Inside BIN News: What's the Connection Between Black Information Network, Black Lives Matter, and the Death of George Floyd

“We are doing something that has never been done before: No one has ever been able to turn on a radio station any time of the day or night and hear some of the best black reporters in America.”

The launch of BIN: The Black Information Network by iHeartMedia seemed to coincide with the racial injustice protests in wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the murder of Breonna Taylor, and countless other incidences of police killings and shootings across the country. BIN News launched on June 30, about a month after Floyd's death. A huge undertaking that saw several, mostly AM radio stations flip formats in one fell swoop. It was not a reactionary event. It was one that was well planned. As it turns out it's purely a coincidence that fulfilled an immediate and great need in the Black media space in this country.

 

   

The managing editor Mike Kinosian of Talkers magazine takes a look at a fulfillment of a vision that began in 2019 with iHeartMedia executives. Tony Coles, president of BIN, says, “At budget time, companies look at what is and isn’t working. We had a conversation about the lack of women and minorities who listen to traditional [news and news/talk] stations. The fact is they haven’t really been served.” That started the Black Information Network project.

Here's a look at the "behind the scenes" at the Black Information Network.