Via: The Herald-Sun
The joke among on-air deejays is about them having faces for radio.
But Brian Dawson’s not hard on the eyes, FOX 50 Vice President and General Manager Tommy Schenck said.
“He’s just such a likeable person, and he comes across really relaxed and authentic for television,” said Schenck, who added he understood Dawson could do TV when the WQOK-FM K97.5 radio personality was a judge on FOX 50’s “Gimme the Mic!”
Schenck actually agreed to Dawson’s pitch for a TV show without even seeing an episode providing at least a little something containing the concepts bouncing around in the man’s brain. It was the same way with show sponsors who climbed aboard. They didn’t need to see what the show would look like. Dawson was standing in front of them, and they believed in him.
“Brian Dawson presents The BSpot” premieres today at 10:35 p.m. on FOX 50. That’s prime time! It’s touted as a local show with national reach. Dawson will delve into the world of entertainment, like he does in the first episode that last week was screened inside an intimate room at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center. Invited guests watched Dawson hit the road to Atlanta for an interview with DJ Nabs, who was the deejay for the 1990s rap group Kris Kross. DJ Nabs is from Durham.
“I want it to be something parents can watch with their kids,” Dawson said about his new TV show.
Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church pastor Cornelius Battle Sr. was at the screening, where a dude named Cardye played his guitar and sang real smooth. The Durham pastor liked what he saw onscreen.
“Each person may have their own preconceived bias when they hear the word hip-hop,” Battle said. But it’s necessary to take time to understand the backgrounds of those artists, he said. “I think a lot of times they’re just telling their story.”
The initial installment of “The BSpot” has an urban feel, but nothing raunchy, no booty-shaking scenes.
“It was very positive,” Battle said. “It was nice and clean.”
Dawson said each episode of “The BSpot” will offer something different. The shows won’t just be about rap music, he explained. An upcoming segment on “The BSpot” will feature Jerry Stackhouse, who took his basketball talents from Kinston to UNC to the NBA, Dawson said.
NBA rookie John Wall, from Raleigh, and NFL veteran David Garrard, from Durham, will be featured on “The BSpot,” said Dawson, who during an interview talked about his plans to travel to New York and Los Angeles to access guests for the show. Celebrities appearing on “The BSpot” will recall their paths to success, which hopefully will inspire those watching,” Dawson said.
Dawson will explore the business arena on “The BSpot,” too, according to a press release.
“We’re making each show kind of stand alone,” Dawson said
The deejay couldn’t request a much better time slot. “The BSpot” follows FOX 50’s highly rated Saturday 10 p.m. newscast. That offers the potential for a built-in, diverse audience for “The BSpot,” Schenck said.
“We’re just always on the lookout for local programming,” Schenck said.
That said, Dawson’s idea isn’t particularly original, Schenck offered. The TV boss said others have made pitches similar to Dawson’s. It’s just that Dawson, with all of his connections, is somebody who actually could pull off his own show.
“We just felt like Brian had the best shot,” Schenck said.
Dawson, 41, played basketball for the old Durham High School before going on to hoop at the University of Akron in Ohio.
“The Source,” a hip-hop magazine, has listed Dawson as one of the top-30 radio personalities in America.
Read more: The Herald-Sun – Brian Dawson has face for more than just radio
