Jackson Free Press

Tambra Cherié, local television personality and host of "Admission Granted," which airs on CBS affiliate WJTV, says her job is a perfect combination of all that she loves: "I like public relations, music and fashion. The show has combined them all."

The show is in its fourth season, and Cherié, who was born and raised in Jackson, has been involved in hosting and producing the show for over a year now. She wants to promote the growth of entertainment by letting citizens know what is available on the local scene. "We go to different venues. We highlight artists, clubs and entertainment establishments. Now we're even doing sports," Cherié says. She recently started covering JSU football games.

The 25-year-old—who is known around the city for her frequent "Holla!" —graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management from Jackson State University in 2001, and got her MBA from JSU in 2003. She is proud of her background and tries to promote JSU events through her show. She recently had Dr. Ronald Mason, president of JSU, on the show. Cherié's program has covered past events such as the 2004 JSU vs. Alcorn State basketball game, the Cash Money Millionaires Celebrity Event, the Essence Festival in New Orleans and the 2004 Jackson Music Awards. The show has featured interviews with musicians such as Hootie and the Blowfish, Snoop Dogg and The Blues Brothers. While the show's focus is on national artists, she also features local artists, comedians, actors and actresses.

Her initial interest in becoming involved in television was sparked by Stephen Hill, vice president of music programming for BET. "Television was something I wanted to do. We were talking through e-mail. He encouraged me to pursue a career in television, and I decided to do it," she explains.

"Admission Granted" is filmed on location at a different place every week. Cherié, who produces and hosts the show along with Corey Thomas of Southside Productions, is in charge of lining up guests and venues each week. One reason why she suspects people enjoy the show so much is that it "lets local people see themselves on television."

The TV host expects the success of this show to inspire other shows like it to start in the Jackson area. It currently airs Friday nights at 1:05 a.m., and will also be available on JSU's channel 23 this fall.