The Tavis Smiley Show is a high-energy exchange of views, information, and insight hosted by Tavis Smiley. The two-hour weekly program offers a unique blend of news and newsmakers in expanded conversations, along with feature reports and regular commentators Cornel West, Connie Rice, J.C. Watts, Omar Wasow, Dr. Ian Smith, Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, Michael Eric Dyson, Antonio Gonzalez and George Johnson. Each week, Smiley engages commentators and guests in substantive and provocative discussions on a wide range of topics including: politics, health, finance, sports, technology and pop culture. An insightful exploration of the issues that matter from fresh, diverse points of view is the show's hallmark.

Airs:  7 p.m., Mondays on KSTX 89.1 FM, beginning August 18
Website:  The Tavis Smiley Show on PRI

About the Host

Some would say that an exclusive interview with the president of the United States, during one of the most controversial scandals to ever hit the White House, is the interview of a lifetime. Others would say interviewing Fidel Castro in the wake of unprecedented U.S. sanctions relief, or the conversation with Pope John Paul II was the most significant.

"Time" selected Smiley as one of America's 50 most promising young leaders. "Newsweek" profiled him as one of the "20 people changing how Americans get their news" and dubbed him one of the nation's "captains of the airwaves."

With his late-night television talk show, "Tavis Smiley" on PBS and his earlier radio show "The Tavis Smiley Show," Smiley was the first American ever to simultaneously host signature talk shows on both PBS and NPR. Smiley's television show continues, and he returned to public radio with "The Tavis Smiley Show" in association with Public Radio International (PRI). In partnership with PBS and PRI, he created two "All-American Presidential Forums," groundbreaking initiatives held in 2007 at historically black colleges — the Democratic forum at Howard University and the Republican forum at Morgan State University.

Smiley, who started his career as an aide to the late Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, also offers political commentary twice weekly on the "Tom Joyner Morning Show." In addition, he has authored ten books and has his own imprint (Smiley Books) with Hay House.

Texas Southern University honored Smiley with the opening of The Tavis Smiley School of Communications and The Tavis Smiley Center for Professional Media Studies, making him the youngest African American to ever have a professional school and center named after him on a college or university campus. Smiley cemented his commitment to TSU with a $1 million gift to the Center.

The mission of his nonprofit organization — Tavis Smiley Foundation — is to enlighten, encourage and empower black youth. Tavis Smiley Presents, a subsidiary of The Smiley Group Inc., brings ideas and people together through symposiums, seminars, forums and town hall meetings.

He has received numerous honorary doctorate degrees, including one from his alma mater, Indiana University.

One of 10 children, Smiley is single and lives in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he enjoys a good game of Scrabble with friends.