‘Maya Talk’
shows local flavor
Mfume, Butcher to appear on second season of TV
magazine
By JOSEPH M. DE LEON
News-Post Staff jdeleon@newspost.com
FREDERICK — Flowing hip-hop beats and
soulful lyrics layered over grainy black-andwhite footage follows a stylish
woman through downtown streets.
The music’s bold
pace seems to dictate the camera’s rhythmic motion as flashes of color video
trace her steps from a parking meter to the entrance of an upscale building.
Welcome to “Maya Talk,” a 30-minute talk show
for women 25 to 55 that airs weekly at 12:30 p.m. Sundays on NBC 25.
The program is named after host Maya Coiner, who
grew up in Baltimore, competed in Miss America pageants in the 1980s and worked
in TV — both on-air and behind the scenes.
Now
she combines topics she finds interesting, important and entertaining in a
magazine-style talk show for viewers in western Maryland.
“My goal is simply to make people smile,” Coiner
said. “And if you happen to take away a little
bit more than you started with, then that’s a bonus.”
The show, in its second season and recorded at
the Cultural Arts Center on West Patrick Street, fulfills Coiner’s dream to have
her own program.
It also unites downtown
businesses that support the arts.
Beans and
Bagels on East Patrick Street provides breakfast for the show’s crew, while En
Masse, a flower outlet on North Market Street, contributes arrangements for
every show. Students from The Temple, a Paul Mitchell partner school, donate
their time styling hair and applying make up.
New look for second season
High Rock Interactive, a Frederick-based
production company, gave the show a face-lift for the second season, including a
new set design and recording with highdefinition video cameras.
Coiner chats with guests on sleek, white leather
seats, while video plays on divided panels behind them. The minimal design
focuses viewers on the discussion, while swinging camera movements set an
engaging pace reminiscent of documentary footage.
Rhonda McLaughlin, assisting director and
producer, believes viewers relate to Coiner’s personality and appreciate her
taste in guests.
“She’s a great host — very
relaxed and natural at it,” McLaughlin said. “We tape the show as if it were
live, and that keeps it very real. There’s no acting involved, Maya’s just
herself.”
Past shows include discussions about
aquatic fitness and the latest in women’s workout apparel.
But, shows don’t always focus on sports. Later
this season, a Harley-Davidson dealer will share tips for women interested in
buying a motorcycle. Also in the works, a discussion with a representative from
Shady Grove Fertility Center on the benefits of shared-risk in vitro
fertilization.
While the station won’t be
showing “Maya Talk” this week, the crew is excited about next week’s show, which
will feature the program’s most recognizable guest.
Kweisi Mfume, a former congressman and past CEO
of NAACP, will join Shuan Butcher, executive director of Frederick Arts Council,
on “Maya Talk” on Feb. 25.
The show’s producers
are in negotiations to book other recognizable guests, such as George Carlin.
McLaughlin hopes Coiner’s personality, popular
guests and production will help the show reach a bigger market.
“People seem want talk shows that are more
local,” she said. “They should give ‘Maya Talk’ a chance because she’s talking
about interesting things that are happening right here.”
courtesy photo
Former head of NAACP Kweisi Mfume, left, will appear as a guest speaker
on “Maya Talk,” a 30-minute talk show airing at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 25 on NBC 25,
with host and executive producer, Maya Coiner.
