LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Long before Las Vegas became the diverse media market it is today, Black journalists and radio personalities were helping shape local storytelling in a city where representation on air was limited.
According to historical accounts archived by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Special Collections and longtime community historians, early Black broadcasters played a critical role in expanding who delivered the news — and whose stories were told.
Breaking barriers in local television
Among the earliest and most frequently cited trailblazers in Las Vegas broadcast journalism is Bob Bailey, widely recognized in local historical records and media retrospectives as among the first Black television reporters in Southern Nevada.
Download the 8 News Now streaming app
Bailey appeared on local broadcasts during the 1970s, a time when newsroom diversity was uncommon nationwide. His presence marked a significant moment in Las Vegas television, helping establish Black journalists as trusted on-air voices in the community.
Another early Black television journalist remembered in community histories is Frank Hawkins. While archival records from that period are limited, Hawkins is frequently referenced in oral histories and station archives as part of the city’s early Black broadcast presence.
Radio voices that built community
Radio played a particularly important role in Black Las Vegas, especially for residents of the Historic Westside and surrounding neighborhoods. During decades when access to mainstream media coverage was limited, radio served as both an entertainment outlet and a community information source…