When the pair did fill-in work in the past, WCCB liked what it saw in Harris and Holloway's humor and rapport. "These two just walked in the door and were just incredible, and it's a quick fix for us", says White.
The show was in need of a revamp after co-host Mark Mathis was fired, and co-host Ashley Anderson decided to cut back her schedule, as she's expecting a baby. She will continue to do reports for the station. Matt and Ramona sidekick Derek James will also be a part of the TV mix.
Harris and Holloway will do their afternoon radio show, then head over to WCCB to get ready for their new TV gig each night. White says the arrangement with the pair will be short-term to begin with, as all the parties involved determine whether the new deal will work out for them schedule-wise.
The promotional opportunities are also a good fit, as WLNK-FM listeners will sample their favorites on TV as well. The new team debuts this week.
Each year, documentary maker-cum TV news reporter Steve Crump produces a program about an aspect of African-American history in the South, and his new work debuting February 9 at 8pm on WTVI is no exception.
Why in the world doesn't WBTV run Steve Crump's documentaries as well? They're produced by one of the station's own news reporters on his own time and dime, and would be seen as a feather in the station's cap.
Before Rosa: The Unsung Contribution of Sarah Mae Flemming tells the little-known story of a South Carolina woman who sued a bus company for its segregated seating policy in 1954, years before Rosa Parks more famously refused to sit in the back of the bus.
Untold stories are Crump's strength, and he hit all the major players in the story including historians, journalists, legal experts, and Flemming's family and friends, many of whom didn't know anything about their relative's landmark lawsuit.
And here's my annual question: Why in the world doesn't WBTV run these programs as well? They're produced by one of the station's own news reporters on his own time and dime, and would be seen as another feather in the station's cap. Not to mention that Crump's docs are much more interesting than WBTV's current schedule of weekend infomercials. What's up with that?
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library is archiving four of Crump's documentaries running in February on WTVI and they'll be available for educational purposes. This is how Black History Month should be on television, telling us what isn't in the textbooks.
Shannon Reichley is the producer of How To I Do, premiering this week on the DIY cable network. E-mail at Shannon.Reichley@cln.com