Out with the old and in with the new.
As cliché as that sounds, it continues to ring true for one of CNN’s more vocal liberal pundits — who was given the heave-ho from the old-school cable giant over an anti-Semitic flap.
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, however, has landed on his feet with a talk show strictly for the new generation.
The award-winning journalist, author and academic will serve as host of the network’s new talk series, “Black Coffee,” expected to hit digital platforms June 3.
Officially announced Tuesday, the live daily morning show is a half-hour series promising to feature news-making interviews with top celebrities, athletes and social media stars.
Premiering Monday at 10 a.m. across multiple platforms including YouTube, Facebook Watch, Twitter, BET Now App and BET.com, the half-hour series will offer insights on pop-culture, relationships, music, politics, race and social justice.
Joined by co-hosts Gia Peppers and Jameer Pond, “Black Coffee” will be taped Monday through Friday in New York City and promises to keep the BET demographic up to speed on “Black Twitter’s buzziest conversations,” a network statement read.
“BET Networks has been home to me for many years, and I am proud to expand our partnership with this innovative series,” Hill said. “I look forward to galvanizing the Black community on our platforms and encouraging dialogue that moves the culture forward.”
Recognized as one of the leading intellectual black voices in the country, Hill is a professor of Media, Cities and Solutions at Temple University. Prior to that, he held positions at Columbia University and Morehouse College.
He served as host of the magazine format weekly series “Our World with Black Enterprise” and really gained popularity by holding court on the groundbreaking, daily internet-based “HuffPost Live” before commandeering the short-lived late night talk show “VH1 Live!” in 2016.
Hill has also hosted BET specials, including the marathon-long Aretha Franklin funeral.
The Philadelphia native came under fire last November following comments he made about Israel and Palestine in a speech at the United Nations. Hill’s comments were perceived to urge a boycott of Israel and condemned as anti-Semitic by the National Council of Young Israel and Anti-Defamation League. CNN swiftly terminated his contract.
