By Dennis J. Freeman
When it comes to knowing the dish on the latest celebrity news and keeping you tuned in about what’s happening in sports, Kevin Frazier has got you covered. He’s got it like that. Frazier is the ultimate renaissance newsman when it comes being in the know. His knowledge about entertainment news and sports is extensive and inarguable.
He’s seen it all. He’s done it all. You name it, and chances are that Frazier has already been there and done that. An avid sports buff, Frazier has shown what he can do in that field, serving as host of ESPN’s “Sports Center” and working the sidelines as a reporter for “NFL on Fox.”
With the intermingling of sports and entertainment coming together, Frazier made a smooth transition to celebrity talk as a weekend anchor and correspondent of “Entertainment Tonight.” And now he’s taking his reporting skills a step further as the new co-host of “The Insider.”
In a released statement, Linda Bell Blue, Executive Producer of CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight and “The Insider” said, “Kevin has been an integral part of the ET/Insider family for seven years. He is one of the most respected correspondents in entertainment news with incredible sources and connections that will be put to good use as co-anchor of The Insider.”
In joining “The Insider” anchor Lara Spencer on the desk, Frazier brings his witty candor, studious knowledge and his mega-watt smile to millions of television viewers. In a phone interview with news4usonline.com, Frazier said his experiences is likely to shape and influence stories he thinks may be pertinent and informational to “The Insider” audience, particularly those about African Americans.
“It’s fantastic,” Frazier said.” You get to kind of shape some of what actually goes inside a show. That’s what I love. It’s something you can shape as your own show. I think over time, I’ll get a chance to put my stamp more and more on it.
“I want to bring a focus on Hollywood, but it doesn’t have to be all negative Hollywood. I also hope we begin to cover some of the other things going outside of the mainstream of Hollywood. I think there are African American projects that tend to be overlooked, and that’s one of things I will focus on.”
When it comes to Frazier’s credentials as a top-notch interviewer reporter, his resume is as impressive as crossing over the Mississippi River for the first time. It’s vast, deep with quality and a bit intimidating with names like Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Halle Berry, as well as Brad Pitt, Jim Carrey and Prince on the list.
However, in making the transition from sports to entertainment news, Frazier said stepping away from his comfort zone of sports reporting, caused some anxiety for him when he first made the change.
“Sometimes you need to shake it up,” Frazier said. If you don’t step outside of your realm and expand your horizon, if we stay inside our safety zones all of our lives, then we can live a pretty dull life.
“Life is one big adventure. The more adventures you can throw to the big adventure, the better life is. Look, it was a little scary at first, but it turned out to be a great thing in the end. Don’t be afraid to push yourself a little bit.”
Frazier, a married father with children, has never been afraid to really push himself. Besides his gig as co-host of “The Insider,” the civic-minded Frazier has his own website (HipHopHollywood.com) that focuses on urban entertainment and runs his own production company.
Currently that production company (Kevin Frazier Productions) has produced a series of film vignettes for “Freedom Sisters,” a traveling museum exhibit curated by the Smithsonian about women involved in the Civil Rights Movement. As one can see, Frazier is not the type to sit on his laurels. He keeps it moving. He also keeps it real.
Frazier understands the significance of his elevated role as host of a mainstream entertainment news show.
“There’s a responsibility that walks around with me every day,” Frazier said. “There are so few African Americans on TV. There are none in the kind of position I have now. Trying to heed the responsibilities to all those people out there-my parents, my grandparents, all the people that came before me-when I go out there, I think about that responsibility.”
Dennis is the editor and publisher of News4usonline. He covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, racial and social justice, civil rights, and HBCUs. Dennis earned a journalism degree from “The Mecca” aka Howard University. “I write on what I am passionate about.”
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