"Give the youth something to do:" Milwaukee couple opens first African-American broadcasting studio in Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE -- A husband and wife team didn't even know they were making history on Saturday, October 22nd. The Milwaukee couple celebrated the opening of a broadcast studio on the city's northwest side.

414 Spotlight Studios

Ambition brought them here -- and now they're celebrating what they've built.

Gathering outside before going in.

"The youth. The youth. We want to give the youth something to do," said Melvin James, show host.

The group is celebrating what they've built in Milwaukee.

Melvin James

"This isn't just for us, this is a foundation for our children and my children's children," said Tye James, chief operating officer.

Near Appleton and Carmen Avenue, Tye and Melvin James cut the ribbon for their broadcast studio.

414 Spotlight Studios

"We showcase music videos, comedy. We do poetry and we do some dance competitions with the youth," said Melvin.

Melvin James is the host and it's where he works.

414 Spotlight Studios

The show is called 414 Video Spotlight, it's a venture he and his wife, Tye, took on some five years ago. It's a talk show format complete with a studio audience.

"We welcome any genre, any nationality. We just want to be that source to get their art out to the community," said Tye.

Tye James

414 Video Spotlight is on every Saturday and Sunday at midnight, on My24 Milwaukee.

Tye and Melvin James didn't realize it at first but they have opened the first African-American broadcasting studio in the state.

"The history-making is about being African American and setting that foundation but we have all types of genres," said Tye.