TV One has announced that it will suspend the production of “NewsOne Now” as a daily morning news show after four years of as the only Black daily newscast on television. The final live show is scheduled on Thursday, December 21, at 6 a.m. CST.
“I am undoubtedly saddened by NewsOne Now ending daily production,” said “NewsOne Now” host and Managing Editor Roland Martin. “We set out to give America, specifically Black America, a show that spoke to our issues, concerns and unique perspective. And we did just that.
TV One premiered “NewsOne Now” in 2013 to provide a daily voice to Black America on important political and social issues impacting the community.
“Providing a platform for Black voices is in the DNA of our entire company,” TV One CEO Alfred Liggins said in a statement. “As a Black-owned multi-media company, Urban One (parent company of TV One) engages Black America daily, not just on television, but radio and also online via NewsOne.com and on 77 digital platforms. We know there is a void in mainstream media and we plan to continue to be an outlet for Black news. Roland Martin will be a part of that plan.”
TV One points to a failure to gain traction with viewers and advertisers as the reason for the show’s suspension as a daily program.
“We had to make a tough decision to suspend a show we all love,” said TV One Interim General Manager Michelle L. Rice. “Despite the best efforts of the many talented people who work on this amazing show day to day, ‘NewsOne Now’ struggled to attract a wide audience. Like any other network, we had to make a difficult choice.”
The network said that it is working to restructure “NewsOne Now” in 2018 under a new format that will better serve its audience and advertisers and promises that
Martin will continue to be heard across all Urban One platforms examining issues of importance to the Black community.
“I am immensely proud of this staff, and thank you to TV One CEO Alfred Liggins for launching this show in 2013,” Martin said. “I cannot express how humbling it has been to have African Americans of all ages show me their appreciation for our work. I promise to ‘keep giving them hell,’ so stay tuned.”
