Soul Beat Returns to the Airwaves on Friday Nights

Soul Beat, the groundbreaking Black-owned television network based in East Oakland, is back on the air in a limited capacity.

Soul Beat Now, a two-hour program, premiered April 5 on KTOP TV, the government access channel for the city of Oakland. Soul Beat Now will air every Friday night, 7–9 p.m. on KTOP, with interviews, guests, community panels and more.

Chuck Johnson, the steward of the Soul Beat enterprise, said partnering with KTOP provides an opportunity for two-way conversations between the Black community and city government.

“I’ve always known that some of the information in City Hall needed a resource to get out to the community. And I also knew that the community’s voice needed to be amplified more to some of the city leaders. I basically just saw Soul Beat as a dope communications bridge,” Johnson said.

The first episode of Soul Beat Now aired three segments: a sit-down interview with West Oakland DJ and producer Daghe, a discussion addressing gang culture, prison and manhood called “Below the Surface” with EJ Khalil, and a community meeting of the Black Men’s Network Town Hall about the future of public safety.

Many nostalgists on social media remember Soul Beat for its outlandish hosts like Night Doggie or Luenell, amateur commercials for local businesses or guests like Jay-Z and Eazy E, both of whom Johnson interviewed as the host of The Rap Show on Soul Beat.

But community forums, public service and resources were a major part of Soul Beat’s original broadcasting from 1978 to 2003, Johnson emphasized. That included church services, news from elected officials, and “all of the different spectrums of our community.”

On the strength of the Soul Beat name, Johnson said that even after just one episode, he’s heard from people interested in contributing to the show. He and his team are already looking to expand to a four-hour block of time.

One of the upcoming segments this Friday will focus on the April 15 special election in Oakland to replace recalled mayor Sheng Thao. The panel hosted by Saleem Gilmore with six candidates, including Barbara Lee and Loren Taylor, will be co-presented with the Brotherhood of Elders. Another upcoming segment involves the East Bay Film Collective, and its ongoing efforts to make it easier to film movies in Oakland.

“And then, of course, we’ve got to tap in with the culture,” Johnson said, alluding to artist interviews and music performances.

Over the past five years, Soul Beat has hosted concerts with Oakland hip-hop legends like the Luniz, 3x Krazy and the Conscious Daughters. Its annual Soul Beat Day, every July, celebrates the network’s place in Oakland’s rich history with a community party.

Speaking on Soul Beat’s original founder Chuck Johnson (no relation), the younger Chuck remarked that “all of the work that he did for decades, to give us an example of how to create something like Soul Beat, it should have never died, man.”

‘Soul Beat Now’ airs every Friday night, 7–9 p.m. on KTOP TV, via online livestream and on Channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse.