wlac sales manager e.g. blackman sought to hire the nation's first african-american news radio broadcaster employed by a major, white-owned radio station, don whitehead. whitehead, a graduate of tennessee state university, began his career shortly after the assassination of martin luther king, jr., in 1968. whitehead announced the news at the top of the hour during the nighttime hours. he traveled around wlac's listening area to promote the historically black colleges and universities and played a big role in increasing enrollment of african-americans attending college.