Asha Blake
Asha Blake | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 20, 1961 |
| Education | University of Minnesota |
| Occupation | News Anchor |
| Employer | Goldenheart Media |
| Children | Sasha |
| Awards | 5 Emmy Awards |
| Website | www |
Asha Blake is a five-time Emmy Award-winning television news journalist. Her US-based career has spanned anchoring ABC and NBC network newscasts, daytime- and entertainment-based talk shows, and local news anchoring at flagship news stations KNBC and KTLA. Having anchored at two of the Big Three Television Networks, she joins the ranks of pioneering journalist Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer.
Asha is currently the Los Angeles-based hard news correspondent for the syndicated television news magazine show America Now.
Asha co-hosted the NBC national news program “Later Today” and ABC’s “World News Now,” “World News This Morning,” and “Good Morning America Sunday”, in addition to reporting for ABC’s “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. Her network anchoring positions put her on the front lines of breaking news events and national disasters including the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the Monica Lewinsky scandal, the death of Princess Diana, and interviews around the Columbine High School Shootings. She also has interviewed world leaders including Bill Clinton and Al Gore, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Reverend Jesse Jackson, business leaders such as Ross Perot, and conducted lighter celebrity interviews with Denzel Washington and Claire Forlani.
Asha has conducted thousands of live interviews, covered numerous high-profile court cases, and also served as a medical reporter early in her career.
Her Emmy award wins were for producing, writing and on-camera hosting. She also produced 3 television specials that earned her team 12 Emmy nominations in news.
She has been featured in magazines and newspapers including Time, USA Weekend, InStyle Magazine, Emmy Magazine, Core Business, Ladies’ Home Journal and other media outlets.
Early life and education
Born in Guyana, South America, Blake grew up in Toronto and in Minnesota. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota's journalism school.[1]
Professional career
Blake began her career at KJCT-TV in Grand Junction, Colorado.[2] She also worked as an anchor/reporter for KTHV in Little Rock.
From 1987 until 1993, Blake was a reporter for KARE-TV in Minneapolis.[2] From 1993 until 1996, Blake was an anchor and reporter at WDIV-TV in Detroit.
In 1996, Blake joined ABC News in New York. She became an anchor for ABC's "World News Now", "World News This Morning" and "Good Morning America Sunday" as well as a reporter for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.
In 1999, Blake joined NBC News, where she co-hosted NBC's "Later Today" with Florence Henderson and Jodi Applegate.
After "Later Today" went off the air in 2000, Blake hosted two syndicated programs, "Smart Gardening" on PBS and the nationally syndicated "Life Moments".[1]
In 2005, Blake joined KWGN-TV.[3] In 2007, she joined KTLA-TV, which she has since left.
In September 2013, Blake is currently a correspondent on the syndicated television news magazine America Now, joining the show's fourth season.
Charity and public service
Asha has actively supported a number of non-profits, acting as a celebrity ambassador for UNICEF. Asha has also served many others by raising millions of dollars as charity host for various fundraising events. Blake also created a charity website called “4 My Emergency” in response to the 9-11 tragedy. The website, which garnered more than one million hits in its first months online, was a place for parents to organize family information to be used during traumatic times.
Asha is a member of the South Asian Journalists Association, the Black Journalists Association and she enjoys mentoring young journalists.
Personal
Blake has a passion for photography, travel, strength training, running and reading. She is the founder of her own production company called Goldenheart Media Inc, and has lived in Los Angeles for over ten years with her daughter, Sasha Rose.
References
External links
- Goldenheart Media Inc.
- Asha Blake on Twitter
- Asha Blake To Co-Host A Major New Show Rediff - June 22, 1999