PBS Suspends Talk Host Tavis Smiley

Tavis Smiley

PBS is suspending distribution of late-night talk show Tavis Smiley following sexual misconduct claims levied against its host.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision comes after the public broadcaster conducted an investigation into Smiley and found "credible allegations" of inappropriate behavior.

"Effective today, PBS has indefinitely suspended distribution of Tavis Smiley, produced by TS Media, an independent production company," a PBS spokesperson said Wednesday in a statement. "PBS engaged an outside law firm to conduct an investigation immediately after learning of troubling allegations regarding Mr. Smiley. This investigation included interviews with witnesses as well as with Mr. Smiley. The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this information led to today’s decision."

Smiley, who served as host and producer on the show, allegedly was involved in sexual relationships with multiple members of his staff who claim he fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in verbal abuse, according to a report by Variety.

Tavis Smiley first began airing on PBS in 2004.

My response to PBS suspension full text here: https://t.co/SzcQLfQWeX pic.twitter.com/8KX2QIr59B

— Tavis Smiley (@tavissmiley) December 14, 2017

In an email to The New York Times, Mr. Smiley accused the network of conducting an unfair investigation and not offering him due process to defend himself.

“Put simply, PBS overreacted and conducted a biased and sloppy investigation, which led to a rush to judgment, and trampling on a reputation that I have spent an entire lifetime trying to establish,” Mr. Smiley wrote early Thursday.

Smiley said he learned more about the allegations from news reports on Wednesday evening than he did during a three-hour interview with an investigator. He said he had never sexually assaulted or harassed any colleague during his career.

“If having a consensual relationship with a colleague years ago is the stuff that leads to this kind of public humiliation and personal destruction, heaven help us,” he said.

In addition to hosting the “Tavis Smiley” show, which premiered in January 2004, Mr. Smiley is also a radio host and is the author or co-author of 21 books.

Smiley became a radio commentator in 1991 and, starting in 1996, he hosted the talk show BET Talk (later renamed BET Tonight) on Black Entertainment Television (BET). After Smiley sold an exclusive interview of Sara Jane Olson to ABC News in 2001, BET declined to renew his contract that year. Smiley then began hosting The Tavis Smiley Show on National Public Radio (NPR) (2002–04) and used to host Tavis Smiley on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on weekdays and The Tavis Smiley Show on Public Radio International (PRI).

From 2010 to 2013, Smiley and Cornel West joined forces to host their own radio talk show, Smiley & West. They were featured together interviewing musician Bill Withers in the 2009 documentary film Still Bill.[3] He was the new host of Tavis Talks on BlogTalkRadio's Tavis Smiley Network.