TV ONE'S "NEWS ONE NOW" EXPLORES NEW ORLEANS SCHOOL SYSTEM POST-HURRICANE KATRINA IN ONE-HOUR SPECIAL

Live Daily News Program Addresses Conflict Over Education on Friday, Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. ET

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Aug. 24, 2015 - In recognition of the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, TV One's News One Now dedicates an entire show exploring the controversy surrounding the rebuild and reorganization of New Orleans' once failing school system with the premiere of The New Orleans Charter School Revolution: Ten Years After Katrina, on Friday, Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. ET. Reported and produced by News One Now host and managing editor Roland S. Martin, the special will pre-empt the daily live news program's regular format.

Shot on location in New Orleans, The New Orleans Charter School Revolution: Ten Years After Katrina features nearly two dozen parents, teachers, graduates, principals and public officials as they assess the current state of the New Orleans nearly all-charter public school system. The special will profile a graduate and a family whose lives have been transformed by the new school system and are now succeeding in areas where the previous education failed them. The voices of supporters and critics will be on full display at a special town hall meeting held in a charter school classroom, where all the passion, anger, joy and hope play out in front of the cameras. An exclusive poll of over 600 African American families shows a stunning desire for school choice in the form of public charter schools. In addition New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu shares his hopes for the city.

"Ten years ago, 85% of New Orleans was under water, but before that 63% of New Orleans public schools were judged academically unacceptable. Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, but as this special discloses, Katrina just may have saved its schools, and its school children," remarked Martin. "New Orleans is unique in that its public school system was virtually destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and was rebuilt with an emphasis on school-level control and charters. While there have been many issues and problems, the special reveals how schools now perform better for African American families."

The New Orleans Charter School Revolution: Ten Years After Katrina is executive produced by multiple award-winning producers Roland S. Martin and Jay R. Feldman in cooperation with the Black Alliance for Educational Options.

ABOUT NEWS ONE NOW:

Emanating from the heart of Washington D.C. in a state-of-the-art studio that offers a stunning view of the Capitol building, News One Now airs Monday through Friday on TV One from 9-10 a.m. ET. News One Now is hosted by Roland S. Martin, the 2013 National Association of Black Journalists' Journalist of the Year and former host of TV One's long-running, award-winning weekly news program, Washington Watch with Roland Martin. Each morning, Martin - who also serves as the program's managing editor - sifts through the headlines of the day to spotlight matters that greatly impact the African American community. Beyond radio and television, News One Now reaches audiences 24/7 with exclusive program content and extended editorial on NewsOne.com and the NewsOne mobile app. News One Now is an evolution of Interactive One's award-winning digital brand NewsOne.com that launched in 2008 and reaches millions of African Americans each month.

ABOUT TV ONE:

Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvone.tv) serves 57 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. The network is the exclusive home of News One Now, the only live daily news program targeting Black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is solely owned by Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK, www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets Black and urban listeners.