Tony Brown: Television Civil Rights Champion Who Changed Broadcasting | THIRTEEN

THIRTEEN mourns the loss of the pioneering, courageous, and legendary TV journalist Tony Brown, who died on June 17, 2026 at age 93. Brown joined THIRTEEN in 1970 as the executive producer of Black Journal, the first and only national Black public affairs series in American television history. The program's original executive producer and hosts were William Greaves and Lou House. Brown also began hosting in 1971 and the show evolved into Tony Brown’s Journal, the longest-running series in the history of the PBS network. Brown became a central figure in American broadcasting history, with groundbreaking work that elevated Black voices on television for more than 40 years. Black Journal was known for thoughtful interviews, including with the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Nina Simone, Lena Horne and Angela Davis. Guest hosts included Nikki Giovanni and Diahann Carroll. Black Journal was publicly funded in response to the Kerner Commission (1967) with a goal of presenting Black urban life and Black issues from the Black American point of view. From organizing historic civil rights milestones alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to breaking boundaries at WNET, Tony Brown dedicated his life to ensuring media was used for human empowerment and inclusivity. Subscribe to THIRTEEN newsletters to stay informed: https://www.thirteen.org/email-prefer... #TonyBrown #BlackJournal #THIRTEEN #PublicTelevision #MediaHistory #CivilRights #PBS #BlackHistory #WNET Please SUBSCRIBE if you enjoyed:    / @thirteenwnet   For full episodes, check out http://thirteen.org/ Facebook:   / thirteenwnet   Instagram:   / thirteenwnet   TikTok:   / thirteenwnet   ----------------- THIRTEEN is one of America’s most respected and innovative public media providers. Part of The WNET Group, THIRTEEN is a unique cultural and educational institution that harnesses the power of television and electronic media to inform, enlighten, entertain and inspire. The flagship public television station of the New York City tri-state area and the most-watched public television channel in the nation, THIRTEEN reaches millions of people with programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of science and nature, and invites people of all ages to have fun while learning.