ROLAND MARTIN IS ON ‘WATCH’: People’s pundit has new public affairs show on TV One.

      *Roland S. Martin is a commentator, author, spiritualist, journalist, and syndicated columnist. He was a fiery political voice during the 2008 presidential election and has been an acclaimed commentator for TV One, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and NPR’s ‘News and Notes’ to name a few.

      Martin has become one of the most influential African Americans (named by Ebony magazine) and one of the top political pundits by the UK’s Daily Telegraph, but with his new show on TV One called “Washington Watch with Roland Martin,” Martin has certainly earned the title ‘pundit for the people.’

      “It’s a Sunday morning news show where I speak to the issues that are important to our community; offering our perspective, offering our analysis as to what is going on,” he described.

      Martin explained that the latest offering of Sunday morning news shows most often have a “level of arrogance” that he believes doesn’t reach the everyday people.

      “You hear from the same perspective or you’re not getting a varied perspective,” he said of the shows, “but also you’re only talking to politicians and you’re only talking media elite. You’re not talking to people that are covering it from a local perspective.”

      “I think it’s important for us to have different voices and hear from those voices articulating the issues of the day,” he continued. "We are going to integrate the people more so into [my] show than what we see,” he said, claiming that his new TV gig will feature people from all walks of life weighing in on political and social topics and asking politicians questions. Martin also has plans to travel across the country to bring the stories and perspectives of the common man to the airwaves.

      “I think we need to redefine how we communicate the issues of the day and make it plain and talk down to people, but speak to folks in a real and relevant way,” he said.

      The show airs Sundays at 11 am (ET) and again at 5 pm (ET) on the TV One network.

      “Is it a black ‘Meet the Press?’ I would say yes and I would say no because we are going to have news thinkers and we’re going to have a media panel, but also we’re going to hear from the audience and the viewer.”

      “I plan on talking to people who are black and who are white,” he said of the ethnic makeup of his guests, but told EUR’s Lee Bailey that “Washington Watch” will obviously focus on the African American voices that are missing from mainstream political shows.

     “I want different voices on the show. Clearly we are going to have more African American voices than anybody else because that is what is missing in this space,” he said.

      With several weeks of the public affairs series under his belt, Martin said that he is confident about the show’s potential to reach and empower its audience.

      “It was a great starting point,” he said of the first show. “Vice President Joe Biden, not bad. It was a great start. Now it’s a matter of us taking that momentum and going from there and making it pop and making it relevant.”

      This weekend Martin will sit down with United Nations Ambassador Susan E. Rice and talk about the UN’s role in advancing international peace and security.

     “We decide the very week based on what is in the news,” Martin said of the show topic or guests. “Also we choose various themes to talk about. So if we look at education I want the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, but also I want a superintendent, I want a principal, I want somebody that works in public policy because politicians are only looking at education through their prism.”

      His hope is to include all levels of government and public policy in each episode topic, but his wish for a great episode includes some names you might not expect.

      “My top show concept would probably have Nelson Mandela and then having a panel of all the living First Ladies, and then having a discussion on public policy with Halle Berry and Salma Hayek,” he said.

     Celebrities on a public affairs show might seem off-the-mark, but Martin explained that there are a number of big names outside of the political arena that have credibility on a number of public issues.

     “There are people that are doing great things that are entertainers and celebrities that we never hear about. I don’t think that Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Bono are the only entertainers who care about what’s going on in the world. Look at Alicia Keys who is doing great things when it comes to AIDS orphans in Africa, you look at what Don Cheadle is doing; you look at what Salma Hayek is doing in regard to babies across the world. These people don’t get the same amount of attention.”

       Martin not only intends to open up his show as a platform for the common man, as opposed to the political regulars, but the celebrity as well.

      “We will utilize this show as well to showcase those people that are entertainers, athletes, and celebrities who are involved in public policy,” he said. “Gabrielle Union testified in Congress about increased funding for rape crisis centers because she was raped years ago. You have never heard her story on ‘Meet the Press,’ you’ve never seen her on ‘Face the Nation’ or ‘This Week.’ We have an opportunity to give them an opportunity to speak to those public policy things. It’s good that they have a voice as well.”

      “Washington Watch with Roland Martin” airs Sundays on TV One. Meanwhile, there are more projects from Martin on the way including his new book “The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin” on his coverage of the campaign, a magazine deal, a special events division, a non-profit arm for his brand. For more, visit www.rolandsmartin.com.