The Tavis Smiley Show

	About the Show
		*The Tavis Smiley Show* is a high-energy exchange of views, information, and insight hosted by Tavis Smiley. The two-hour weekly show offers a unique blend of news and newsmakers in expanded conversations, along with feature reports and regular commentators Cornel West, Connie Rice, Deroy Murdock, Omar Wasow, Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, Rachel Ross, Kathryn Lopez, Antonio Gonzalez, Jonathan Walton and George Johnson. Each weekend Tavis 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. *The Tavis Smiley Show* is produced by Smiley Radio Properties, Inc. in partnership with Public Radio International (PRI). The show is available to PRI's 727 affiliate stations nationwide for broadcast and simulcast streaming. About Tavis Smiley
	About Public Radio International
		PRI is public radio's leading source for innovative programming and audio content. The Minneapolis-based network provides over 400 hours of programming each week, content that is broadcast and streamed online by its 727 public radio station affiliates nationwide, who reach 31 million listeners each week. PRI is the managing partner of the satellite radio company American Public Radio, LLC, established with Chicago Public Radio^® and WGBH Radio Boston. PRI's cultural programming is available via XM Public Radio. Its news and information programming is available via Sirius Satellite Radio. PRI is known for driving innovation in public radio through partnerships with stations, independent producers, and other organizations, and for working collaboratively to pool resources and share risk, cultivate new talent, and bring diverse voices and perspectives to the public airwaves. Its best known offerings include Marketplace^®, produced by American Public Media™ in association with the University of Southern California; This American Life, produced by Chicago Public Radio^®; PRI's The World, a co-production of BBC World Service, PRI, and WGBH Radio Boston; Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?^®, produced by Wisconsin Public Radio; PRI's From the Top^®, produced by From the Top in association with WGBH Radio Boston and New England Conservatory of Music; and PRI's Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, produced by PRI and WNYC, New York Public Radio. About Public Radio International
	The Tavis Smiley Show Staff Bios
		Sheryl Flowers Sheryl Flowers was the guiding force behind Tavis Smiley's public radio career. Her own career spanned nearly 20 years, during which she worked in almost every facet of media. Since 2001, she, along with Smiley, was committed to bringing substantive, insightful, and provocative conversations on issues that matter most to everyday people. In memory of our dear Executive Producer, *The Tavis Smiley Show* from Public Radio International (PRI) is now recorded and mixed in the "Sheryl Flowers Radio Studios" in Los Angeles. For more information about Sheryl, visit www.tavistalks.com.
		Morris W. O’Kelly Morris W. O’Kelly is Senior Supervising Producer for *The Tavis Smiley Show* from PRI. He is the son of two music educators and competent on 10 musical instruments. After graduation from Georgetown University, he immediately went to work for Capitol Records and enjoyed an 11-year stint in the music industry, working for such companies as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, NARAS (the Grammys), and numerous other record labels. In addition, he began branching out into entertainment journalism, scribing for newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. After a number of critically acclaimed Op/Ed pieces in the Los Angeles Times, he decided to combine his love of writing and the audio arts. In the intervening years, he and his work have appeared in The New York Times, on CNN, Good Morning America, The Jim Rome Show and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest. When O'Kelly is not stringing sinewy, didactic words and phrases together, he teaches the martial art of Hapkido as a 3rd degree black belt.
		Joe Zefran Joe Zefran is a Producer for *The Tavis Smiley Show* from PRI. He has returned to the program after three years of travelling around the world (twice) and living in Dublin, Ireland where he was the News Editor for RTE.ie,the website for Ireland's public broadcaster. Before his first stint on *The Tavis Smiley Show*, Joe was a founding executive producer at Air America Radio where he created the newsmagazine show "So What Else Is News?" with Marty Kaplan and was the executive producer of the daily talk show "Unfiltered" hosted by Chuck D, Rachel Maddow and Lizz Winstead. Joe also directed public radio's business show "Marketplace" and created the pop culture pilot "American Pop" for Minnesota Public Radio. His roots in public broadcasting go back to his hometown of Chicago where he started answering phones during PBS pledge drives at age 12. He later volunteered as a production assistant at WBEZ in those poor pre-Ira Glass days and worked in southern Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin as a television, radio and print journalist.
		Vanessa Rumbles Vanessa Rumbles is an Associate Producer for *The Tavis Smiley Show* from PRI. A native of Southern California, her television career began in 2005, when she served as Associate Producer and Field Reporter for a local kids sports show. Her work as a sports reporter landed her on the front page of the Daily Times newspaper, while covering the Connie Mack World Series Baseball Championships in Farmington, NM. While working on her internship, Rumbles started producing packages for nationally syndicated tech reporter, Kurt the CyberGuy. Her frequent appearances in his reports led to her becoming a correspondent on his national half-hour TV show, CyberGuy Living Techalicious. She currently appears as "Interactive Girl" on the series, which is broadcast nationwide on Tribune TV. In 2007, Rumbles earned a bachelor's degree in radio/TV/film from California State University, Fullerton. In 2008, she made headlines once again-this time on the front page of the New York Daily News entertainment section, for her work as "Interactive Girl." During her free time, you'll find her hanging out by the beach, spending time with her amazing cat Stryker Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and watching NASCAR.

The Tavis Smiley Show from PRI appreciates the support of its national underwriters. The program is produced by Smiley Radio Properties, Inc. and distributed by PRI.