Tavis Smiley is back, as the former PBS host announced the launch of a new show on Monday.
“The Upside with Tavis Smiley” will be streamed online and aired on The Word Network, a religious-oriented cable and satellite channel directed at black viewers, according to the Associated Press. Smiley also announced a five-city “town hall” tour to talk about relationships in the workplace.
The announcement comes less than a month after Smiley was dropped by PBS in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against him, which he vehemently denied.
“I have the utmost respect for women and celebrate the courage of those who have come forth to tell their truth. To be clear, I have never groped, coerced, or exposed myself inappropriately to any workplace colleague in my entire broadcast career, covering 6 networks over 30 years,” Smiley said in a statement on Dec. 14. “Never. Ever. Never.”
“This has gone too far,” he said. “And, I, for one, intend to fight back.”
By fashioning a new program focusing on inspirational stories instead of more general interest news and entertainment, Smiley will sidestep the issue of whether his downfall would make celebrities reluctant to be interviewed by him, the AP reported.
He also plans for a book and online course in “Leading by Listening.”
Previously, Smiley hosted “Tavis Smiley” on PBS from 2004.