T. J. Holmes

T.J. Holmes
Born	August 19, 1977 (1977-08-19) West Memphis, Arkansas, U.S.
Education	University of Arkansas (B.A. Broadcast Journalism)
Occupation	Journalist & TV Personality
Notable credit(s)	BET Networks, Host/Corresponent (2012-present) CNN Saturday & Sunday Morning, Anchor (2006-2011)
Website
http://twitter.com/tjholmes

Loutelious Holmes Jr., better known as T. J. Holmes (born August 19, 1977) is an American journalist and national television personality. Holmes first gained national prominence as an anchor and correspondent for CNN. He spent 5 years at the network anchoring CNN Saturday & Sunday Morning. Holmes left CNN at the end of 2011 after signing a multi-platform talent deal with BET Networks. The deal includes a new show on BET.

Early life

Holmes was born Loutelious Holmes, Jr. in West Memphis, Arkansas and is the younger of two children. His family gave him the nickname “T. Jr.” He only began using the name “T. J.” when he started his professional television career.

After graduating from West Memphis High School, Holmes attended the University of Arkansas where he earned a degree in broadcast journalism.

Early career

Holmes started his television career at KSNF Channel 16 in Joplin, Missouri. He drove to Joplin from the University of Arkansas campus to hand-deliver his resume and reel. He was hired on the spot. Holmes spent less than a year at KSN as a producer, assignment reporter, and weekend anchor.

Holmes moved back to his home state of Arkansas in 2000 to join CBS affiliate KTHV in Little Rock as a general assignment reporter. Within a year, he was promoted to weekend anchor.

In 2003, Holmes moved on to KNTV, the NBC O&O station in the San Francisco Bay Area, to become anchor of the 5 p.m. evening news. While at KNTV, he traveled to Athens, Greece to cover the 2004 Olympics, the first Summer Games held after the September 11th attacks. While at KNTV, he covered numerous other stories that garnered national attention, including the historic recall election of California Gov. Gray Davis that resulted in the election of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; and, the double murder trial of Scott Peterson.

CNN

Holmes joined CNN as a news anchor and correspondent in October of 2006. He co-anchored CNNSaturday & Sunday Morning with Betty Nguyen until March of 2010 when Nguyen left for CBS. Holmes then anchored the newscast solo.

At CNN, Holmes reported from the scene of numerous breaking news events, including Joplin, MO, which was devastated by multiple tornadoes in May of 2011; New Orleans during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010; and, Blacksburg, VA immediately after the shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech. Holmes also anchored from Ground Zero on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

Holmes covered the historic first papal visit to the United States of Pope Benedict XIV in 2008, including anchoring live from the mass at Yankee Stadium. Holmes secured some of the first stories from the survivors of the US Airways Flight 1549 that crash landed in the Hudson River in January of 2009. Holmes also reported from the campus of the University of Mississippi during the first presidential debate between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama.

Holmes also anchored significant news stories, including Saddam Hussein’s execution in 2006, the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India in 2008, and the terrorist attacks at the Glasgow Airport in 2007.

Holmes contributed to CNN’s 2010 coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and 2008 coverage of the presidential primary campaigns, both of which garnered Peabody Awards.

Holmes' last day on CNN was Christmas Day of 2011.

BET

In December of 2011, Holmes and BET announced he had signed a multi-platform deal with BET Networks. In a statement, BET revealed:

“The deal with Holmes includes a new show on BET, as well as content on BET.com in which he can bring his many talents to what the company regards as “the most important and interesting stories” for the BET audience. “We are simply ecstatic to have T.J. Holmes coming to our fold. He’s been an outstanding news anchor and we look forward to working with him in a variety of new ways on BET,” said Stephen G. Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials at BET Networks. “It’s now upon us to develop vehicles that capture his intelligence, curiosity about the world, warmth, humor and compassion. It’s a challenge that we are happy to have.”

Other activities and honors

Holmes is a member of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta and the National Association of Black Journalists. He is also on the Chancellor’s Board of Advisors at the University of Arkansas and the Board of Visitors at Emory University in Atlanta.

Holmes received the Young Alumni Award from the University of Arkansas in 2007. And, in 2011, he was named to The Root 100 List of Most Influential African-Americans.

Personal life

File:T.J. & Marilee Holmes.jpg

T. J. & Marilee Holmes at 2012 BET Honors in Washington, D.C.

Holmes was married to his college sweetheart, Amy Ferson; the two divorced in 2007. In 2007, he briefly dated singer Rozonda Thomas, better known as "Chilli" from the band TLC. He was married a second time, in 2010, to Marilee Fiebig, an Atlanta-area attorney. The couple married March 1, 2010 in Memphis, Tennessee. They live in Atlanta.

External links

• T. J. Holmes/BET announcement at BET.com
• A March 2007 T.J. Holmes Interview with My Urban Report
• T. J. Holmes twitter page