In partnership with
Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez proved that owning your audience matters more than legacy platforms. A lesson for creators on power, independence, and community.
So I know I am supposed to be offline until January 7th… but I have to talk about this as I have been fascinated with the radio business in NYC since my teenage years.
Full dsiclosure: I did guerilla marketing, events and worked on the phones at HOT97 in the late 80’s when they switched formats to Hip Hop and it was owned by Emmis Broadcasting. I have done lots of work in radio since.
This is just a few of my thoughts… we will be diving deeper into this as this story develops as I believe this is a teachable moment.
Let me get to it… on Friday, a 13-year era ended.
Ebro Darden.
Peter Rosenberg.
Laura Stylez.
Were fired from Hot97 by the companies new owners MediaCo
Theses were voices that shaped New York mornings.
Voices that helped define hip-hop radio culture.
Hot 97 just pulled the plug.
No goodbyes
No transition.
Just gone.
They did it in a way that radio stations do it all the time with little or no respect for the audience. In the past, a move like this would seriously impact the careers of radio talent.
Not this time.
Something incredible happened…
On Monday morning, they were live again.
Not on terrestrial radio.
Not waiting on another legacy deal.
They showed up on YouTube.
With the same energy.
With the same chemistry.
Talking to the same audience…
They just did it with their own mics.
That move deserves our attention… right now.
Mainly because this is what I have been trying to teach you all, there is incredible power in being connected to your audience, let me break it down.
They didn’t disappear, they simply redirected their audience.
Most people treat getting fired as a pause.
They treated it like a pivot.
Instead of going quiet, they spoke directly to their community.
Instead of letting the narrative be written for them, they told it themselves.
Instead of asking permission, they pressed “go live.”
That’s not luck.
That’s years of trust paying dividends.
They didn’t own the radio signal.
but this week they proved that they own the relationship.
This is what owning your audience actually looks like
Owning your audience doesn’t mean you never use platforms.
It means:
Your audience knows you, not just where to find you
Your voice isn’t confused with the company logo
Your community follows you, not the building you’re in
Hot 97 owned the frequency.
Ebro, Rosenberg, and Laura owned the connection.
When the gate closed, the audience didn’t disappear.
They moved.
That’s the difference between distribution and dependence.
Media Co learned this week that legacy platforms no longer decide where “Hip Hop Lives”.
Radio used to be the gate.
Then it was blogs.
Then social media.
Now it’s wherever people feel seen, heard, and respected.
This moment didn’t prove radio is dead.
It proved something more uncomfortable:
Legacy platforms don’t control access to audiences anymore.
Audiences decide where they want to show up.
And when creators invest in trust instead of comfort, the audience shows loyalty — not sympathy.
The lesson for creators, founders, and community builders
I didn’t share this because it was a trending story, its because it is an important lesson.
It is blueprint.
Think about it…
If your entire presence disappears when a platform says “no,”
you don’t have an audience… you have access, you have a job.
If your audience follows you when the platform changes,
you’ve built real community, you have decided how relevant you want to be in the space.
Email lists matter.
YouTube matters.
Podcasts matter.
Direct connection matters.
Not because platforms are bad but because platforms are temporary.
My final thoughts…
Learn from the fact that Ebro, Peter, and Laura didn’t ask,
“Who will give us another mic?”
They asked,
“Where are our people already waiting?”
That mindset shift is everything.
Build where you can leave without losing your voice.
Hot 97’s decision landed in a time when traditional radio is already shrinking. But this moment exposes something deeper:
Corporate radio thinks licenses and slots mean power.
The audience thinks content and trust mean power.
Ebro, Peter, and Laura chose direct connection — a platform where their fans go to see them, talk back, and stick with them. This isn’t fringe — in 2025 this is mainstream thinking.
And it’s not just theory. They proved it in action.
Because when you do, Friday endings turn into these kind of Monday beginnings.
so… Create in ways that survive layoffs, contracts, and corporate resets.
Own the relationship, not just the reach.
I am wishing the best of luck to them… I will be breaking down the developing success of these incredible creators in future Siembra Lessons.
Lets keep growing together…
George Torres
Founder, Siembra Connect
If you’re just meeting me for the first time, I’m George Torres, founder of Siembra Connect, where community, culture, and ownership matter more than clicks.
Listen to them express gratitude to the HOT97 brand and their audience as they discuss what is happening in the space and how they are dealing with the fallout.
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