by Alfred Edmond, Jr. (BlackEnterprise.com) – In a move that shocked many in the urban media industry, TV One abruptly ended its News One TV show hosted by Roland Martin, reports The Daily News.
Martin confirmed the news in a Facebook post:
Fam, the sad news is true. The staff of @tvonetv #NewsOneNow was informed this afternoon that after four years of doing groundbreaking and award-winning work, the show will cease production at the end of the year. Our last live show will be Dec. 21. #BringTheFunk
News One TV, shuttering after a four-year run, was a go-to source for trending news and information for people of color. The last show will air Dec 21. In the July/August 2016 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine, Alfred Edmond Jr., wrote about the significance News One TV to black media in this interview with Martin:
If there is news impacting the lives of African Americans, you can bet that TV One NewsOne Now Anchor/Host Roland S. Martin is not only covering it, but using every media platform at his disposal, from television and radio to podcasts and YouTube, to inform black America and set the record straight on its behalf. Today, Martin is the most persistent, prominent, and impactful voice in black-owned media (and the only one calling the shots on a daily news show), in an era when black-owned media brands are struggling to adapt (or are no longer black-owned), while the need for them is greater than at any time since the civil rights era.
Martin, who holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Christian communications from Louisiana Baptist University, might be known by most Americans for his memorable, often tumultuous tenure as a member of CNN’s Peabody Award-winning political team. However, he’s spent most of his career with black-owned media outlets including The Houston Defender, Savoy Magazine, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, BlackAmericaWeb.com, and now, TV One (No. 17 on the be industrial/service companies list with $184 million in revenues). black enterprise persuaded Martin to sit on the other side of the interview desk for a candid discussion about black-owned media’s failings, purpose, and potential, as well as why he remains determined to keep African Americans from being dependent on media outlets “that do not have our best interests at heart.”
Read the full interview with Roland Martin here.
