull our funds together we can make a difference.”
