By Yvette Carnell
your black world
In today’s profit driven media, business is business, and there’s little appreciation for past services rendered. Prior to last week, Roland Martin was a regular contributor to CNN, but then new CNN head Jeff Zucker decided not to renew Martin’s contract, and now Martin has been totally shut out, according to FishbowlDC.
There are 17 days left on Roland Martin ‘s CNN contract. But the powers that be appear to be shutting it down early. With his contract ending April 6, some producers have been informed not to book him, FishbowlDC has learned. We knew something was awry when we noticed Martin hadn’t tweeted his usual #bringthefunk alert on Twitter that he’d be appearing on Erin Burnette’s “Out Front,” which he hasn’t done in a month. On Wednesday he tweeted that he did Canadian TV. The Canadians can find time to bring Martin’s funk, but not CNN?
Let’s get this straight. That semi-usual appearance he had on Thursdays during Carol Costello‘s slot? Gone. It’s been three weeks since he appeared on her program and months since he appeared on “The Situation Room.” He was also non-existent during CNN Inauguration coverage in January. A final appearance on his close friend, Soledad O’Brien‘s program, which ends next week? That appears to be a dead end proposition, too.
It is certainly possible that recent comments made by Martin spurred this directive by CNN executives. In an emailed statement to Politico, Martin underscored his desire to speak truth to power. In retrospect, that posture may’ve been a mistake:
“In my final days at CNN when I’m on the air, I will to do as the Tuskegee Airmen did, fight to the last hour, last minute, last second, for what is right. And I will do that as long as there is breath in my body.”
Roland Martin has not commented on this story.
YBW’s advice to Roland: If you’re going to fight, just fight. Don’t announce that you’re going to invade another country and then expect them to open the door and let you in. There’s a tradition of many companies to lock disgruntled employees out right after they’ve been fired, so it might not be wise to tell CNN that you’re at risk of sabotaging their platform by making Custard’s last stand on an outlet that is not your own.
This might be the last time we see Roland on CNN for a while.
Leave a Comment