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Charlamagne Keeps Growing: Radio, Podcasting, Books, Film
PREMIERE NETWORKS syndicated talent CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD (LENARD MCKELVEY) is featured in a new VARIETY profile. He co-hosts THE BREAKFAST CLUB, weekdays from 6a to 10a (ET) and heard in more than 100 markets with DJ ENVY and JESS HILARIOUS. The show originates from iHEARTMEDIA Hip Hop N’ R&B WWPR (POWER 105.1)/NEW YORK.
His media ventures include the BLACK EFFECT PODCAST NETWORK (with iHEARTMEDIA), a publishing imprint through SIMON & SCHUSTER, and a film production company launched with BASIL IWANYK of THUNDER ROAD PICTURES and ASBURY PARK PICTURES.
CHARLAMAGNE told VARIETY, “When you look at MARIO LOPEZ or STEVE HARVEY or RYAN SEACREST, HOWARD STERN, BOBBY BONES — these people still get up every day to do morning radio because it’s literally the foundation that we all stand on. How many people have watched ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ because RYAN was on morning radio telling them to watch it?”
“My leadership style is collaboration. My leadership style is making sure that the right people are in the room. I’m not a gatekeeper. I think gatekeeping is whack, especially when we live in an era where there’s no gates.”
“You really have a lot of idiots in television, a lot of idiots in the film world, who still think that there’s gates. And they’re standing at these invisible gates and then they’re wondering why all of these people are running by them. By the time they look back, there’s a whole other industry that all of these people have built because you’re an idiot. There’s no gate.”
iHEARTMEDIA Chair/CEO BOB PITTMAN said, “CHARLAMAGNE has something that’s very unusual in that he’s both right brain and left brain. He’s both a wildly creative guy, but also a really great businessman. He really understands business and understands that side of the world.”
“What we’ve been able to do is support CHARLAMAGNE as he says, ‘Look, I’ve got an idea for this, I’ve got an idea for that.’ As a host, CHARLAMAGNE understands who other great talents are, and he’s able to relate to them. He’s able to help them shape their ideas.”
CHARLAMAGNE’s publishing imprint, BLACK PRIVILEGE PUBLISHING (via SIMON & SCHUSTER), has released multiple titles, including his 2024 best-seller Get Honest or Die Lying: Why Small Talk Sucks.
To read the entire VARIETY feature, click here.