Chairman & Founder, REACH Media Inc.
Host, The Tom Joyner Morning Show
Founder, Tom Joyner Foundation
Tom Joyner is one of the most influential, inspirational, and dynamic personalities in the country.
A native of Tuskegee, Alabama, Joyner is so much more than a radio personality: He’s an entrepreneur, an entertainer and a philanthropist. He is founder of REACH Media Inc., the Tom Joyner Foundation, BlackAmericaWeb.com, and host of the leading nationally syndicated morning radio show, Tom Joyner Morning Show, and the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Show on TV.
This 2005 Broadcasting & Cable Magazine Hall of Fame inductee has won the prestigious Marconi Award as the nation’s leading network/syndicated personality in the country and is also a 1999 Radio Hall of Fame inductee who has ignited a sense of pride in the hearts of eight million listeners in more than 115 radio markets, instilling in us the significance of unity and giving back to one’s community.
Joyner has become a motivating and organizing force for the country. As one of Newsday’s “Top 20 ‘Who’s Got Juice List’” in 2004, he also was named the Savoy magazine 2002 Person of the Year. He has led voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, major fundraising initiatives to help families and students affected by Hurricane Katrina. He and members of his crew also have prompted major companies to stop discriminating against African Americans and Hispanics in advertising and are in the trenches with the U.S. Department of Health and Human services, raising health awareness among African Americans. But Joyner doesn’t stop there.
His Tom Joyner Foundation, a charitable 501c3 non-profit organization, was started in 1997 for the sake of African American students in need at Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the nation. The foundation has raised more than $30 million to date for this single cause.
The four-time Billboard magazine award winner’s created BlackAmericaWeb.com in June 2001 to encourage interaction between African Americans and as an easy-to-use, comprehensive well of information on the African-American experience. The main goal is to mobilize the African-American community through healthy information, thoughtful entertainment, and star-inspired empowerment.
A graduate of Tuskegee (Institute) University, Joyner began his broadcasting career in Montgomery, Alabama, at WRMA-AM immediately after graduation. With a bachelor’s of science in sociology in hand, he ventured into several other markets, including WLOK-AM in Memphis; KWK-AM in St. Louis; KKDA-FM in Dallas; and four different stations in Chicago.
Finally, in the mid-1980’s Joyner made his claim to fame when he accepted simultaneous positions as “morning drive man’ at Dallas’ KKDA and “afternoon drive man” at Chicago’s WGCI. Flying everyday between the two cities to work eventually earned him national recognition, the name “Fly Jock,” seven million frequent flyer miles, syndication and undoubtedly the largest audience of any urban radio program. He’s also the author of “I’m Just a DJ But … It All Makes Sense to Me” (Warner Books), an entertaining memoir who shares insightful stories, wry humor and his unique brand of advice on work ethics, being successful, the advertising community and black colleges.
Joyner’s success as a radio personality and philanthropist has earned him several awards and honors, including his recent induction into the Texas and Illinois Broadcasters’ Halls of Fame. Additionally, he also received four Billboard magazine’s Best Urban Contemporary Air Personality awards and Impact magazine’s Joe Loris Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. Additionally, he received the Hubert Humphrey Award from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the prestigious “Good Samaritan” Award from the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation. He has won an Essence Award and was named Impact’s Best DJ of the Year so many times that this honor has been renamed the Tom Joyner Award. Other notable honors include the congressional Black Caucus’ Mickey Leland Humanitarian Award, 100 Black Men’s Man of the Year award, the NAACP’s President’s Award, and the Harold Washington Award for his tireless efforts in the Census 2002 campaign.
This national pacesetter resides in Dallas with his wife, fitness guru Donna Richardson, who is the fitness expert. Joyner has two sons, Thomas Jr., who is the chief executive officer of the Tom Joyner Foundation, and Oscar, who is the president and chief operating officer of REACH Media, Inc.
Sybil Wilkes
News anchor Sybil Wilkes offers a different side to issues of the day.
This native Chicagoan began her radio career in 1985 as a production assistant with WKQX-FM, Chicago. She eventually went on to news management and reporting jobs at WINK-AM/FM, Fort Myers, Florida; WRCC-FM, Cape Coral, Florida; and WCKZ-FM, Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1989 Wilkes joined WGCI-AM/FM, Chicago, as a talk show host. In 1990 she became a reporter for Chicago's Shadow Traffic Network. While with Shadow, Wilkes delivered morning and afternoon drive traffic updates and worked as one of Tom Joyner's WGCI-FM sidekicks.
J. Anthony Brown
Diversity marks the success of J. Anthony Brown. Not only is he an accomplished comedian with a unique brand of humor, but he is also a writer, and entrepreneur and most recently has added acting to his resume.
Originally from South Carolina, J. Anthony moved to Los Angeles after several spectacular performances on A&E's Evening At The Improv, Showtime At The Apollo and The Rosie O'Donnel Show on VH-1.
His smooth translation of humor, and some "very funny stuff" landed him a position as a staff writer on the Arsenio Hall Show as well as creative involvement in television projects for Ice-T, Sinbad and Steve Harvey.
J. Anthony Brown is one of the most sought after Warm-Up-Hosts for hit TV sitcoms. In addition, he is very proud to be a recipient of the 1993 NAACP Image Award for community service during the '92 LA uprising.
J. Anthony has finally settled into the laid back atmosphere of California and wants to continue doing everything he can to showcase his talents to the entertainment community. "I'm very fortunate to have been blessed with several talents. To be able to do stand-up, write for hit shows and act is truly a blessing. I'm just a regular guy who works hard trying to make all my dreams come true."
