Tavis Smiley Will End NPR show in December

[WenD08]

on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Tom Joyner announced that Viacom, the majority owner of BET will not renew Tavis Smiley's contract in the Fall. i didn't hear why but i will listen to TJMS tomorrow morning at 8:25 EST to hear why and what Tavis plans to do next. Has anyone else heard this and if so, what are your feelings? Viacom got my angry email earlier.

[Eclipse]

You have GOT to be kidding?? I guess he was clogging up the air waves with relevant information when we should be getting more videos to watch, huh? THe only beef I had with his show was that it was on too late in the evening. I am rarely up at 11 p.m. and so rarely watched it, but I always enjoyed it when I did. I was hoping that they would move the time.

Thanks for the heads up. They will be receiving another "nice-nasty" e-mail from an other angry Spelmenite in a minute! On wait, did you guys hear that most congressional staffers don't read the e-mails or catalog the responses from them because it has gotten too expensive to do so? Maybe other companies do this too???? Evidently the volume of e-mail has gone from a couple of thousand a year to a couple of million a year in a short period of time.

[WenD08]

Tavis Smiley will probably go to another network and go back to the original format he used that's fine. my problem is that Viacom has no problem with JACKASS and THE ANDY DICK SHOW on MTV and FROM ROCK TO PORN on VH-1. substantive shows which feature a Black man trying to inform his community and the community at large are, shall i say, threatening? Viacom and Robert Johnson look pretty bad to me right now

[Poplife]

The only show I watch on BET...damn damn damn!

[nikki25]

What? Truly the whole purpose of one having BET is lost! That's truly the best thing that they have on there. I guess the intellectual discussion of culture and politics was too much for VIACOM to handle. Truly, that will show and Tavis' effort will be missed.

[CulturedPearl]

I was also shocked and saddened to hear that BET Tonight would be cancelled. I sent an email to Viacom but I also plan on sending a letter as well. It's long.


To: Mr. Carl Folta
Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations

Dear Mr. Folta:

While listening to the Tom Joyner morning show on Wednesday, March 21, 2001, I was shocked to hear that VIACOM has decided to cancel one of the FEW shows of substance on the below average (and that's putting it nicely) network known as BET. Have you no shame? Have you no pride? Do you really think people just want to watch videos and Comic View? Is your view of African-Americans that low? Mr. Smiley was one of the few who tried to seriously discuss issues that African-Americans were talking about with their co-workers, families, and friends. He even contributed to the "E" in Black Entertainment Television by interviewing celebrities you'd rarely get to see on other "mainstream" programs.
First the show is stripped down to the bare bones and Ed Gordon is used as an excuse. Then, to add insult to injury, you throw out him like yesterday's news. Your company is truly despicable. If this is some lame attempt to make BET more like MTV, then the experiment has failed miserably. Every new show is a too little, too late rip-off of what MTV and other networks have already done and it shows. Granted these shows were in place before the VIACOM acquisition but how you can you start improving the situation but taking off one of the more intelligent programs?
It amazes me how BET can be cluttered with a ton of videos along with complete garbage like Oh Drama and Cita's World, but the show that gets cut actually makes people think and stimulates intelligent discussion. But I guess that's the point, VIACOM doesn't want that. If you didn't demonstrate it before you've certainly done it now…in your eyes black people are nothing but singing and dancing coons. This is what you've demonstrated by your deplorable, racist actions. As a result, I will no longer support a network that basically pees on my leg and tells me it's raining. I hope you are proud of yourself. African-Americans will not stand for this. Check info@viacom.com for emails from others who are appalled by your actions. Also expect more letters and phone calls.
Sincerely,
An angry and disgusted former viewer.

[Rachel0497]

NOOOOOO!!!!! Truly this is a sad day for us all. I knew that Viacom was going to start doing stuff like this-I am disgusted to say the least. I will not be watching ANY more programming or the networks owned by Viacom any longer-they have just lost another viewer!!!!

------------------
The Women of Zeta Phi Beta...Simply Irresistible!!!!!!!!!!!

[OOHLALA]

I am not at all surprised. If anyone recalls the thread that discussed Viacom purchasing BET, I knew then "BET will go in a new creative direction". That is, those white folks are about to tell us how to be black!!! And of course they would have to start with Tavis, since he is PRO-Black!!!!

I said it then and I say it again, just wait on how the programming changes. Viacom owns MTV and VH-1 (one other that I can't think of) and I think we will see a distinct parrellel of all the shows in the future. And if you don't like it, voice your complain, as I did. We should not sit around and accept it, as some sometime do.

You are encouraged to write, fax,call, and/or email the president of Viacom:
Mel Karmazin
mkarmazin@viacom.com
212-975-6500 Phone
212-975-5361 fax

51 W. 52nd Street.
New York, NY 10019.

[This message has been edited by OOHLALA (edited March 22, 2001).]

[Discogoddess]

Originally posted by OOHLALA:
...That is, those white folks are about to tell us how to be black!!!

Actually, I was NEVER impressed with the "black" folk telling us how to be black, so I guess I never expected much of BET and was never disappointed.



[This message has been edited by Discogoddess (edited March 22, 2001).]

[AKA_Monet]

I got something similar to OHLALA's post in my email:

Maybe most of you have already heard but I MUST address this issue. This
morning, as I was getting dressed to go to the plantation, my ears were
assaulted by the words coming out of Tom Joyner's mouth (guest of Steve
Harvey):

Viacom has canceled the BET - Tavis Smiley Show.

Hmmmmm. What has become a nightly ritual for me (when I am home, not sleep,
and am not on the computer) is watching the Tavis Smiley Show. The brother
is a good debater and has timely issues. A controversial book comes out
today, within a month the author is on his show. (Recent ex: John McWhorter
- Losing the Race - Self Sabotage in Black America.) Your analytical skills
lacking? Tavis WILL catch you and call you on it.

AND... (you know this put me over the top) Ya wanna know how he found out
his show was canceled? (cancellation effective September 1, 2001.)

Viacom, after what they call debates and "creative differences", faxed four
lines to Tavis' agent who then phoned Tavis and informed him of the
cancellation while Tavis was on the way to his grandmother's funeral. ("Miss
Adele") (silence)

What do we do? Blow up every point of contact for the CEO of Viacom.

Mel Karmazin, CEO Viacom
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 975-5500 (v-mail at the office)
(212) 258-6000 (Viacom main number - we understand his voice mail is full and
he is not clearing the messages - old playa trick.)
(212) 975-5361 (fax)
mel.karmazin@viacom.com - email

It doesn't have to be a long correspondence.

If you agree that Black Entertainment Television should remain a source of
not only entertainment but also enlightenment, (although debates ARE
entertaining for me - wakes up my brain)...

If you think that a show like Tavis Smiley's is more important to the
maintenance and advancement of our people than comics - who are so original
that they can format the show around 1 subject which 20 comics have addressed
in their routines while Tavis' show has won the NAACP Image Award for the
past three years...

please write

If you get bored at work - send a fax

bored again? send an email

got 5 minutes before you go home? leave a little voice message

got writer's block while at the computer - jot down a few lines and snail
mail them

Thanx for your time.

I'm wit cha Soror DG!!!

[ManndingoNUPE]

Well as Tavis's frat brother, (and someone who sometimes disagreed with him) I am very
sorry to see the show go. I can honestly say that I am of the same mind as
Discogoddess, but I did think that the show performed a vital service to our community.
Why not take that crap, "OH Drama" off, or cut down on those damn videos. Or why not
take that dumb azz talk show off. I will also be writing to Viacom, and letting them know
how I feel. It's really sad, because we have so few show s to choose from, and one that
doesn't show us acting a fool, killing each other or ghetto as hell is a welcome change.

Not to throw stones, but doesn't Bob Johnson have some type of role in Viacom? Isn't he
still involved, if that were the case, I would hope that he would have at least fought for
Tavis a little. Him and Tavis have 6 things in common that I would hope Brother Johnson
would not have forgotten about.

MN

[This message has been edited by ManndingoNUPE (edited March 22, 2001).]

[LadyAKA]

Originally posted by Discogoddess:
[B] Actually, I was NEVER impressed with the "black" folk telling us how to be black, so I guess I never expected much of BET and was never disappointed.[B]

Please clarify .. are you saying his show is not of any great substance? I am not one to play follow the leader either, but I thought his show was intellectually stimulating. He did NOT seem to be an outspoken Al Sharpton, but he did speak on getting out to vote and just simply saying don't go easy - stay and fight! Did you see him as doing more which you did not like or less which you also did not like?

Just a question - maybe I took your comment out of context!

[This message has been edited by LadyAKA (edited March 22, 2001).]

[Mz. Sports Luva]

I called Viacom and they gave me an 800 number that you can call to protest the cancellation of Tavis.
It's: 1-800-711-1630.

I actually spoke to a live person and she told me that they had gotten over 1000 phone calls today.

[sweet aka]

Originally posted by AKA_Monet:
I'm not surprised, but disappointed. Eveytime we come together, they find some way to break us apart. I guess they know we would be invincible if they didn't.

I got something similar to OHLALA's post in my email:

I'm wit cha Soror DG!!!

[Discogoddess]

Soror LadyAKA:

I was referring to BET as a whole, not Tavis' show. Personally, I think that while his show is/was valuable to many, I didn't get a whole lot of value out of it or his Tom Joyner commentaries. Too "preacher talky" for me. I mean, can we let the rhyming lines go, please?

I disagree with those of you who see this as "the man is trying to get us" sort of thing. BET has NEVER been a thinking person's network, even when under "our" control. I just think that we get what we demand, and most of us (black folk) are more interested in booty videos and loud-@#$ed chicks/dudes(be they on Oh Drama, The Parkers, The Wayans or the Jamie Foxx Show) solidifying the stereotypes. THAT's the isht that sells, unfortunately. Until we are willing to put our dollars up for intellectual pursuits, the least common denominator will always win out.