(BLACK PR WIRE) – LOS ANGELES – 24 July 2013 – Broadcaster Tavis Smiley announced today that the Tavis Smiley Network (TSN), a network of programs developed exclusively for BlogTalkRadio, the world's largest social broadcasting network, has amassed more than 1.5 million listens since launching on June 25 of this year. This unprecedented milestone points to the success of TSN as the first network partnership for BlogTalkRadio with a national media personality.

TSN is anchored by Tavis Talks, a daily news and opinion program that engages a diverse array of high-profile guests, such as Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt, Larry King, Walter Mosley and Suze Orman. Tavis Talks posts daily at 4 p.m. (EST) and is complimented by an all-star line-up of expert hosts, including:

• Rolonda Watts: Sundays With Rolonda, Sunday, 5 p.m. (EST)

• Kenneth Braswell: Ties Never Broken, Monday, 7 p.m. (EST)

• Beverly Macy: Social Media Radio with Beverly Macy, Tuesday, 3 p.m. (EST)

• Robert Ferguson: Diet Free Life, Tuesday, 5 p.m. (EST)

• Rick Najera: Almost White with Rick Najera, Tuesday, 6 p.m. (EST)

• Stephanie Robinson: Roundtable with Stephanie Robinson, Thursday, 11:30 a.m. (EST)

• John Daly: Informed Not Inflamed, Thursday, 7 p.m. (EST)

“TSN is an opportunity for us to deepen our connection with people and communities across the country,” said Smiley. “Our network hosts work hard to create unique programs with strong content driven by listeners and we are thrilled that they have responded so strongly.”

“TSN is a showcase of the online radio experience and hitting the 1.5 million mark so soon after launch is reflective of how our partnership is reshaping the media industry,” said Alan Levy, co-founder and CEO of BlogTalkRadio. “It’s clear that the BlogTalkRadio community appreciates and recognizes the great content being delivered by Tavis and the other hosts on his network.”

To accelerate the momentum, TSN will premiere a new slate of additional hosts after Labor Day. They include: political commentator and Howard University professor Michael Fauntroy; arts and culture critic Bill Banfield; political theorist and New York Times bestselling author Benjamin Barber; historian and UCLA professor Robin D.G. Kelley; social commentator April Yvonne Garrett; travel expert Alison Taylor; and others.

About Tavis Smiley

Tavis Smiley is host and managing editor of the nightly talk show Tavis Smiley on PBS produced by TS Media, Inc., and the host of The Tavis Smiley Show and co-host of Smiley & West from Public Radio International (PRI), both produced by Smiley Radio Properties, Inc. Smiley is also the author/editor of 16 books, including New York Times bestsellers Covenant with Black America, What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America, and his most recent, The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto. In 2009, TIME magazine named him one of the World’s 100 Most Influential People. 2013 marks his 10th season on PBS and is the inaugural year for the Tavis Smiley Network (TSN) on BlogTalkRadio. For more information, visit www.tavistalks.com.

About BlogTalkRadio

BlogTalkRadio is the world’s largest social broadcasting network with thousands of talented experts hosting shows on every kind of topic — from politics and current affairs, entertainment and sports to health and finance. Founded in 2006 by Alan Levy, BlogTalkRadio is the world’s largest producer of podcasts and attracts a very significant audience of more than 18 million unique visitors and more than 40,000,000 listens per month. Since its inception, BlogTalkRadio has broadcast more than 2,000,000 radio shows. Cinchcast, Inc., the parent company of BlogTalkRadio, is a leading provider of cloud-based audio solutions.