Longtime journalist and TV show host Roland Martin signed off as host of TV One’s “NewsOne Now” Thursday morning.
Going through his usual pre-show routine, Martin reviewed greeted his panelists and opened up Twitter from the iPad on the set. The show crew prepared the studio and settled in for the final two-hour newscast that they have grown familiar with over the past four years.
Earlier this month, there were reports TV One was canceling the show due to budget cuts. Martin confirmed the show’s suspension in a tweet.
“Fam, the sad news is true. The staff of @tvonetv #NewsOneNow was informed this afternoon that after four years of doing groundbreaking and award-winning work, the show will cease production at the end of the year,” he said.
TV One CEO Alfred Liggins said in a statement that providing a platform for black voices “is in the DNA of our entire company.”
“We know there is a void in mainstream media and we plan to continue to be an outlet for Black news,” he said. “Roland Martin will be a part of that plan.”
The news still comes as a disappointment to Martin, his staff, and most notably his viewers.
Martin, a two-time NAACP Image Award winner and frequent guest on MSNBC, told NBC News after his final show that through his show is ending, his time with TV One is not. He said his contract with the company ends August 2018, but that he saw this day coming and nothing lasts forever. He was always thinking of his next step.
“This is vital and I said this in 2013 when I won the NABJ Award for Journalist of The Year: Don’t be so consumed by the largest company on your business card. You need to grab the best opportunity,” he said. “The opportunity matters, not the largest company on your business card.”
Since Nov. 4, 2013, viewers have been waking up at 7 a.m. to watch Martin discuss topics relating to politics and the black community. With catchphrases like “Shelly, Go To My iPad” and “Bring The Funk,” Martin kept the audience engaged with his interactive live tweeting and outspoken demeanor.
