Journalist and CNN commentator Roland Martin will anchor a new Sunday public affairs show aimed at black audiences on TV One. The show debuts in September.

TV One to begin Sunday show aimed at blacks

By DAVID BAUDER
The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Roland Martin will anchor a new Sunday public affairs show aimed at a black audience that will debut in September on the TV One network.

The “Washington Watch” program aims to tap into a new interest in politics and government due to the election of President Barack Obama, said Johnathan Rodgers, TV One’s president and CEO. It debuts Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. ET, and the show will be repeated each week at 5 p.m.

Martin, who is also a CNN commentator, will interview newsmakers and members of the Congressional Black Caucus. April Ryan, White House correspondent for the American Urban Radio Networks, and Robert Traynham, Philadelphia Tribune columnist and Comcast host, will be regular panel members. TV One is in about 48 million homes, a little less than half of the nation’s TV homes.

Rodgers said it dawned on him when TV One covered last year’s Democratic convention and saw many Black Caucus members trudge up to the network’s temporary rooftop studio for interviews: these politicians have few outlets to talk about their issues and people have few places to hear them.

“I hope to get smart, intelligent, entertaining conversation,” Rodgers said, “but I put this under the public affairs arena. It doesn’t have to be a ratings success.”

I’ll give this show a look see since I do listen to Roland on the TJMS.  It would be nice to see a variety of views on the show and not just folks from the Congressional Black Caucus.