(ThyBlackMan.com) T.J. Holmes, the affable CNN weekend anchor who told colleagues on Sunday he was leaving the network at the end of the year, is heading for Black Entertainment Television, according to a source familiar with Holmes’ situation.
BET plans to build a show around T.J. Holmes, 34, the source said. Neither Holmes nor spokeswomen for BET were available for comment.
[BET made the announcement official later Wednesday.
“BET Networks has inked a multi-platform talent agreement with award-winning journalist and television personality T.J. Holmes, as announced Wednesday,” it said. “The deal with T.J. Holmes includes a new show on BET as well as content on BET.com in which he can bring his many talents to some of 
what BET says it regards as ‘the most important and interesting stories’ for their audience.
” ‘We are simply ecstatic to have T.J. Holmes coming to our fold. He’s been an outstanding news anchor and we look forward to working with him in a variety of new ways on BET,’ said Stephen G. Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials at BET Networks. ‘It’s now upon us to develop vehicles that capture his intelligence, curiosity about the world, warmth, humor and compassion. It’s a challenge that we are happy to have.’ ”
[“When we found out he was looking for new opportunities, BET approached him,” spokeswoman LeToya Glenn Bacon told Journal-isms.]
T.J. Holmes joined CNN in October 2006 and anchors the weekend edition of “CNN Newsroom” on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
At the summer convention of the National Association of Black Journalists, he joked about the “weekend ghetto” to which African American television anchors seem to be consigned, and not just at CNN. Also anchoring weekends at the network are Don Lemon and Fredricka Whitfield.
CNN confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Holmes was leaving “to pursue other opportunities.” With that, and a prior mention in Journal-isms that Holmes was leaving, the news went viral.
“T.J. Holmes – I just read that you were leaving CNN. Your decision or theirs. I hope they do not replace you with a Barbie Doll cutout,” wrote one fan on Facebook.
Another wrote on the Huffington Post, “I’m a huge T.J. Holmes fan. I think he’s smooth..delicious and very comfortable in front of the camera. He’s on to bigger and better things and I can’t wait to see where he lands! Good Luck!!”
A third said, “WHAT A SEXY MUTHA!!!!! DAMN!”
Tenisha Bell, CNN executive producer, wrote, “T.J. Holmes is a great journalist, co-worker, work husband and friend. I’ve been wiping the tears for months and now we only have 2 more weeks together. I fully supported his move knowing that my job will never be the same. Rarely do you ever get an anchor and executive producer that sees ‘eye to eye’ and that can lead a team on one accord. He is a true gentleman and hard worker. I’m sure all of us will support him in his new job.”
Others posted messages disparaging CNN.
According to his CNN bio, “T.J. Holmes came to CNN from NBC11 in the San Francisco Bay Area. While with NBC, he traveled to Athens, Greece to cover the 2004 Olympics, the first Summer Games held since the September 11th terrorist attacks. He covered numerous other stories that garnered national attention, including the historic recall election of the California Governor in 2003 and the double murder trial of Scott Peterson.
“Before joining NBC11, T.J. Holmes served as a weekend anchor and reporter for KTHV-TV in Little Rock, Ark. He began his career at KSNF-TV in Joplin, Mo.”
In 2010, BET announced that another news name, Ed Gordon, would have a show built around him. But the Sunday news roundtable hosted by Gordon caused hardly a sti and is no longer on BET’s schedule. Gordon has failed to return to the status he enjoyed at the network after coming to national attention there two decades ago.
Meanwhile, BET announced Tuesday that it would air a news special, “The Curious Case of Citizen Cain” on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Herman Cain, who suspended his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Saturday, “talks in-depth for the first time to the black audience about what he calls ‘scams perpetrated on blacks’ by liberal black leaders, his fiery brand of black conservatism, and the sex scandals that drove him from the Republican Presidential race,” the announcement said. Clips are posted on bet.com/news.
Via; http://mije.org/richardprince/tj-holmes
