Praise Houston

What Praise Houston does

Praise Houston is a radio broadcasting station operating under the KMJQ – Praise 102.1HD2 brand, serving the Houston metropolitan area with gospel music, faith-based programming, and local news targeted at the African American community. The station operates on 92.1 FM KROI (licensed in Seabrook, TX) and 102.1HD2 KMJQ, with programming including "Praise And Inspiration" (12:00am–6:00am), "Spirit Top 15 Countdown With Darlene McCoy" (6:00am–8:00am), and "Soft Sounds Of Praise" (10:00pm–12:00am). Praise Houston is a brand operated under Interactive One, LLC, a subsidiary of Urban One (formerly Radio One), a publicly traded media conglomerate (NASDAQ: UONE) and one of the largest Black-owned media companies in the United States, founded by Cathy Hughes. The broadcast license (KROI FM 92.1) is held by Radio One Licenses, LLC.

The station distributes content through multiple channels: traditional FM radio broadcast across the Houston metro area, digital live streaming via the praisehouston.com website, and Alexa/Echo smart speaker integration for global accessibility. Marketing and audience engagement are conducted through social media (Facebook, X, Instagram), email newsletter subscriptions, and community event promotion. The station maintains a community event contact form and an FCC Public File accessible for public inspection.

Praise Houston generates revenue exclusively through advertising sales, serving both local and national advertisers seeking to reach the engaged African American demographic in Houston. Sales operations are led by a Local Sales Manager (Crystal Ragsdale) and Director of Sales (Judy Lakin). The business model is concentrated on a single format (gospel) and a single geographic market, with the station leveraging Urban One's broader network for content syndication, advertising networks, and corporate support. The Houston headquarters is located at 1990 Post Oak Blvd, Suite #2300, and the station operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

Praise Houston

Legal name

Interactive One, LLC

Website

https://praisehouston.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Praise Houston is a gospel radio station broadcasting in the Houston metropolitan area under the Urban One media network, serving the African American community with faith-based music, local news, and community content. It operates on 92.1 FM and 102.1HD2 with digital streaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPABALAN

Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Religious/Faith-Based Broadcasting

SECONDARYMPAIAEAF

Religious Radio Broadcasting

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

SECONDARYMPABABAC

Religious/Faith-Based Radio Networks

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Broadcast Radio Networks

Keywords

• Gospel radio broadcasting
• Urban radio programming
• Religious music streaming
• FM radio station
• Faith-based broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Local and national advertisers purchase airtime and digital ad placements on the station. Contact information for sales inquiries indicates active advertising sales operations with Crystal Ragsdale (Local Sales Manager) and Judy Lakin (Director of Sales).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Praise Houston operates the KMJQ – Praise 102.1HD2 gospel radio station, broadcasting gospel music and faith-based programming to the African American community in the Houston metropolitan area. The station is delivered via FM/HD terrestrial broadcast, web streaming, and Alexa-enabled smart speakers, and operates as a brand within Urban One's Interactive One, LLC subsidiary. Programming is complemented by syndicated gospel content from Urban One's national network and local community initiatives such as UNCF partnerships.

Product overview

Praise Houston operates as a single-format gospel radio station under the KMJQ – Praise 102.1HD2 branding. The station is an Urban One-owned property delivering spiritual and gospel music programming to the Houston market through traditional FM broadcast, online live streaming, and Alexa voice platform integration. The product portfolio consists of the core radio broadcast service supplemented by digital content distribution via its website and newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KMJQ – Praise 102.1HD2 Gospel Radio Station

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UNCF (United Negro College Fund)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 April 2026ONE Voyage Cruise partnership with UNCF to empower HBCU students through scholarships and resources. Praise Houston, as part of Urban One, participates in this 'Party with a Purpose' initiative celebrating 25 years of the cruise program.
• Virgin VoyagesflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Urban One's ONE Voyage Cruise departs on Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas and Bimini in October-November 2026. Partnership for cross-promotion of the cruise experience.
• Urban OnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of Praise Houston. Urban One (formerly Radio One) is one of the largest Black-owned media companies in America, owned by Cathy Hughes. Provides station branding, content syndication, advertising networks, and corporate support services.
• Sugarland Station Trust, LLCminorOthersOn April 14, 2023, Radio One Licenses, LLC filed an application with the FCC for assignment of KROI (FM) 92.1 license to Sugarland Station Trust, LLC. This represents a license transfer/trust arrangement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Reach Media: Urban One subsidiary syndicating Black-oriented radio programming including gospel and urban content. Comparable as a sister Urban One entity distributing faith-based and African American audio content nationally.
• Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell: Nationally syndicated morning show distributed via Reach Media/Urban One, featuring gospel and faith-based content for African American listeners. Comparable as a gospel-audio product within the same Urban One ecosystem, distributed across multiple Praise stations.
• WBLS 107.5 (New York): Long-running urban AC radio station in NYC serving the African American community with music, gospel, and inspirational content. Directly comparable in target audience and content mix, though in a different DMA.
• Praise 96.3 (WPZE) Atlanta: Urban One's Atlanta gospel-format station, serving the African American faith-based audience. Comparable in format, ownership structure, and target demographic to Praise Houston.
• Majic 102.1 Houston (KMJQ-HD): Sister Urban One station in the same Houston DMA, serving the African American community with R&B/urban AC format. Most directly comparable in terms of ownership, market, and audience.
• Praise DC (WPGC 95.5/WHUR-WPGC HD2): Urban One's Washington D.C. gospel-format station serving the African American faith-based community. Directly comparable in format, parent ownership, and target demographic, differing only by geography.
• WCLK 91.9 (Jazz 91.9 Atlanta): Clark Atlanta University-operated jazz and gospel radio station targeting the African American community in Atlanta. Comparable in format focus and audience, though operating as a non-commercial/NPR-affiliated outlet.

Broad incumbents

• iHeartMedia Houston: Major U.S. radio operator with significant Houston market presence across multiple formats. Comparable as a competing commercial radio operator in the same DMA, though with a broader portfolio and non-faith-based focus.
• K-LOVE Radio: EMF Broadcasting's nationwide contemporary Christian music radio network. Comparable in religious-format broadcasting, but broader in scope (national network, multiple formats) and primarily serves evangelical rather than gospel audiences.
• SiriusXM (Gospel Channels): Satellite and streaming audio service offering dedicated gospel and faith-based channels. Comparable in delivering gospel music programming to a national audience, but competes via subscription rather than ad-supported broadcast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/praisehouston
• Facebookfacebook.com/PraiseHouston
• Instagraminstagram.com/praisehouston/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Praise Houston