The Los Angeles-based radio program with an African American world view is growing fast and attracting "some of the most intense and visceral reactions -- both pro and con" in public radio, says National Public Radio's ombudsman, Jeffrey A. Dvorkin. "The Tavis Smiley Show" is heard on 60 stations, up from 16 when it began airing in January 2002. Only 30% of the show's audience now is black, Dvorkin says in his column on the NPR website.



