DETROIT - WDET 101.9FM plays host to a live national broadcast of The Tavis Smiley Show from NPR(r) (National Public Radio) on Friday, February 7 from 9-10am. The live radio program will focus on black history, and will include a live studio audience at the Detroit Film Theatre Auditorium of the Detroit Institute of Arts at John R and Farnsworth. Seats for studio audience members are on a first come basis only and must be reserved by calling WDET at 313-993-4336. Doors will open at 7:30am and studio audience members must arrive by 8:45am.

The Tavis Smiley Show, a one-hour talk magazine that presents news, current events and ideas from a black perspective, airs each weekday morning from 9-10am on WDET. "Since its debut in September, Detroit listeners have been faithfully tuning in to hear the one-of-a-kind informative, stimulating talk show that Tavis Smiley offers," says Judy Adams, WDET Program Director. "We're excited to have him in Detroit for this live show, which is the second live remote his show has done."

The Tavis Smiley Show is now heard on more than 52 stations nationwide, reaching both mainstream and African-American audiences. Smiley is the first African-American to host a signature talk magazine in NPR's 32-year history. The program is produced and distributed daily from Los Angeles-also a first in NPR history - and the Detroit program on February 7 will mark Black History Month. WDET and Detroit are the second station and city respectively to host Smiley's live remote broadcast since an Atlanta program on October 30, 2003. Since his program debuted last year, Smiley has interviewed newsmakers and personalities from Bill Cosby to Bill Clinton to Senator John McCain, Oprah Winfrey and Halle Berry. "My NPR program represents a historic event in radio, and what's making a difference is the difference," said Smiley. "We cover everything-politics, money, relationships, race, class, culture and more. If it's being discussed-or better yet, if it's not-we'll be talking about it, and we'll be breaking news."

NPR, renowned for journalistic excellence and standard-setting news, information and entertainment programming, serves a growing audience of more than 20 million Americans each week via nearly 700 public radio stations. NPR Online at www.npr.org brings hourly newscasts, features, commentaries and radio programs to Internet users through original online reports, audio streaming and other multimedia elements. NPR also distributes programming to listeners in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa via NPR Worldwide, to military installations overseas via American Forces Network and throughout Japan via cable.

WDET, Detroit Public Radio is a community service of Wayne State University and has been serving the metropolitan Detroit community with quality arts and information programming since 1949. Nationally recognized, WDET is a full-service station that has been honored with countless awards for its music and news programming. In 2002, WDET received top honors from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, Michigan Associated Press and the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. WDET delivers its programming world-wide via its web cast at www.wdetfm.org and is a sponsor of numerous area cultural events including the Detroit Festival of the Arts, Ford-Detroit International Jazz Festival, Concert of Colors, Arts, Beats & Eats and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival.