Tavis Smiley To Host New 'Inspirational' TV Show And A 'Town Hall' Tour To Talk About Relationships In The Workplace
After having his show dropped by PBS amid allegations of sexual misconduct, Tavis Smiley announced Monday he is coming back to television with a new “inspirational” show.
According to USA Today, his new show, The Upside With Tavis Smiley, will be streamed online and shown on The Word Network, a religious-centered cable channel popular among Black audiences.
In addition to the show, Smiley will also host a five-city "town hall" tour where he will engage in conversations about relationships in the workplace. At the end of 2017, Smiley was accused of engaging in inappropriate relationships with subordinates at his workplace.
Despite PBS’ claim that several woman who worked for Smiley felt their career advancement resulted from a sexual relationship with the host, Smiley has been adamant about fighting the allegations.
"I would not wish this experience on my worst enemy," Smiley told reporters. "Having said that, the last time this happened, great things came out of it."
His new show is expected to start in the spring.
The new program will be focusing on inspirational stories rather than coverage of national news. Although Smiley is framing this as a bounce back, his digital distribution deal with company AerNow as well as his appearance on The World Network will dramatically reduce his viewership.