With stellar ratings and cultural authenticity, African-American men are changing the face of daytime television

Just as the fabled prince enlisted every maiden to try on the glass slipper, so too is the television industry anxious to coronate a new daytime queen.  But are Wayne Brady, Kevin Frazier, Rickey Smiley, Michael Strahan, Byron Allen or frontrunner Steve Harvey a better fit given today’s diverse viewing audience?

It’s been four years since her majesty left syndication to launch the Oprah Winfrey Network. While Judge Judith Sheidlin’s reign actually predated Winfrey’s final broadcast, the proclamation that daytime must discover the next big thing has intensified, despite potent magnets such as Ellen DeGeneres and Rachel Ray.

So how did Terry Crews suddenly become a viable contender?

Once upon a time it was unfathomable to think one, let alone a cadre of black men, could rule the small screen. In November 1956, the legendary singer Nat “King” Cole made history when he became the first major African American performer to host his own variety network series. “It could be a turning point,” he was quoted as saying, “so that Negroes may be featured regularly on television.”

Despite the quality of the iconic vocalist’s program, national advertising clients simply were not okay with Cole attending the ball. A representative of Max Factor cosmetics claimed that a “negro” couldn’t sell lipstick for them. Even public utilities like the telephone company refused to allocate marketing dollars for Cole’s NBC show. Finally, when the Singer Sewing Machine Company proposed underwriting a western show, NBC made the financial decision to turn over the time slot.

While the racism Nat “King” Cole experienced at the dawn of the modern civil rights era proved to be a harsh astringent, the 2008 election of Barack Obama as president of the United States has created — in tangible, demonstrative ways — just the opposite effect. The result has been a proliferation of black men with Cole and Obama’s swag, smarts, and showmanship who have found their niche in an industry that saw growth of $5.16 billion in 2013 — up from 2011’s $4.7 billion, according to Kantar Media.

Now, the Hollywood gatekeepers are being forced to rethink long-held assumptions of what and who consumers want to see in both the foreign and domestic markets.

Take Super Bowl XLVIII for example. Is it really surprising that 112 million people broke viewing levels last Sunday watching a talented African American young man name Russell Wilson quarterback the Seattle Seahawks to their first NFL championship? Despite being a blowout, the game was compelling due in part to black males (who comprised over 60 percent of the players) adding their unique flavor to the national spectacle.

Television is the largest ad spending medium in America. When it comes to  syndication, court remains the highest rated genre — thanks to that tough Jewish grandmother we all know as “Judge Judy.” But one peek inside the legal shows airing and you’ll notice most are adjudicated by minorities. Even with Judge Joe Brown recently concluding a 15 year run and Judge Alex Ferrer’s show not returning in the fall after nine seasons, Judge Greg Mathis and I (America’s Court) will still maintain the established tradition of men of color presiding over televised judicial proceedings.

As “The Doctors” begin to fully integrate Dr. Ian Smith into the medical mix, “The Insider’s” Kevin Frazier and Rickey Smiley of “Dish Nation” continue to serve up the latest entertainment news with aplomb. When the E! network sought to replace Ryan Seacrest on its daily celebrity gossip and news show, it was Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) Terrence Jenkins that ultimately nabbed the gig.

These are subtle examples of Black men being hired to freshen-up programs.  Consider the announcement that retired New York Giants defensive end and NFL commentator Michael Strahan would succeed 28 year veteran Regis Philbin on Disney/ABC’s now “Live with Kelly and Michael.” As detailed in a Los Angeles Time article by Greg Braxton and Meg James dissecting why daytime TV is embracing black entertainers, “Live” executives auditioned several individuals before selecting Strahan in 2012 as the best fit alongside Kelly Ripa. Since besting 58 other competitors, Strahan has caused “Live’s” ratings to flourish post Philbin, while also silencing his critics. “Live” is currently ranked second (among other talk shows) behind “Dr. Phil” in both households and the key demographic advertisers covet. Quoting the Hollywood Reporter, “That is the strongest performance for ‘Live’ at this point in the season in six years.”

Emmy-winning Wayne Brady has also hit his stride as the first African American host on “Let’s Make A Deal.” As recently reported in Variety, Brady’s reincarnation of the beloved game show reached a ratings milestone the last week of January 2014,  establishing highs for both its first half hour (3.71 million viewers) and second (4.22 million viewers), according to Nielsen.

Brady isn’t alone in the game genre. Since Cedric the Entertainer replaced Meredith Vieira as host of Disney/ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” ratings have soared. Viewership this season has jumped 20% among the coveted 18-49 age demographic. Nielsen estimates that the show is now attracting more than 3 million viewers an episode, tying its best performance in the demo in two years. With actor Terry Crews now at the helm, syndicators are expecting an even larger audience.

While Arsenio Hall wasn’t able to recapture the buzz he garnered in his original run, comedian Byron Allen (CEO of Entertainment Studios) is going strong in his ninth season of the late-night laughfest “Comics Unleashed”.

That notwithstanding, the fairest in the land right now is comedian, radio host, best- selling author, actor and producer Steve Harvey. Once Harvey became the first non-white male to host “Family Feud,” its popularity exploded. In 2013, viewership for “Feud” soared 40% to an average of 7 million people an episode.  As pointed out by Alex Ben Block of the Hollywood Reporter, “Feud” is up a massive 336 percent  in total households and recently scored the show’s best performance since the advent of Nielsen’s People Meter technology in 1988. Harvey is directly responsible for the program surpassing “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy” among women 25-54, and is now second only to “Judge Judy” among adults 25-54. In other words, he’s figured out how to sell lipstick and phones on NBC’s owned and operated stations.

By the sheer force of his personality, moreover, “The Steve Harvey Show” has grown the most of any talk show from last year. Renewed through 2016,  Harvey has leap-frogged over Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, Steve Wilkos, and Bill Cunningham in terms of the nation’s zeitgeist. With Harvey closing in on “Dr. Oz” and within striking distance of “Dr. Phil,” and Alex Trebek and Pat Sajak on the back end of long syndicated runs, we could be finally looking at Oprah’s true heir to the broadcast throne. No question about it, Steve Harvey is a game changer.

When it comes to the current state of television, this is the story. Nat “King” Cole had the audacity to step inside the carriage and ended up blazing a trail. And through their on-air presence, Montel Williams and “Today’s” Bryant Gumbel secured the sought-after spots at the head table. Now to keep the music playing, black men must continue captivating audiences across all ethnic groups while also appealing to the next generation of viewers. America’s always up for a good party. I say let the coronation begin!

Former Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kevin Ross is host of Entertainment Studios’ “America’s Court with Judge Ross.” Ross is also a producer on the Emmy nominated daytime legal show. Follow via Twitter at iambossross.