(Black Enterprise) — It took one phone call to get Antonio “L.A.” Reid on board as a judge for The X Factor. “I always liked the idea of music platforms to discover and identify talent,” says the longtime music executive. “In the music industry, we have often struggled with those platforms. Simon [Cowell] talked to me about it, and I loved the idea and signed on.” The 55-year-old, who, in July, was officially named chairman and CEO of Epic Records, says The X Factor, which premieres Wednesday night on Fox, is not a retread of American Idol and The Voice. “What really separates it are the people,” says Reid. “So many shows have a similar format.” Jay Leno’s format is not so different from David Letterman’s, he points out. “The format is a talk show. The difference is the personalities on those shows.”
