Interview Sensation Tavis Smiley Comes to PBS...

Business Wire ^ | AUG 18,2003 | N/A

[Drango]

Interview Sensation Tavis Smiley Comes to PBS With New Weeknight Talkshow Produced by KCET/Hollywood

    News/Entertainment Editors

    HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 2003--KCET/Hollywood teams with veteran interviewer Tavis Smiley for a new national late-night talk show on PBS. The half-hour series will premiere on Monday, January 5, 2004, and air weeknights in the PBS line-up that also includes "The Charlie Rose Show." The "Tavis Smiley" show, taped at KCET studios, will be the first West Coast talk show for PBS.
    The first African American to have his own signature talk show in the history of NPR, Tavis Smiley was selected by Time as one of America's 50 most promising young leaders and dubbed by Newsweek as one of the "twenty people changing how Americans get their news." On his NPR show, Smiley has interviewed newsmakers and personalities from George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to Halle Berry and Bill Maher. Prior to NPR, Smiley hosted the award-winning "BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley" on Black Entertainment Television.
    The "Tavis Smiley" program on PBS will feature a unique mix of news and pop culture to combine for one thought-provoking and entertaining program. It will be a hybrid of news, issues and entertainment, featuring interviews with newsmakers, politicians, celebrities and real people. "Our mission is to empower people," explains Smiley. "Our series will cover everything -- politics, money, relationships, race, class, culture and more. If it's being discussed -- or better yet, if it's not -- we'll be talking about it and we'll be breaking news."
    "Tavis has brought interviewing to a wonderful height," says Mary Mazur, KCET executive vice president, programming and production. "Since his premiere on NPR, his fast-paced, intelligent, no-nonsense style has attracted a new, diverse audience. His perspectives, insights and energy make him a perfect partner for KCET. Tavis is the right talent to bring the vitality of the West Coast to a national interview series."
    "We're very pleased to bring such a respected talk show host to our viewers," said Jacoba Atlas, PBS co-chief of programming. "Tavis' reputation for diverse viewpoints, alongside the ever-popular and engaging Charlie Rose, will deliver a strong line-up coast-to-coast of provocative interviews and high-profile guests on PBS late night."
    Neal Kendall will be executive producer of the "Tavis Smiley" show. Mary Mazur will be the KCET executive producer for KCET. Karen Hunte will be executive in charge of production for KCET.

[Drango]

PBS adds another LIBERAL program to it's schedule. So much for balance...

[Drango]

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[freekitty]

Never heard of the guy. And I hope it stays that way.

[Drango]

I can think of a number of blacks that I would love to see on PBS. Too bad their ideology only allows them to ride in the back of the PBS bus...

[WorkingClassFilth]

Oh, they're looking for balance alright. Smiley will add color to an otherwise white-out condition on PBS. If the knives fall on their funding, they'll kill Smiley's show and scream about the cruelty of the Republican-forced cuts. Putting that bug in the right ears will give yet another example of 'the man' putting down another brother. With this trick, PBS will elevate it's value as a multicultural example of fairness on the way up, and harness the political energy of 'racism' if they are forced to make cuts on the way down.

The best solution would be to eliminate ALL funding in one felling cut. Only then can true fairness be emphasized.

LET'S BRING THE BULLDOZERS TO SESEAME STREET - NOW!

[Drango]

If I remember correctly, Trueblackman has been on Smiley's NPR show and may have some insights on how LIBERAL Smiley is.

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

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[mhking]

If I remember correctly, Trueblackman has been on Smiley's NPR show and may have some insights on how LIBERAL Smiley is.

I was on Smiley's NPR show last fall, and although was a little surprised by how fair he was during our conversation, you're right - he's definitely VERY left wing.

He's never made a secret of his politics, and has taken all of that into account while trying to make himself the de-facto media spokesman for black America, between his NPR show, his appearances on Tom Joyner's morning show (the top-rated morning show on black radio nationally), his former show on BET, and his appearances all over the place.

On his NPR program, I have had the impression that the brass there pulled on his coattails a bit to force him to be more civil to those of us on the right.

[Trueblackman]

Well I can tell you this is a election year ploy by the Democrats to use your publicly funded dollars to get out their message. Tavis (Watermellon) Smiley is a smoking liberal and a Democrat Plant(Oh believe me he will play that I am down the middle crap) but this guy is a Democrat's best dream and for PBS to put him on with no counterbalance goes to show that Democrats are using public TV and Radio as well as black radio to get their corrupt message out.

[Drango]

for PBS to put him on with no counterbalance...

Perhaps they put him on to balance that white guy Bill Moyers?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Perhaps they put him on to balance that white guy Bill Moyers?

Nope, on PBS they'll consider Smiley a moderate. Eventually, they'll probably give Amiri Bakara his own show to provide some "balance".

[AppyPappy]

From what I remember about the guy, he is a DNC parrot. If the DNC ever agreed with the RNC on something, he would find a way to disagree with the RNC while agreeing with the DNC.

[Drango]

he's definitely VERY left wing.

For awhile I thought that PBS was doing a better job of balance. That they were concerned with the perception, real or imagined, that they (and NPR) had tilted too far to the left.

~sigh...it seems they are deaf to the complaints of ideological balance.

[syriacus]

Thanks for the ping and the PBS update, Drango.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

That was exactly what I thought.
How about some DIVERSITY over at PBS?

[dyed_in_the_wool]

and for PBS to put him on with no counterbalance goes to show that Democrats are using public TV and Radio as well as black radio to get their corrupt message out.

You mean when they're not sharing their mailing lists, of course.

[Consort]

Sensation?

I've seen him on the networks, cable, and on BET. He's average, at best.

[onyx]

The first and only time I heard him begin to speak, I muted the program and have never watched him again!

He's found his home at PBS!

After election 2004, we really must mount a campaign to stop the taxpayer funding of PBS.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

...I'm not waiting.

...Every time I get a soliciting phone call from PBS I've been telling them I have vowed to NEVER contribute a single dollar...

...till they seperate themselves from the DNC and quit sending their contributors' mailing addresses to the Democrat Party.

...I NEVER get an Argument back so I guess it's going to be awhile..?

[Drango]

till they seperate themselves from the DNC and quit sending their contributors' mailing addresses to the Democrat Party

LOL...well several laws were passed and policies put into place that prevent the sharing of mailing lists with the Democrats. That was and would still be blatant.

However, now they are subtle. Nothing has been done regarding separating from the DNC and their message. PBS/NPR has become the propaganda wing for the left.