Tavis Smiley partners with AEG to stage major African-American events

By Kimberly Nordyke
The Hollywood Reporter
(February 9, 2007) Talk show host and commentator Tavis Smiley has struck a deal with events giant AEG to develop a series of projects to focus on arts, culture, education and social advocacy. Separately, Smiley also has been hired by PBS to host two forums with presidential candidates this year.

The first venture of the Smiley-AEG partnership will be the TV special "Living the Dream: A Night at the Apollo" awards show and tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. Starting next year, the partnership will shepherd a touring museum exhibit examining "the African-American imprint on our country and culture."

Another project in the works is dubbed "Table of Free Voices USA" and will be staged in October in Philadelphia, with more than 100 leaders in "the world's largest social discourse" discussing a range of issues and topics with an audience in a Q&A-style setting that will have a Web simulcast.

Smiley, who hosts an eponymous talk show based out of PBS' Los Angeles affiliate KCET-TV, will host a forum with Democratic presidential candidates to air June 28 at Howard University in Washington. A similar session with Republican candidates will be held September 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

AEG, owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, operates such venues as the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Nokia Theater in New York, as well as various sports franchises, marketing and touring businesses.


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