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WLMT-TV Channel 30 turns camera on minorities.
In addition to being new in the market with a primetime newscast, WLMT-TV CHANNEL 30 also has the distinction of being the only news program in the market to feature two Black male anchors - Robb Harleston and Ken Houston. Additionally, the 9 p.m. "Newswatch 30" show is produced by a Black female, Vicki Kirby; and is targeted primarily at an African American audience.
"It's a decision whose time has come," says Silver Spring, Maryland native Harleston about featuring two Black male anchors on a primetime newscast. "We're taking two qualified individuals, who are news men, and giving them a job to do. And that's how I see it, at the basic level.
"I appreciate the fact that we have the opportunity to have two Black males on a primetime newscast. It's an acknowledgment on the part of management to recognize the importance of a large segment of their audience."
The decision to feature two Black male anchors on a primetime news program on a consistent basis is one that Houston applauds, as well. "It's something other young minority males need to see," says the Kansas City, Missouri native; "in that it shows them the possibility that life holds."
"The mandate," explains Harleston, who's been in the broadcasting industry for 16 years, "was that they wanted to do a show that dealt with the issues...