* Tavis Smiley launched the talk radio show KBLA Talk 1580 in 2021 — exclusively dedicated to Black people. The move came after his fall from grace due to sexual harassment allegations that forced him out of PBS in 2017.
As 2UrbanGirls reports, an internal investigation into the accusations “uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS”. Smiley was ordered by a judge to pay PBS $2.6 million for breaching his contract by violating the morals clause. The judgment has not been paid, and the network launched a second court case in Los Angeles to collect the money, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Since his return to broadcast media, Smiley has conducted interviews on his radio program with several high-profile influencers and politicians. As EUR reported previously, the station is popularly known as “Progressively Unapologetic” as it serves Los Angeles’ most ignored audience – people of color and progressives. Unknown to most people, KBLA 1580 AM is a heritage station and the original home to the iconic Hip-Hop station KDAY.
READ MORE: Tavis Smiley Ordered to Pay PBS $2.6M for ‘Multiple’ Workplace Affairs
“Tavis is like a force of nature in the Black community,” said civil rights attorney Connie Rice, LA Times reports. “He carries his own gravity and he’ll attract a network of leaders and thinkers. I will not be surprised to see that translate into strong radio and maybe even to other platforms.”
“On this side of the PBS drama, what you hear in my voice is a sincere depth of gratitude to be back in the game, back in the business, to be in this space,” Smiley said recently from his Crenshaw Boulevard studio, per the LA Times. “The sweet spot for me has always been talking to people. These three hours on the radio are the best part of my day.”
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times wants to know how Smiley was able to raise the capital to stage a comeback following his #MeToo controversy at PBS.
Per 2UrbanGirls, “it seems as though the newspaper is questioning if Smiley is being paid by a funding source close to Mark Ridley-Thomas for favorable coverage of him in the Black community,” the outlet writes.
Read the full LA Times article here.
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