<ARTICLE>                     5
<LEGEND>
The  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information   extracted  from  the
consolidated  financial  statements  of the  Company  for the fiscal  year ended
December 31, 1996 and for the three months and six months  ended  September  29,
1996 and  September  28, 1997,  and is qualified in its entirety by reference to
such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0001041657
<NAME>                        RADIO ONE, INC.
<MULTIPLIER>                                  1
<CURRENCY>                           US DOLLARS
       
                                                                                                                
<PERIOD-TYPE>                 YEAR                3-MOS                3-MOS                9-MOS                9-MOS   
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                   DEC-31-1996         DEC-31-1996          DEC-31-1997          DEC-31-1996          DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                      JAN-01-1995         JUL-01-1996          JUL-01-1997          JAN-01-1996          JAN-01-1997
<PERIOD-END>                        DEC-31-1996         SEP-29-1996          SEP-28-1997          SEP-29-1996          SEP-28-1997
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                               1                   1                    1                    1                    1
<CASH>                                1,708,295                   0                    0                    0           10,432,250
<SECURITIES>                                  0                   0                    0                    0                    0
<RECEIVABLES>                         7,184,668                   0                    0                    0           10,276,830
<ALLOWANCES>                           (765,200)                  0                    0                    0          (1,002,615)
<INVENTORY>                                   0                   0                    0                    0                    0
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                      8,244,788                   0                    0                    0           20,141,134
<PP&E>                                5,647,831                   0                    0                    0            7,176,715
<DEPRECIATION>                       (2,640,827)                  0                    0                    0          (3,176,443)
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                       51,776,780                   0                    0                    0           80,153,041
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                 7,474,311                   0                    0                    0            4,989,482
<BONDS>                              64,936,511                   0                    0                    0           74,108,238
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                         0                   0                    0                    0                    0
<PREFERRED>                                   0                   0                    0                    0           22,066,449
<COMMON>                                      1                   0                    0                    0                    1
<OTHER-SE>                          (15,002,757)                  0                    0                    0         (21,011,129)
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>         51,776,780                   0                    0                    0           80,153,041
<SALES>                                       0           6,940,242           10,825,767           19,299,745           25,951,798
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                              0           6,940,242           10,825,767           19,299,745           25,951,798
<CGS>                                         0            (776,087)          (1,356,571)          (2,288,972)          (3,246,600)
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                 0            (776,087)          (1,356,571)          (2,288,972)          (3,246,600)
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                              0           4,638,921            7,222,532           14,288,472           19,260,186
<LOSS-PROVISION>                              0             270,930              287,362              743,483              811,722
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                            0           1,884,409            2,415,697            5,498,281            6,610,653
<INCOME-PRETAX>                               0            (443,950)               1,516           (2,807,029)          (2,887,707)
<INCOME-TAX>                                  0                   0                    0                    0                    0
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                           0            (443,950)               1,516           (2,807,029)          (2,887,707)
<DISCONTINUED>                                0                   0                    0                    0                    0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                               0                   0                    0                    0          (1,985,229)
<CHANGES>                                     0                   0                    0                    0                    0
<NET-INCOME>                                  0            (443,950)               1,516           (2,807,029)          (4,872,936)
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                 0                   0                    0                    0                    0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                 0                   0                    0                    0                    0