Wisconsin's First Black Radio Station Changes Hands + UAE Opens $100M AI Accelerator + Egypt's Nawah Raises $23M
After 61 years, Dr. Jerrel Jones' family transfers WNOV radio + Milwaukee Courier to Civic Media in rare Black media succession. UAE's Presight AI Accelerator opens | Monday, December 22, 2025
Three stories define Black entrepreneurship infrastructure today.
First: Wisconsin’s first Black-owned radio station—WNOV 860 AM, founded 1972—is changing hands. After Dr. Jerrel Jones’ death at 85, his family transferred WNOV and the Milwaukee Courier newspaper to Civic Media, a rare Black media succession that preserves 61 years of community service.
Operations begin January 1 under Dr. Robert “Biko” Baker.
Second: UAE’s Presight AI Accelerator opened applications today for its second cohort.
The first generated $300M+ in combined valuation and 70+ enterprise leads in 52 days, with direct access to G42’s government and enterprise ecosystem.
Third: Egypt’s Nawah Scientific raised $23M to double lab capacity and build Africa’s largest R&D center in Rwanda. These aren’t transactions.
They’re infrastructure transfers and buildouts that determine who owns the platforms.
Here’s what’s happening.
TOP STORIES
Civic Media Acquires Wisconsin’s First Black-Owned Radio Station WNOV + Milwaukee Courier—Rare Black Media Succession After 61 Years
Civic Media announced December 17 that it is acquiring WNOV 860 AM / 106.5 FM (Wisconsin’s first Black-owned radio station, founded 1972) and the weekly Milwaukee Courier newspaper (founded 1964) from the family of Dr. Jerrel Jones, who died earlier this year at 85.
The acquisition represents a rare succession plan for Black-owned media institutions, preserving 61 years of community service under new ownership starting January 1, 2026.
The Legacy
Dr. Jerrel Jones founded the Milwaukee Courier in 1964 during the Civil Rights movement and Milwaukee’s school desegregation battles, creating a platform for Black residents when mainstream media ignored their voices.
