Acclaimed Mental Health Podcast Is Now Live on the Cumulus Podcast Network

New Podcast Edges with Shantae Howell Is Also Live

NEW YORK, NY – February 23, 2022 – Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) today announced that DCP Entertainment’s award-winning podcast Truth Be Told joins the Cumulus Podcast Network, with the first episode of season three now live. Truth Be Told is a bold and curious advice show featuring host Tonya Mosley talking with some of the greatest thinkers of our time about what it means to grow and thrive as a Black person in America, and how to discover new ways of being that serve as a portal to more love, more healing, and more joy. Each season comprises six episodes that will publish each Thursday. 

Truth Be Told host Tonya Mosley said, “I am of the first generation of Black Americans to be born under the full rights of citizenship in this country. The right to vote, live where I want, go to school where I want, marry whom I want. This podcast is an exploration of what the next leg of liberation means for us as Black Americans. And I am proud to be a part of the DCP Entertainment and Cumulus Podcast Network to amplify this vital work, using media to spark important conversations that drive our society forward.” 

Season 3 of Truth Be Told: 

Now live – “Love” – Award-winning poet Nikki Giovanni offers dynamic advice about love and acceptance of non-binary people in the Black Church. 

February 24 – “Obligation” – Writers Jamilah Lemieux and Kiese Laymon recreate the groundbreaking 1971 conversation between Nikki Giovanni and James Baldwin in the context of 2022. How can Black men and women love each other better? 

March 3 – “Perseverance” – Tonya talks with Ayanna Brown, a mother of a Black son who was murdered, about grief and persevering. 

March 10 – “Protection” – Poet Saeed Jones and writer Damon Young explore the fractured relationship between queer and straight Black men, and discuss how to break free from misogyny and homophobia.  

March 17 – “Pride” – This episode explores the argument that the nuclear family is a white construction that has blinded Black America from the bonds and systems we’ve created to survive and thrive in this country. 

March 24 – “Victory” – This episode investigates what liberation from the confines of hustle culture looks like. Other topics in this episode include Nap Ministry and a discussion with the author of “You Aren’t Lazy, You Just Need to Slow Down.” 

The Cumulus Podcast Network adds an additional mental-health-focused show from DCP Entertainment called Edges, which is a seasonal storytelling show inspired by host Shantae Howell’s mental health journey, which is inextricably linked to her hair. The first episode is now live, with new episodes dropping each Tuesday.  

Shantae Howell, creator and host of Edges added, “For as long as I can remember, so much of my identity and self-worth has been wrapped up in my hair. Edges is a concept inspired by my hair and mental health journey, my (still very much in progress) coming of age story born out of years of therapy and soul searching. This project is my unpacking and making peace with the parts of my life that I’m still processing. To be able to look in the mirror and at old photos with empathy and love for the person I was, am, and will be.” 

Both podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Pandora, among other platforms. Cumulus partners with DCP Entertainment to distribute, market, and monetize all their existing and forthcoming podcasts. 

About Truth Be Told 

The New York Times called Truth Be Told “one of the Top 4 Mental Health Podcasts” in 2020 and Oprah Magazine called named it one of the “Best New Podcasts of 2019.” Reader’s Digest calls Truth Be Told episodes, “personal and often funny, while simultaneously addressing difficult-to-discuss issues with sincerity and intent. Mosley is warm, personable, and conversational as she discusses heavy topics” and the The Financial Times says the show is “a riveting listen that avoids the earnest trap.” Truth Be Told is a TMI Production in collaboration with Molten Heart and in association with Fearless Media. The podcast is distributed by DCP Entertainment. 

About Tonya Mosley 

In addition to hosting the award-winning Truth Be Told, Tonya is a correspondent for “Here & Now,” the nationally distributed radio program on NPR. Until this month, Tonya had been a co-host of the program. Tonya is also a regularly contributing host for “Fresh Air,” NPR’s signature long-form show and one of the most downloaded podcasts in the world. She had previously been Silicon Valley bureau chief and correspondent for KQED and a series creator for KUOW in Seattle. In April of 2021, Tonya was one of five nominated for a Webby Award for Best Podcast Host, alongside luminaries including Oprah, Conan O’Brien, and Jemele Hill. 

About Edges 

Host Shantae Howell talks with family, friends, and other folks in the Black community to share their “hair x mental health” stories. With Edges, Shantae hopes to inspire self-awareness, introspection and hopefully a laugh or two. 

About Shantae Howell  

Based in Chicago, Shantae has held positions in the media arena in public relations, strategy, and creative areas.  In the 9-5 of things, she has found success behind the scenes, working with brands like Ben & Jerry’s and KitchenAid to produce long-form branded content and custom integrations. In her prior role at Vox Media, she led the content development for award-winning programs including A Woman’s Place and Who We Are. Shantae was named one of AdMonsters 2021 Top Women in Media and was a 2021 Finalist for the Forbes “30 Under 30” list. 

About DCP Entertainment

DCP Entertainment’s mission is to provide a platform for people of color, women, and LGBTQ communities; and to highlight stories around mental health, disability, and overcoming adversity. Current productions include Say Their Name, which won a 2021 “People’s Voice” Webby, 2021 New York Festival Radio Awards for “Narrative/Documentary Podcast” and “Social Justice Podcast,” and was nominated for the 2021 Ambies Award “Podcast of the Year”; and Toure Show: The Central Park 5, which was a 2020 Webby Award “Best Crime & Justice Episode” honoree. Other productions include Democracy-ish, Make It Plain, Woke AF, and Who Was Prince? For more information, visit www.dcpofficial.com.  

About Cumulus Media 

Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) is an audio-first media company delivering premium content to over a quarter billion people every month — wherever and whenever they want it. Cumulus Media engages listeners with high-quality local programming through 406 owned-and-operated radio stations across 85 markets; delivers nationally syndicated sports, news, talk, and entertainment programming from iconic brands including the NFL, the NCAA, the Masters, CNN, the AP, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and many other world-class partners across more than 9,400 affiliated stations through Westwood One, the largest audio network in America; and inspires listeners through the Cumulus Podcast Network, its rapidly growing network of original podcasts that are smart, entertaining and thought-provoking. Cumulus Media provides advertisers with personal connections, local impact and national reach through broadcast and on-demand digital, mobile, social, and voice-activated platforms, as well as integrated digital marketing services, powerful influencers, full-service audio solutions, industry-leading research and insights, and live event experiences. Cumulus Media is the only audio media company to provide marketers with local and national advertising performance guarantees. For more information visit www.cumulusmedia.com. 

Contact: 

Karen Glover | Cumulus Media | kglover@westwoodone.com