ESPN cancels `Quite Frankly' TV show with Stephen A. Smith
By Gail Shister
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA - ESPN on Friday pulled the plug on Stephen A. Smith's weeknight interview show, "Quite Frankly.''
Its finale was Friday night. Smith, a Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter since 1994, launched "Quite Frankly'' in August 2005. His high-decibel delivery earned him the nickname, "Screamin' A. Smith."
"Frankly'' ran at 6:30 weeknights, moving to 11 p.m. in January 2006. Its cancellation was not a surprise - the show never drew big ratings.
Smith's presence will be expanded across numerous platforms, the network announced on Friday.
To wit: He'll be featured more regularly on "SportsCenter,'' NBA studio programming, and on ESPNEWS, as well as host four TV interview specials surrounding big events.
In addition, "opportunities" with ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com columns "will be explored," the network said.
"Stephen A. connects with fans because he brings great energy, knowledge and strong opinions," Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive in charge of remote and studio production, said in a statement.
"While `Quite Frankly' delivered strong interviews and discussion, this new role will provide a better showcase for Stephen A.'s impactful voice to be heard across numerous forms of ESPN media."
"Yes, it's true, and I support ESPN's decision," Smith said. "Doing a brand new show on ESPN2 was a tremendous challenge and I'm proud of what we accomplished.
"I've learned a great deal. I've also learned there's limits to what I can withstand in regards to my schedule. Now I move on to future challenges - while enthusiastically embracing old ones like writing for The Inquirer on a more frequent basis. This is not an end for me. This is just the beginning. I'm just getting started."
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© 2007, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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