Earlier this month, iHeartMedia and radio personality Charlamagne Tha God announced a new joint venture to launch The Black Effect Podcast Network, bringing together some of the most well-respected voices in the podcasting world and Black culture.
Today, they introduce their first executive hire — TV veteran Dollie S. Bishop –who joins the company as President of Production and Creative Development, Variety reports.
Bishop — who has years of TV production experience — will start her new position effective immediately, working directly with Charlamagne and supervising the Black Effect Podcast Network’s team of producers as well as the editorial department, according to Variety.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to embark on this unprecedented journey with the Black Effect Podcast Network,” Bishop told Variety. “As the head of the network, I’m privileged to be able to give Black voices the creative and cultural freedom to speak unapologetically in a space where their voices can be real, where their creativity and talent can be rewarded, and where our listeners can be uplifted and informed, respected and appreciated.”
Bishop also credited her new career venture to Charlamagne and his influence in the industry.
“I cannot thank Charlamagne enough for his visionary leadership in this timely, critically important, history-making endeavor,” she said.
Charlamagne — who has been a major player in amplifying the careers of many cultural commentators and media personalities today — is on a mission to build a platform that boosts Black voices to the masses.
His latest move with iHeartMedia will be a game-changer for many Black podcasters and his team of executives will assist in bringing his vision to life.
“Dollie is a creative force who motivates and inspires people to be the very best version of themselves,” Charlamagne said in a statement. “Her creative instincts and recruiting and development skills are exactly what we need to ensure that the Black Effect Network becomes an unparalleled leader in podcasting.”
He added: “Dollie is a talent magnet. She brings a unique expertise that will help shape our way forward. It’s a genuine privilege to have her at the helm as we continue to grow and evolve the Black Effect Podcast Network.”
Although she has a lot of experience working on a variety of TV formats, in-studio productions, and live broadcasting, Bishop’s new role is her first introduction to the audio industry.
According to Variety, her prior background as a TV and events producer includes credits such as creator and producer of Oxygen’s 2016 docu-series “Like a Boss,” production work on “TeenNick Top 10,” “Married at First Sight,” the MTV Video Music Awards, plus MTV’s hit shows “Ridiculousness” and “Wild ‘N Out.”
She also has previous experience working for Nick Cannon’s NCredible Entertainment, where she “developed and shot pilots and sizzles, oversaw live events, and built and maintained relationships with outside producers and production companies,” Variety shares.
At this time, Bishop will work remotely from North Carolina and travel between New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta to collaborate with her teams.