BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sheila Brown is the first African-American female to own a radio station in Western New York.
Brown owns WUFO Radio and is president of Vision Multimedia group, owner of WUFO Radio 96.5 FM and 1080 AM.
Her journey to the top started many years ago. In 1986, Brown started at the station as a commission-only salesperson.
“October 1998, I said, 'You know what? My time is up.' When I left, I turned to the station, and I said, 'Don't worry baby, I'm going to come back and buy you.' "
In 2013, she moved the radio station on Broadway in the African American Heritage Corridor. It is located to the next door to the Colored Musicians Club.
The station has a storied history. Popular deejays who worked there went on to national fame including Frankie Crocker and Eddie O’Jay.
“He was a deejay at WUFO, and he had a group of friends that knew how to sing really well, and he said, 'Look, it's a Colored Musicians Club here. You should come you should sing there,' " Brown said.
"So when they got here, they didn't have a name. He said, 'We're going to name you the OJay's, so the famous OJay's that everyone knows across the country came from our deejay at WUFO.”
The station has a museum to display its rich history. You can stop by for a tour.
As a female owner, Brown has this advice: “If you've got it burning in your heart that you know it’s a dream, that it keeps aching at your heart, go for it, and then keep quiet, you don't have to share it with everybody."
Brown also bought her second radio station in Atlanta, WIGO Pacesetter 1570-AM.
In 2022, Brown was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.