NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iHeartMedia announced today that it has renewed and extended its relationship with the phenomenal culture-shifting multimedia mogul Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of New York's Power 105's wildly popular and nationally syndicated hit radio show "The Breakfast Club," heard by over 4.5 million listeners each week. One of the world’s most well-informed, authoritative, and distinctive media personalities, Charlamagne Tha God has become a crucially important and influential voice in culture. Under the new five-year agreement, Charlamagne will continue his uninhibited, trademark interview style on the award-winning radio show with his relentless effort to unveil truth by asking the questions audiences most want to hear, weekdays from 6-10:00 a.m. EST, as well as “Weekends with The Breakfast Club,” alongside co-hosts Angela Yee and DJ Envy.
“The Breakfast Club,” celebrating its 10-year milestone this month, has become the bullhorn for modern culture and widely regarded as the most informative and entertaining top-rated contemporary Hip-Hop/R&B morning show today. Charlamagne Tha God, Angela Yee, and DJ Envy are known for their unrivaled interviews with celebrities and recording artists. Guests on the show have ranged from former President Barack Obama, President-elect Joe Biden, and VP-elect Kamala Harris to Snoop Dog, Jay-Z, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. The crew also host “Weekends with The Breakfast Club,” a 3-hour weekly program featuring a countdown of the top 20 songs on the charts and signature interviews. “The Breakfast Club” was inducted this year into the Radio Hall of Fame in the Active Network/Syndication (10 years or more) category.
"I give my sincerest thanks to iHeart for empowering me over the past decade to be the best talent that I can be, and for honoring me as an owner and executive,” said Charlamagne. “I love the audio business and iHeart is the biggest and best audio company in the world. As Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the Black Effect Podcast Network and now Senior Creative Officer of Cultural Content and Programming at iHeart, all I want to do for the next 5 years is continue to move the culture of radio and podcasting forward by curating a new era of voices, programming, and events. GOD IS GREAT! Now, it's time to get back to work."
“The Breakfast Club” has raised over 1.7 million dollars over the last three years for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Gathering for Justice Movement, and Project 375 with their 24-hour radiothon Change4Change (one of Charlamagne’s many initiatives).
As the new Senior Creative Officer of Culture Content and Programming, Charlamagne will be discovering and curating new talent and programming for radio and podcasts and developing productions and community initiatives. In September, iHeartMedia and Charlamagne announced a historic joint podcast publishing venture, The Black Effect Podcast Network, the world’s largest podcast publisher dedicated to Black listeners, bringing together the most influential and trusted voices in Black culture for stimulating conversations around social justice, pop culture, sports, mental health, news, comedy, and more. Also, in addition to the Breakfast Club, Charlamagne will be developing a show where he will lead exclusive one-on-one interviews with some of the most notable artist, athletes, and voices in our society. The conversations would air quarterly across various iHeartRadio stations, podcasts and other digital platforms.
“Charlamagne is a multiplatform talent, creator and innovator and we are excited to extend our existing partnership on the nationally syndicated morning show 'The Breakfast Club,' while also creating successful new historical ventures like the Black Effect Network,” said Thea Mitchem, EVP of Programming for iHeartMedia. “His voice continues to be unique and authentic and a driving force and influence in today’s hip hop and pop culture. He, along with the entire Breakfast Club, continue to have the incredible ability to connect with audiences and artists alike, delivering the most entertaining and informative content and programming to listeners throughout the country.”
As a cultural cannon continuing to expand his awe-inspiring entertainment empire Charlamagne announced the launch of Black Privilege Publishing his new partnership imprint from Atria Books at Simon & Schuster that aligns with his mission to bring crucial, culturally-relevant content to the marketplace from emerging and renowned Black voices around the world. The inaugural release on Black Privilege Publishing will be trailblazing movement strategist and social justice leader Tamika D. Mallory’s eagerly anticipated publishing debut, State of Emergency, due out in May 2021.
Charlamagne Tha God will also debut a talk show on Comedy Central in 2021.
ABOUT CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD
Charlamagne Tha God, also known as Lenard McKelvey, is one of the most potent, influential, and authoritative voices in media today. He is the widely-coveted, outspoken, thought-provoking co-host of the hottest nationally-syndicated radio show in the U.S., “The Breakfast Club,” heard by over 4.5 million listeners each week. Charlamagne’s production company, CTHAGOD World Productions, discovers and advocates for original, emerging talent who resonate with popular culture long before they become mainstream. A cultural architect and executive producer, Charlamagne is the co-host of the popular podcast, “Brilliant Idiots.” He is a New York Times bestselling author of the book, Black Privilege and global bestseller Shook One, which propelled him to become one of the world’s leading voices in the mental health discussion. In 2020, Charlamagne launched The Black Effect Podcast Network, an unprecedented, historic 50-50 joint venture with the world’s number one commercial podcast publisher, iHeartMedia. He achieved another groundbreaking milestone when he signed a global multi-year, multi-project development, production, and audio licensing partnership with renowned comedian, actor and writer Kevin Hart, and Audible Inc., the world’s largest producer and provider of original spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks. Charlamagne announced the launch of Black Privilege Publishing, his new partnership imprint from Atria Books at Simon & Schuster, in alignment with his mission to bring crucial, culturally-relevant content to the marketplace from emerging and renowned Black voices around the world. The inaugural release on Black Privilege Publishing will be trailblazing movement strategist and social justice leader Tamika D. Mallory’s eagerly anticipated publishing debut, State of Emergency, due out in May 2021. Charlamagne Tha God will also debut a talk show on Comedy Central in 2021.
About iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia (NASDAQ:IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month – and with its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. The company’s leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 850 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; through its iHeartRadio digital service available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices; through its influencers; social; branded iconic live music events; other digital products and newsletters; and podcasts as the No. 1 commercial podcast publisher. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio product, using data from its massive consumer base. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
