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GREENWOOD DIST. — Tulsa mayoral candidate Commissioner Karen Keith, 70, missed a highly anticipated radio interview on KBOB 89.9 FM’s “News You Can Use,” leaving many Black Tulsans disappointed just weeks before the November 5 mayoral election. She was expected to share her platform during the segment. However, Keith failed to attend the scheduled appearance without notifying the hosts or Black radio station owner.
Bobby Eaton, KBOB’s founder, and Charles Harper, co-host of “News You Can Use,” expressed frustration over the incident. “She had confirmed that she was coming to the station to appear on ‘News You Can Use,’ and she didn’t even show. She had listeners out there waiting, and oh, man, Karen Keith didn’t even show up,” Eaton said.
Community Disappointed as Keith Misses Critical Black Radio Station Appearance, Nichols Gains More Airtime
Eaton emphasized the importance of Keith’s appearance on the community-led radio station. “We’ve had Monroe [Nichols, Keith’s opponent] at the station several times, so our listeners already know what he’s about,” he shared. However, “They wanted to hear from the other candidate. But Karen didn’t even show up to the Black radio station—the Black community radio station.”
Eaton noted that Keith has not directed any of her campaign ad funding to the independent Black radio station, unlike Nichols, who has audio campaign ads running. He is still awaiting her explanation for missing the talk show, despite her previous confirmation.
“We planned to give both candidates 15 minutes,” Harper noted. “Since she didn’t come, we gave Karen’s 15-minutes to Monroe. I think she greatly missed out because there were a lot of people on the live.”
Keith Misses Yet Another Opportunity to Address Black Tulsans, This Time After Tough Debate
Harper also mentioned that Keith was previously scheduled to make an appearance on the talk radio show earlier this year to discuss her platform should she win in Novemeber. However, she canceled that time as well, citing a COVID diagnosis.
Eaton and Harper speculated that Keith’s no-show on the Black radio talk show might be related to a challenging debate she experienced the previous night. They believe this could have contributed to her decision not to attend the radio show.
The Tulsa mayoral election is Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Polls open at 7 AM and close at 7 PM. For more information about the upcoming election, visit our voter guide here.