Another “Kings of Comedy” alumnus is returning to the airwaves — and he’s bringing fire.
We already know about media mogul Steve Harvey’s handful of radio and TV properties, and fellow comedian Cedric the Entertainer has yet another TV show on the air. Now it’s comedian D.L. Hughley’s turn.
The caustic comedian, author, actor and television personality will soon host “The D.L. Hughley Show” weekday radio during the important drive time 3-7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The bonus is that the show will be distributed by REACH Media Inc., the same company that runs the iconic and pioneering “Tom Joyner Morning Show.” Reach Media reaches an audience of over 12 million listeners, mostly through radio, although the digital platform’s importance in contemporary society has increased exponentially.
Hughley, who is famous for his sizzling, blistering type of comedy that leaves audiences rolling over in the isles, will have that colossal REACH Media audience at his fingertips as he sticks his needle into a plethora of topics and current headlines ripe for his style of jocularity.
“I’m very excited to get back to radio and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I think radio fits my sensibility. I want to be fast, I want to be funny, and I want to be topical. I want to make people laugh a lot and think a little. Some people want to push the envelope – I want to see if I can singe it a little.”
Urbanites, particularly the Gen X and Gen Y crowds, remember that Hughley first came to fame in the 1990s via the legendary Russell Simmons “Def Comedy Jam” comedy show on HBO as well as BET’s “ComicView.” He experienced a meteoric rise in fame when Spike Lee turned the blockbuster comedy tour, “Original Kings of Comedy,” into a full-length motion picture and sent the four comedic stars’ — Hughley, Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer and the late, great Bernie Mac — soaring onto the elite entertainer’s plateau.
That breakthrough comedy movie led to his own television show, “The Hughleys,” and he wrote a best-selling book, participated in comedy specials and appeared in a plethora a variety of television programs. Hughley is known for his more sociopolitical style of comedy in comparison to his “Kings of Comedy” counterparts. He hosted his own show on CNN, “D.L. Hughley Breaks the News.” In 2013, Hughley was awarded a Peabody Award for his work on “The Endangered List,” a satirical documentary that sought to get “American black men the same EPA protections afforded snail darters.”
REACH Media brain trust found Hughley’s style irresistible and a good match for them, especially since they were able to see Hughley blow back audiences during his appearances on the Tom Joyner Cruise. “D.L. is the right personality to provide a new style of content in afternoon drive time,” said CEO David Kantor. “The D.L. Hughley Show will be engaging and fun, along with great music.”
