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Today, 1230AM WDBZ The Buzz mourns the loss of our former station owner Ross Love. We acknowledge his life and career as well send our condolences to his family and all those whom he came in contact with throughout the years.

Ross Love was not only an entrepreneur but a servant to the community he felt needed a leader the most. At the time of his death, Love was the CEO and owner of Blue Chip Enterprises, a company which invests in and provides guidance to African-American owned start-ups.

He got his start at Procter & Gamble before rising to the company’s upper echelons as vice president of marketing. After leaving the company, Love and a team of business partners joined forces to purchase Cincinnati’s most popular black radio station- 1230AM WDBZ The Buzz.

Over the next few years, Love was able to buy more radio stations in the midwest through his Blue Chip Broadcasting company. Love’s broadcasting company then became the largest black-owned radio broadcast company in the country at the time.

Ross Love died at an area hospital earlier this morning according to statements from friend and former business partner, former Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Details will be highlighted soon.

Here’s a look at what a few station representatives, former business acquaintances and other familiar names had to say in remembrance of Ross Love’s career, commitment to the community and his years of servitude toward 1230AM WDBZ The Buzz.

I was devastated to hear of the passing of Mr. Ross Love. There is so much I could say. He was a visionary and he allowed me to be a part of his for 1230AM WDBZ The Buzz. Mr. Love afforded me and so many others opportunities in this community. He trusted me to help build the radio station into an instrument for community outreach and a voice for an underserved population in Cincinnati eager for more information about the African American community. With his guidance and blessing, we collected donations for the New Orleans Relief Effort and took buses full of those donations directly to those in need. Even during the 2001 disturbance after the death of Timothy Thomas, we had almost 24 hours of live coverage of eyewitness reports from citizens in our community and different perspectives.

I have countless stories that could fill volumes of what he was able to accomplish in this community including his involvement with CAN (Community Action Now). There would still not be enough words to describe what he meant to this community. He will be missed.Jeri Tolliver, 1230AM WDBZ The Buzz, Promotions Director

He was a phenomenal mentor, friend and adviser. He really got involved with the business that I started and took the project on 100 percent beyond his investment.Michael Price, CEO of CardioQuickSys, business partner

Ross Love shared with me that one of his goals was to make other African Americans millionaires. He accomplished that goal and with the highest level of business integrity. – Christopher Smitherman, president of the Cincinnati NAACP

View this featured clips from a recent interview with 1230AM’s own Lincoln Ware shortly after breaking the unfortunate news of Ross Love’s passing on-air today.

PART I – Lincoln Ware Remembers Ross Love

Click the link below for part two of the complete interview.

PART II – Lincoln Ware Remembers Ross Love

RELATED STORIES:

WKRC on Ross Love

Blue Chip Enterprises CEO Ross Love Dies

If you have anything to say regarding the life, career and influence Ross Love had on our community, please feel free to post your thoughts below in the comments section. It’s a great place to send your condolences to Ross Love’s family, friends and acquaintances.

Share your thoughts with us here at TheBuzzCincy.com – the online home of 1230AM WDBZ The Buzz. Link up with Cincinnati’s community and inspiration station by checking us out on TheBuzzCincy.com. Let us know here or check out the conversations with 1230AM WDBZ‘s network of friends on on Facebook, or join our group page here – 1230AM WDBZ The Buzz Group Page.

For faster updates, follow us on Twitter (@1230WDBZ). As always, keep up with us on BlackPlanet and check out all of our video exclusives on YouTube.