We’ve actually been doing it for more than a year. We started out on an access station for a couple months, and about a year ago we switched over to the CBS affiliate station [in Jackson, Mississippi].
Why did you decide to start a TV show?
I was a night-time radio personality [for 97.7 WJRH] and I just wanted to do something with TV instead. In Jackson, they didn’t have any type of shows that really highlighted artists or events or venues. They didn’t have anything like that around here, so it’s kinda unique for the market.
What’s the format of your show? Do you play videos, or mostly interviews?
It’s strictly interviews. We cover a lot of events. We’ve covered the Cash Money celebrity event during the Essence Festival, Magic Johnson’s celebrity party, the 2004 Joker’s Wild comedy tour, Tom Joyner events, the Big Easy Classic, the Seagram’s Gin tour when they came here, and a whole lot of other shows. We’ve interviewed a lot of artists, all the way from Hootie & the Blowfish to Snoop, Chingy, and Ludacris.
What was your most enjoyable interview?
Everybody has been pretty cool. David Banner always gives you a lot to talk about. Daz Dillinger was cool, too. K-Ci & Jo-Jo, Fiend, Doug E. Fresh, Trillville, Young Buck, 8Ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, there’s so many!
What about your worst interview?
My worst interview wasn’t even hip-hop, it was a blues singer – Tyrone Davis. He had the worst attitude. We didn’t even air the interview.
So you aren’t limited to just hip-hop artists?
Yeah, we cover all types of music. We actually covered the Jackson Music Awards in 2003 and 2004 and we wound up covering a lot of blues artists. We also covered a concert with Hootie & the Blowfish. We just cover whatever events come through Jackson, but they’re mostly hip-hop.
How do you cover the costs of producing the show?
We have advertisers and sponsors. Some of our sponsors last year were 3 Vodka, Remy Martin, and 1Life 1Love. One of our biggest sponsors is [Jackson nightclub] Freelon’s.
It would be easy for people to just watch BET or MTV – how do you make your programming different to catch their attention?
I think it’s different cause it’s closer to home. We cover events in Memphis, New Orleans, and Jackson. Sometimes we have to edit stuff, but for the most part it’s live and you’re right there on the scene. A lot of studio stuff is set up, but you never know on Admission Granted.
Do you have any unique interview questions that you ask the artists?
It just depends on the time, the event, and who the artist is. Sometimes I do a lil’ research, find out what’s going on with their beefs or performances. When I interviewed K-Ci and Jo Jo, he went all the way back to Mary J Blige. He still had hang-ups about that relationship, so I just play along with the conversation.
When does Admission Granted come on?
We come on every Friday night at 1 AM. Friday’s not a big club night here. People go out on Thursdays and Saturdays, but they usually stay home on Fridays so that’s why we chose that night. A lot of people don’t know that our ratings are the same as David Letterman’s. He comes on at 10:30 PM and we come on at 1 AM, so that was an accomplishment.
What cities are able to view the show?
We’re on throughout Mississippi and eastern Louisiana on the CBS affiliate, which reaches over 350,000 households. The main station we’re on is WJTV, but it switches over in North Mississippi.
Do you only interview major artists or have you featured some local talent as well?
Yeah, we’ve interviewed a lot of local talent around here. We go to some of their shows. It’s not just mainstream artists.
Who else is involved with Admission Granted besides yourself?
Cory Thomas of Southside Videos, he does most of the editing and production and camera work.
What do you enjoy more about TV than radio?
With radio, you’re confined. On television, you can travel a lot more and mingle with people. I like to stay in people’s faces; I’m kinda a public relations person. I like to talk a lot. I think there’s more opportunities in TV.
What’s the next step for you?
Right now we’re talking to another station about the possibility of adding another city. I started out doing promotions, so I still do promotions for Seagram’s Gin and a lot of other companies. I host a lot of shows, and I write an entertainment column for the Clarion Ledger. I’m involved in a lot of things. You never know where you’ll catch us.
Any contact information you’d like to give out?
My website is www.tambracherie.com and there’s live video on there, interviews, DJ of the month, and a lot more. There are unedited clips from the show on the website, too.
