A Times news article about the purchase of two radio stations in New York by the owner of a third begins, "In a deal that will align some of New York's most popular radio stations specializing in black music, the owner of WQHT-FM — the hip-hop station better known as Hot 97 — is buying WBLS-FM and one other station for $131 million in cash."
The article continues, "Emmis's deal for WBLS, at 107.5 FM, and WLIB, at 1190 AM, is the latest in a series of changes to black radio in New York over the last few years."
I guess some people use this term "black music," but it struck me as jarring. The music itself doesn't have a color, and it isn't initially clear from the term what music is being played on the station. Afro-pop? "World music"? Jazz? Rhythm and Blues? Rap? Hip hop? Plenty of white people listen to this music and some of them even create it. You don't see the Times writing about classical music radio as "white music."