Joe Madison, aka “The Black Eagle,” continues to host his morning radio show on Radio One’s WOL-AM. Outspoken activist, NAACP champion and resident of D.C.’s Ward 8, the 58-year-old Madison has a nationwide following — his show is simulcast on Channel 169 The Power on XM.
What are your thoughts on Sen. Barack Obama’s Iowa victory?
Historic. No ifs, ands or buts about it, in the sense that an African American would win the majority of votes in a caucus in a state that is 95, 97 percent white and would also be probably in the lead or at least close to the lead in New Hampshire.
What’s your take on Mayor Adrian Fenty’s administration?
My criticism of Adrian Fenty is that he is still in campaign mode. It’s now time to start putting action to promises. I think that he really has not delivered for the people of Ward 8. I’ll give you an example: I was very disappointed in his not selecting the McFarlane Group [to redevelop Poplar Point] because clearly people east of the river were in favor of that group and wanted [D.C. United] there. He needs to listen to those people.
Is it difficult to maintain a radio audience in the modern age?
You’ve got to take advantage of the technology. It’s no longer monolithic; it’s multitasking. You’ve got the iPod. I simulcast on XM Radio. I’m on AM. I stream on the Web. And I was going to be facetious and say, ‘It’s not difficult if you’re good.’ The key is talent.
A Washington Post critic insulted Marion Barry last November and you fired back. Why?
It was a culmination of Imus, Dog the Bounty Hunter, just a list of people in the media who are wordsmiths, who are in the public eye and know better. They always end up saying mean, nasty, racist things about individuals they know nothing about. … Unless there’s some form of protest, there’s no consequence.
