Cable TV Profiles Regina Jones, Iconic “Soul” Founder

By Cynthia Bemis Abrams | 01/20/2026

TV herstorian Cynthia Bemis Abrams spotlights Regina Jones, a pioneering media entrepreneur who made history as the first Black woman to publish nationally with a focus on soul music.

In this episode, Cynthia is joined by Alissa Shapiro, executive producer of Who in the Hell is Regina Jones?, a documentary that explores Jones’ impact and SOUL Newspaper, and premieres on Weigel Broadcasting’s Dabl TV, Story TV, and Start TV in February 2026 for Black History Month.

Together, they discuss:

  • The founding and cultural legacy of SOUL Newspaper
  • How Jones utilized print media to amplify Black voices in music
  • Jones’ role as a trailblazer in Black women’s media history.
  • Why SOUL Newspaper deserves a place in American pop culture canon;
  • The significance of airing this acclaimed documentary on cable today.

Shapiro also shares behind-the-scenes insights into producing the documentary, which blends decades of preservation work, journalism, and archival research into a powerful portrait of Jones’ life and survival.

References: SOUL Newspaper https://www.soulpublications.co/

Who the Hell is Regina Jones? https://whoisreginafilm.com/

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PRODUCTION

Podcast Editing - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariloumarosz/

Video Editing - https://nivialopez.com/

Music by Jahzzar - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/