WNYC® Radio Brings "The Tavis Smiley Show" Back to the New York Airwaves

Show To Air Saturdays and Sundays 2-3pm
on WNYC AM 820 and via live webstream at www.wnyc.org

Kicks Off Weekend of October 15 & 16

(October 4, 2005, New York, NY) - Kicking off the weekend of October 15 and 16, "The Tavis Smiley Show" will once again be heard in New York on WNYC, New York Public Radio®. The program, which is now produced as a two-hour weekly program, will air in two parts each weekend, on Saturdays and Sundays from 2-3pm on AM 820 and via live webstream on www.wnyc.org.

"The Tavis Smiley Show" is known for its engaging, high-energy, and provocative exchange of views, information, and insight on a broad range of political, social and cultural topics, with a focus on the African American perspective. The show offers a fresh blend of news and newsmakers, and the new two-hour format allows for expanded conversation with Smiley's high-profile guests. Past visitors to the Smiley studio have included President Bill Clinton, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Fidel Castro, Pope John Paul II, and Maya Angelou. The program also features commentary and dialogue with an impressive cast of regular contributors that includes Dr. Cornel West, Connie Rice, J.C. Watts, Dr. Ian Smith, and Michael Eric Dyson, among others.

"It's good to be back on WNYC," said Tavis Smiley. "New York is a vibrant, diverse metropolis where listeners are looking to be informed, challenged, and occasionally even enlightened. I'm glad to have the opportunity to bring New Yorkers our provocative mix of talk, analysis and opinion and to add a new perspective on the issues they care about."

Tavis Smiley is among the nation's most prominent media personalities, and currently hosts Tavis Smiley on PBS. Texas Southern University honored him with the opening of The Tavis Smiley School of Communications and The Tavis Smiley Center for Professional Media Studies, making him the youngest African American ever to be so honored.
Recipient of numerous honorary doctorates, including one from his alma mater, Indiana University, he established the Tavis Smiley Foundation "to enlighten, encourage, and empower black youth." He has authored eight books - including The Unfinished Agenda of Brown v. Board of Education, Keeping the Faith, and On Air: The Best of Tavis Smiley - and has his own imprint (Smiley Books) with Hay House. He lives in Los Angeles.
The Tavis Smiley Show is produced by Smiley Radio Properties, Inc. and is supported in part by Wells Fargo and Kaiser Permanente. The show is distributed by Public Radio International® (PRI).

WNYC, New York Public Radio, is New York's premier public radio station, comprising WNYC 93.9 FM and WNYC AM 820. As America's most listened-to public radio stations, reaching over one million listeners each week, WNYC FM and AM extend New York City's cultural riches to the whole country and air the best national offerings from affiliate networks National Public Radio and Public Radio International. WNYC 93.9 FM broadcasts a broad range of daily news, talk, cultural and classical music programming, while WNYC AM 820 maintains a stronger focus on breaking news and international news reporting.

Jennifer Houlihan
Publicity Manager
WNYC, New York Public Radio
1 Centre Street, 24th floor
New York, NY  10007
(212) 669-7748
jhoulihan@wnyc.org