Posted by chicagomedia.org on September 15, 2008 at 07:09:15:
PAIR TO SUCCEED SMILEY ON 'JOYNER': Fan voting left Jeff Johnson and Stephanie Robinson in 'dead heat.'
Turns out it takes two people to fill Tavis Smiley's shoes at Tom Joyner's syndicated radio program.
After fan voting resulted in a tie between BET's Jeff Johnson and Harvard lecturer Stephanie Robinson, both were announced Thursday morning as the newest commentators for "The Tom Joyner Morning Show."
Their selection follows a two month on-air search to replace contributor Smiley, who exited the show in June after 12 years. Johnson will deliver his commentary on Tuesday and Robinson on Thursday at 8:10 a.m.
"'I am honored to be part of the TJMS family. This is truly a bridge-building opportunity as Stephanie and I bring a gender balance to commentary,' Johnson said in a statement.
Also, journalist Roland Martin has left his gig at Chicago's WVON-AM, reports the Chicago Sun-Times, to join the TJMS as a commentator. There's no word yet on when his commentaries will air.
• Jeff Johnson, a Washington, D.C.-based award-winning journalist, social activist and political commentator who merges politics and pop culture, is the managing editor/host of the BET talk show, "The Truth with Jeff Johnson." He has served as senior advisor for media and youth outreach for People for the American Way, national youth director for the NAACP and vice president for the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.
• Stephanie Robinson is the founding president and CEO of The Jamestown Project, a national think tank that focuses on democracy. She is a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School and former chief counsel for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and a recognized expert on social policy, women, race and family.
(EURweb)