



                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.20

          SIXTH AMENDMENT TO LETTER OF INTENT TO ENTER INTO OPTION AND
                            STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT

     THIS SIXTH  AMENDMENT  TO LETTER OF INTENT TO ENTER  INTO  OPTION AND STOCK
PURCHASE  AGREEMENT,  is dated  this  8th day of  September,  1997,  and is made
between RADIO ONE, INC., and ALLIED CAPITAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION.

     Radio  One,  Inc.  ("Buyer")  and  Allied  Capital  Financial   Corporation
("Seller")  have  executed a letter of intent  dated March 12,  1997,  which was
accepted by Seller on March 13, 1997 ("Letter").  The Letter describes the terms
upon which the parties would enter into an Option and Stock  Purchase  Agreement
("Agreement")  whereby Buyer would acquire from Seller its option to acquire the
stock of Broadcast  Holdings,  Inc.,  licensee of Station WYCB(AM),  Washington,
D.C.

     Buyer and Seller  agree that it would be mutually  beneficial  to amend the
provision  contained in the Letter, as amended,  which required that the parties
enter into an Agreement on or before August 29, 1997.

     In consideration of the parties' mutual agreement to continue in good faith
to finalize the Agreement, which the parties hereby acknowledge constitutes good
and  valuable  consideration,  Buyer  and  Seller  agree  that  the  penultimate
paragraph  of the  Letter,  as  amended,  is revised to  substitute  the date of
September 30, 1997, for that of August 29, 1997.

     Except as  described  above,  the terms and  conditions  of the Letter,  as
amended on May 6, 1997, May 30, 1997,  June 5, 1997,  July 1, 1997, and July 31,
1997, shall not be modified.

     This amendment may be signed in  counterparts,  facsimile  signatures to be
binding upon receipt by facsimile transmission.


AGREED TO:                                   AGREED TO:



 /s/                                         /s/
--------------------------------             -----------------------------------
Alfred C. Liggins, III                       Gay Truscott
Radio One, Inc.                              Allied Capital Financial
                                             Corporation



