Radio has always been a therapeutic form of entertainment for many avid listeners around the country. Listening to other people’s problems helps you feel better about your own life. Sometimes you connect with a person’s story personally (“Sleepless in Seattle” -style). Other times, it’s someone’s intimate, sometimes amusing tale that hits close to home (NPR, anyone?). In any case, we can all admit that every once in awhile, we turn on the radio not to listen to music, but to hear a story.
Bo Tayler has heard many stories. The stories Tayler hears aren’t about heartbreak or humorous anecdotes from the past. Tayler hears about gangbangers and shootings. Tayler listens to scared teenagers in housing projects. He hears from gang members in prison, pouring their hearts out to him, not exactly wanting guidance, but just someone to listen to them.
According to a March 24 article in the Long Beach Press-Telegram Bo Tayler, a former gang member and juvenile hall attendee, now hosts his own L.A. late-night radio show, “The Bo Tayler Show,” where he converses with gang members and other juvenile delinquents about their tumultuous lives. Tayler’s program, on the R&B radio station V100 FM, is a whole new approach to radio, a truly interactive way to help troubled youth deal with difficult situations that not many radio hosts can relate to.
According to the article, Tayler’s unique show airs early Sunday morning (and I mean early, from midnight to 2 a.m., to be exact) when most people are safely tucked into bed. The premise of such a show obviously didn’t immediately appeal to the station. According to the article, it took Tayler and his producer three years to get the show off the ground, and although it’s only been on for a little more than a month, station officials said they are already pleased with the results.
In the article, assistant program director Tawala Sharp said “His show is about what’s directly affecting the community and that’s something that resonates deeply with our listeners and connects us closer to the community.”
But that’s not all Tayler is doing. The father of four also works to develop peace between Latino/a and black gangs outside the studio. According to the article, Tayler was a key figure in the eventual truce between the Crips and Bloods over a decade ago. He recently discussed an announcement for a new citywide, anti-gang initiative that suggested that they make a list of the city’s most dangerous gangs. Tayler opened the lines for debate and many gang members bashed the idea, claiming it would only lead to more violence with the gangs left off the list.
In any case, what Tayler is doing is revolutionizing radio and he should be applauded for his noble efforts. For a former gang member to step up and make something of himself is one thing, but for him to actually connect with youth and try to better them is an incredible, yet daunting task. If only more talk radio shows were this good of an emotional outlet, think of the millions who could be helped.
So instead of listening to Ryan Seacrest patronize a young woman about her cheating husband, try listening to Tayler if you’re ever up that early on a Sunday morning. Who knows, you may find yourself appreciating all that you have.
Aneya Fernando is a sophomore journalism major and the assistant opinion editor for the Daily Forty-Niner.
