Urban One is the largest African-American owned and operated multi-media company reaching over 80% of Black America. To conduct this study with a focus on spoken word media, we’ll be working closely with their audio division and research team at Radio One—the nation’s largest urban radio network with stations in 16 cities.
Today, legacy ad tech for brand safety and suitability is disproportionately flagging and restricting diverse voices from ad monetization due to inaccurate classification and discriminatory keyword targeting.
While Sounder’s data solutions currently demonstrate effective sensitivity when classifying and preserving diverse content perspectives in ad inventory via audio intelligence models, this research project intends to further this AI/ML work and highlight the journey towards a world-class model that supports equitable advertising and speech classification in audio.
With this partnership, Radio One will work alongside Sounder’s team to analyze a variety of content from their audio catalog and create a report around the strengths and challenges facing audio ad technology when classifying diverse media. We’ll also share the work and results from training and optimizing Sounder’s models to address these challenges as we improve their performance.
Here’s what Josh Rahmani has to say regarding this brand safety research collaboration:
“As the leader in urban-formatted content, Urban One’s mission has always been to do our part in educating our partners, ourselves, our clients, and the broader industry on the evolving cultural landscape of Black America.
Through this work we hope to bring awareness of Black culture and its nuances to the industry at large and support an ecosystem of the diverse voices that drive mainstream culture.”
About Urban One:
Urban One Inc. (urban1.com), together with its subsidiaries, is the largest diversified media company that primarily targets Black Americans and urban consumers in the United States. The Company owns TV One, LLC (tvone.tv), a television network serving more than 59 million households, offering a broad range of original programming, classic series and movies designed to entertain, inform, and inspire a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. As of September 30, 2022, we owned and/or operated 66 independently formatted, revenue producing broadcast stations (including 55 FM or AM stations, 9 HD stations, and the 2 low power television stations) branded under the tradename “Radio One” in 13 urban markets in the United States. Through its controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc. (blackamericaweb.com), the Company also operates syndicated programming including the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, the Russ Parr Morning Show, and the DL Hughley Show. In addition to its radio and television broadcast assets, Urban One owns iOne Digital (ionedigital.com), our wholly owned digital platform serving the African American community through social content, news, information, and entertainment websites, including its Cassius, Bossip, HipHopWired and MadameNoire digital platforms and brands. We also have invested in a minority ownership interest in MGM National Harbor, a gaming resort located in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Through our national multi-media operations, we provide advertisers with a unique and powerful delivery mechanism to the African American and urban audiences.
Urban One is a registered trademark of Urban One, Inc.
Sounder is a registered trademark of Revenue.fm, Inc.
