by Fred Willis | Dec 9, 2017 | Press, Television
Members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) are expressing their dismay that NewsOne Now will go off the air on Dec. 21. TV One executives made the announcement earlier this week.
TJ Holmes, Stephen A. Smith, Jemele Hill, Cari Champion, and industry professionals such as Lawrence O’Donnell and Greta Van Sustern are among the many NABJ members who expressed their sadness, displeasure or outrage at seeing the demise of the program.
“The show didn’t just have an impact on the community, the show made an impact on developing black journalists,” said host Roland Martin. “NewsOne Now was a breeding ground and development opportunity for African-Americans who are lawyers and political commentators and the show helped other networks too. Without a doubt there’s no national television show that boasts the number of working black journalists as NewsOne Now.”
Since its inception, NewsOne Now has been must-watch morning TV for many viewers, as well as listeners to the syndicated radio show, the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Martin gave a platform to commentators Angela Rye, Paris Dennard and Shermichael Michael Singleton, David Swerdlick, Laura Coates, and numerous subject matter experts, before the other networks came calling.
“Roland Martin’s show has served as the only television broadcast to provide daily coverage of black people and issues,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover. “NABJ applauded TV One executive Johnathan Rodgers for tapping Roland, an “NABJ Baby,” to work for the network 12 years ago and CEO Alfred Liggins for selecting Roland as the host of NewsOne Now.
“Today, we understand the importance of making sound business decisions, however, NewsOne Now had recently grown from one-to-two hours and to think the news program will cease is disheartening. I call upon the news and broadcast industry to develop programming that serves black communities. The void is like a gaping wound.”
In a year where journalists have faced daily assaults and attempts to discredit their work with the onslaught of claims of “fake news,” NABJ is concerned by TV One’s decision to halt its signature news program, one of the most credible news sources, especially for black and disenfranchised communities.
A past NABJ Journalist of the Year, Martin’s work has garnered numerous awards and is currently a contender for two NAACP Image Awards. His show employs nearly 30 journalists, who face the reality of unemployment going into the new year.
“When anything is happening that impacts African Americans, you can turn to TV One for perspectives you won’t see on other programs,” said Dorothy Tucker, NABJ’s Vice President of Broadcast. “The demise of Roland’s show leaves a huge void that we simply can’t afford now.”
Noting that Martin has been instrumental in increasing contributions to HBCUs, while also tackling international issues and holding elected officials accountable, even the President of the United States, NABJ is deeply concerned about the future of journalism when a show of NewsOne Now’s caliber is taken off the air.
Highlights of NewsOne Now’s coverage include:
- Only national show focused on the daily trial of the white Oklahoma police officer, Daniel Holtzclaw, who was found guilty of raping several Black women;
- Roland Marin’s interview with Black physicist Dr. Hadiyah Nicole-Green and her ground breaking cancer research is his most viewed segment ever on Facebook with more than 14 million views;
- Martin’s hard- hitting commentaries on Bill O’Reilly for his Colin Kaepernick critique, Paula White and Wendy Williams are still some of the most talked about pieces in Black America today;
- Consistently focused on the lack of black opportunities in the Democratic Party and Hollywood, which led to blacks getting hired;
- Live streamed the 7-1/2 hour funeral coverage of activist, comedian and health nutritionist, Dick Gregory;
- Reported extensively on the issue of voter suppression;
- The only national media outlet focused on the death of #GemmelMoore, a black gay man in LA;
- Provided consistent coverage of police shootings of black men across the country, and was often the go-to broadcast for civil rights attorneys representing families.
“TV One has outstanding programming, like UnSung and other tributes to fallen giants,” said President Glover. “But NewsOne Now brought us scholars, activists, health and financial literacy gurus and other thought agents that helped viewers grow mentally, physically, socially and financially.”
TV One’s significant strides in the industry are noteworthy and deserving of much more support than it receives, according to Glover. The two-term NABJ president said that in addition to asking TV One to reconsider its decision to cancel NewsOne Now, she would like to see the station receive more support so that it can expand and provide more excellent programming. Glover also calls upon other networks to develop news programming that serves black audiences and consumers.
NABJ would like to see the cable industry increase the subscription base of TV One, which currently reaches 59 million homes. Other networks like BET, CNN, HLN, MSNBC and Fox News exceed 90 million homes. Such an increase of distribution will aid TV One in offering expanded news and other programming.
SOURCE:
National Association of Black Journalists
by Fred Willis | Oct 6, 2017 | Television
On Sunday, October 8 at 7 p.m. ET /6 p.m. CT, TV One will premiere the powerful original movie BOBBI KRISTINA, an honest and moving look at the young woman at the center of one of the most talked-about stories in recent years. Starring newcomer Joy Rovaris (Stuck in the Middle) in the title role, the film aims to restore what has been lost amidst the tabloid headlines: the real Bobbi Kristina Brown, a.k.a. “Krissy” – the vibrant, talented and troubled only daughter of pop music royalty Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, who died too young, and whose memory has been overshadowed by the circumstances of her death.
“The tabloids painted a picture of two superstars who lived a tumultuous life, but we often forget that in the process a little girl had to grow up in a limelight that she did not choose. In its simplest form, Bobbi Kristina is a story about a beautiful mother-daughter relationship intertwined with both of their desires to be loved; one just happened to be a superstar and the other an innocent bystander to her parents’ fame,” said D’Angela Proctor, TV One Head of Original Programming & Production.
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/spradio/episodes/2017-10-06T15_14_17-07_00
Beginning immediately after the passing of her mother, the story delves into Bobbi Kristina‘s struggle to come to terms with Houston’s sudden departure and the complexities of her own life. BOBBI KRISTINA presents the first three-dimensional look at a story – and a life – that deserve better. In 2012, Whitney Houston’s tragic demise put her entire family in the worldwide media spotlight, with most of the glare falling on her grieving daughter, Bobbi Kristina. Krissy became one of the main characters in the story of Houston’s death and its devastating aftermath as she struggled with her grief, her personal relationships, upholding her mother’s legacy and her plans for the future. BOBBI KRISTINA offers a rare glimpse into the world of this young woman whose brief life and untimely end remain shrouded in mystery.
Opposite Rovaris, BOBBI KRISTINA stars Demetria McKinney (House of Payne, Saints and Sinners) who delivers an uncanny performance as she embodies the heart, flair and essence of the legendary Whitney Houston. The film also stars Nadji Jeter (Grown Ups, Last Man Standing) as Nick Gordon, Hassan Johnson (The Wire, E.R.) as Bobby Brown, and Vivica A. Fox (Empire, Kill Bill) as Pat Houston. Le’Azionna Braden makes her screen debut as young Bobbi Kristina.
The film is directed by former child actor Ty Hodges (Don’t Look Under The Bed, Material Girls and Charlie, Trevor and Girl Savannah) with screenplay by Rhonda Baraka. Baraka previously wrote the TV One movies Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story, The Secret She Kept, and For the Love of Ruth. Executive Producers Tracey Baker Simmons and Wanda Shelley, creators of the docu-series’ “Being Bobby Brown” and “The Houstons,” developed the underlying story.
“Bobbi Kristina is a passion project for us because we watched Krissy grow up from the time she was 10 years old and until she became an amazing young adult. The world did not have the opportunity to know and love Krissy the way we did,” said Baker-Simmons, executive producer, alongside Wanda Shelley in Simmons Shelley Entertainment. “Krissy, like most young adults, shared one side of herself with her family and another side with her closest friends. This movie is told from that perspective.”
BOBBI KRISTINA is produced for TV One by Eric Tomosunas (executive producer), Keith Neal and James Seppelfrick of Swirl Films (When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story, Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story). Casting was provided by Leah Daniels Butler (Empire and Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story). For TV One, Donyell McCullough is Senior Director of Talent & Casting; Robyn Greene-Arrington is VP of Original Programming and Executive in Charge of Production, and D’Angela Proctor is Head of Original Programming and Production.
by Fred Willis | May 10, 2017 | Television
In an exclusive, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed a report on BET (Black Entertainment Television)’s move away from its home in Washington, D.C. Apparently there is a place like home…Los Angeles. Leaving no detail behind, THR has even reported that BET head Debra Lee has even listed her D.C. home. As Lee lists her home, numerous employees have been sent scouring job listings. At present, many employees are facing a future without the major network as many won’t be relocating with the company. For those that will, some will make the move to Los Angeles and others will move the New York office. BET has been a network of change, since being sold to Viacom in 2001.
From there, viewers saw much of the programming shift to rival that of MTV and VH1, other Viacom brands. Viacom has indicated the BET is in fact a viable brand, naming it one of its six core brands. You can expect a much more mainstream programming structure as the corporate heads seek to align its brands to its corporate vision.
What in Sam, er Stephen Hill is going on at BET?
Earlier this year, the first black owned television network parted ways with its President of Programming, Stephen G. Hill as well as Executive Vice President and Head of Original Programming, Zola Mashariki. The move surprised everyone and the started the incessant chatter.
Was Zola Mashariki fired while on medical leave?
The shocking move came on the heels of the highly successful “New Edition” biopic that sent viewers to iTunes and Youtube to either relive past glorious moments with the boy band or for new fans to get to know the teen heartthrobs for the first time.
Along with the move away from the nation’s capitol, BET is leaving behind “Joyful Noise” and had already canned BET Honors- both of which were filmed in their D.C. studio. Joyful Noise failed to rein in the audience numbers of its predecessor “Bobby Jones Gospel” and was the lowest viewed show in the lineup.
BET is not what it used to be, let’s face it. Still, it’s a top viewed network among black viewers. Given the recent rise of Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network and Cathy Hughes’ TV One, the options are there and black viewers are taking note.
BET could never truly alienate its black audience though many felt betrayed by the 2001 sell to Viacom. Viewers have been vocal about some of the recent programming that excludes any type of news and social engagement and focuses solely on well…entertainment, much like the other brands in the conglomerate.
It remains to be seen how the move affects the company, its leadership and its programming. Of all the potential changes the network faces, let’s just a name change isn’t one of them. In the meantime, comment below and share your thoughts on the move.
by Fred Willis | Apr 11, 2017 | Gospel, Music News, Television, The Gospel Music Series
I watched the 32nd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards on TV One last Sunday and I have to admit that I’m impressed. What I saw on tv gave me a deep sense of pride and appreciation not only for gospel music, but for what exists as the current gospel music industry. I’ll share my full reaction to not only the show, but the weekend and its reflection on the gospel music industry, below.
The Stellars is our largest award show and is the only comparable award to the likes of a Grammy or Dove Award exclusive to the gospel music industry. There are other gospel music award shows and some have been doing a ‘stellar’ job honoring mainstream artists as well as lesser known and independent artists for years. This is worth noting and should be added to the celebration of gospel music as a whole.
In case you missed it on TV One, you can catch it on a local network near you.
Read our Stellar Awards recap
Take for instance Choir Boi Cam who was a nominee this year, I came to know him first as a Prayzefactor People’s Choice Award nominee and winner. Cam’s progression is the natural progression of a career and worthy of note. The same however goes with life: you shouldn’t always be in the starting blocks, nor should you remain a spectator forever.
Because the Stellars is ‘ours’ in gospel music, I too believe that it must make adjustments to better suit the growth of our industry. It’s rather implausible to make show suggestions because with a pre-show and main show, you may not impact each nuance of the ever evolving gospel music industry.
A few favorite moments of mine included: the rap collab, Pastor Shirley Caesar and Jekalyn Carr and the guys with guitars segment. The Chicago Mass Choir is always A-1 in my book but I wish there were more with Pastor Donnie McClurkin and Evangelist Lemmie Battles. We would still be shouting, seriously! This was yet another shortcoming of not having a live band this year, the track simply started over instead of having a place to pick up in the song to close the show.
I was backstage in the press area during the show and we were all anxious to see the finished product. Again, I’m very pleased with what aired last Sunday. I too am a gospel consumer and though I’m privy to privileged information and spaces, I really just want gospel music to be great-again and all the time! Our gospel industry is doing its level best to survive, it MUST thrive again! Sadly, our industry is at the mercy of the music and entertainment industry at large.
We have intrinsic opportunities for career advancement, though. Church concerts, nursing home ‘tours’ and street ministry are all viable means of increase, but our industry suffers when 85% are stalled and standing in line at the narrow entrance into the industry at large. These unique opportunities are often overlooked and undervalued because it thrusts the brunt of the work on the aspiring artists.
No convention, gathering or conference call will ever replace hard work. And for those of you aspiring artists, you’ve got much hard work ahead of you! For the industry’s part, the industry has to also re-create a launch pad for new blood in gospel music.
While celebrating established radio hits and albums, we’ve seen the Stellars be a launch pad for radio hits like: “Amazing” and “Better” as of late. Still, there is seldom a singular moment or place where artists can learn or be on a next-level platform that is wholly endorsed by the gospel music industry.
Our aspiring artists will flock to the Immerse conference in Nashville for opportunities like those. Opportunities to have their songs heard and critiqued and even performed…? ASCAP hosts its “I Create Music” expo this week and there seems to be very little involvement or interest from leaders within the industry. For artist and industry advancement, that launch pad is apparently off-site!
What about Chance the Rapper?
We do have many great events and conferences within the gospel music industry but we seem to struggle with being an active part of the industry. Yes, gospel music is a part of the industry and we must act like it. Our music and engagement must be comparable, even if our budgets are not.
While the element of worship sets us apart from the remainder of the industry, incompetence and lack of focus in the marketplace is the gulf hindering our deliverance of worship to the world! One word of advice I’d like to give aspiring artists and executives: Go where the industry is!
Whether the industry is in Vegas for the Stellars, Atlanta for GMWA, Nashville for the Dove Awards, LA for the Grammys/Image Awards of Dallas for Megafest…get there and be involved. Meet people, introduce yourself, network. Watch and see how it’s done and apply the lessons to your career or artist. We won’t advance gospel music by remaining outliers in an industry that increases in size and influence, daily!
Here’s what’s got my ear
Perhaps the greatest post-Stellar moment for the industry was JJ Hairston’s Facebook live video where he basically spelled out the current industry/ministry formula for everyone to explore. After the Stellars I left asking many of the questions JJ Hairston answered. Not because I didn’t know, but because I didn’t see anyone volunteering “inside” information like that.
Watch JJ Hairston’s Facebook live video, here
I’m privileged with access and see and hear so much. I’ve seen the wheels turning, have heard conversations about who can get put on, who’s getting pulled and even who has heard, seen and read what on and offline. Still, with the initial airing of the 32nd Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, I’m hopeful.
I’m hopeful that the scope of gospel music has been widened on the executive and production levels. I’m also hopeful that consumers and supporters understand that you can’t feature or even appreciate the immensity of our beloved genre in a mere two hours or less once a year.
I’m also hopeful that we have new nominees and winners next year, and not only because it’s an album year for artists and they have new music available. I’m hopeful for more Choir Boi Cam‘s and Lil’ Jay and the Spiritual Boys and even Keith Wonderboy Johnson who was told he would have difficulty returning after nearly 10 years.
I’m hopeful that some of the amazing artists like Corey Kennedy, Kadesh or Eric Waddell and the Abundant Life Singers who I only saw and heard at showcases around the city catch the eyes and ears of SAGMA members and the industry at large. I’m hopeful that we have room to truly celebrate artists like Jekalyn Carr and JJ Hairston and Youthful Praise whose music has ruled the airwaves over the year and not leave them empty handed at the close of Stellar week.
Interested in joining the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy?
Still, I’m hopeful because we haven’t heard the best gospel music has to offer. I’m hopeful that our creatives will retain their creative drive and keep giving us the best they have to offer!
I’m hopeful that the artists that stayed home this year because they didn’t feel it necessary to attend make the decision to show up next year. Why? Because whether we like it or not, the Stellars IS in fact all we have on this level in gospel music-the title sponsors alone help prove that point.
Next year will be 33 years for Central City Productions’ Stellar Gospel Music Awards and I can almost guarantee you they have no plans of dying on a hill or disappearing. The Stellars are primed (yet again) to get bigger and encroach the influence and weight of some of the bigger award shows like the Billboard, American Music and Grammy awards.
Remember, this was the 2017 version of gospel music acknowledgment. Next year should look much different, it’s only natural. Some of the perennial nominees may be settling into senior roles within the industry by next year, let them.
It’s ok if they’re only presenters and mentioned in thank you speeches. It’s totally fine and as the old adage says: “‘thank you’ makes room for more”!
Days before the biggest night in gospel music, Gerald Jones of Da Gospel Truth penned an open letter to The Stellar Awards. At large the letter was constructive criticism though it was widely perceived as a rebuke or even “shade”. He presented many valid points that I’m sure are being and have already been taken into consideration. Now that the show is over, time will only tell how influential Jones’ open letter was.
It’s quite the juxtaposition to openly criticize something you’re a part of, but Jones certainly made some hard conversations palatable and even possible with the letter. One thing Jones hit on that makes for perfect conversation is the arcane and arcaic approach to SAGMA and other facets of the Stellar awards.
What has rubbed many the wrong way is involvement at large within the organization. It somehow seems that singular individuals and their attitudes are in charge of corporate action which is holding us behind. It remains to be seen what will come of Jones’ honesty in honesty in the letter.
With that being said, thank you to Mr. Don Jackson and Central City Productions. Thanks for keeping The Stellars around for yet another award season. Thanks for giving those of us in inspirational media one of our biggest events to work each year. Thanks for allowing our platform to be apart of yours. We will see you all again, next year!
by Fred Willis | Mar 6, 2017 | Television
Show is a Spin-Off of the Hit Series, For My Man
Premiere episode features the Fort Worth Funeral Home Scandal
TV One will add a new true crime series to the Monday night line-up when For My Woman premieres on Monday, March 20 at 10 p.m. ET. The show is a spin-off of the network’s hit series, For My Man, which premiered in 2015 and has become a staple on Monday nights alongside Fatal Attraction.
Read more about TV One’s True Crime Mondays
For My Woman is a true crime series that features the outrageous and shocking stories of men who have been arrested for a crime they committed in the name of loyalty and love for their woman. From a three-state killing spree to the mortuary turned house of horrors, these blinded-by-love love culprits have no limit as to how far they’ll go for the women in their lives.
The series premiere of For My Woman features the Fort Worth, Texas funeral home scandal that rocked news headlines nationwide in 2014. When Minister Dondre Johnson married his wife Rachel, he vowed to do anything to make her happy. The profit from their family-run mortuary business allowed Rachel to live lavishly while keeping a tight hold on the bank accounts. However, when she became pregnant and put Dondre in charge, he soon discovered he was in over his head. The business income slowly dried up while the bills continued to mount and Rachel continued to shop as if everything was fine.
Desperate to make ends meet, Dondre decided to stop cremating the bodies as requested by their grieving families. Instead, he stored the corpses in the garage and pocketed the money. Months later, as the stench began to rise, police discovered the decaying bodies of six adults, one child and one infant, lying in unrefrigerated rooms.
For more information about TV One’s For My Woman, visit the network’s companion website at www.tvone.tv. TV Oneviewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) using the hash tag #ForMyWoman and catch clips and promos on TV One’s YouTube Channel.
For My Woman is produced by Sirens Media for TV One. Valerie Haselton and Rebecca Toth Dienfenbach serve as Executive Producer and Anne S. Rothwell is Show Runner for the series. Jubba Seyyid is Executive in Charge of Production for TV One. D’Angela Proctor is Head of Original Programming and Production for the network.
About Sirens Media:
Sirens Media, part of Leftfield Entertainment Group, an ITV Studios company, was founded in 2005 by co-presidents Rebecca Toth Diefenbach and Valerie Haselton. Sirens Media is best known for producing powerhouse reality series Real Housewives of New Jersey for Bravo. The series has repeatedly broken ratings records for Bravo and remains in the forefront of the cultural zeitgeist. As one of the industry leaders and trendsetters in crime & investigation television, Sirens Media has produced close to 500 hours of crime and justice programming for channels including ID: Investigation Discovery, A&E, MSNBC, LMN, TV One and truTV. Sirens Media prides itself on its reputation for quality and integrity, not only in the shows they produce, but also in their stellar reputation among law enforcement agencies, criminal justice officials, and the victims of crime.
About TV One:
Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvone.tv) serves more than 60 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. The network is the exclusive home of NewsOne Now, the only live daily news program targeting Black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is owned by Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK, www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets Black and urban listeners.
Members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) are expressing their dismay that NewsOne Now will go off the air on Dec. 21. TV One executives made the announcement earlier this week.
