HOT 97 just dropped big news about their first-ever daily live TV news show starting January 2026. The new show, “HOT 97 News,” will be hosted by Lana Harris, Ronndell Smith, and Million Connally-Cooper.  

They’re calling the show a mix of Hip-Hop news, entertainment, and culture that will air nationally on HOT 97 TV and stream across all HOT 97 TV and digital platforms beginning in January 2026. In addition, HOT 97 TV is also expanding its local footprint with HOT 97 News – Atlanta, HOT 97 says their new news show will bring “raw, unedited” coverage of Hip-Hop and culture. The national version starts in January 2026, and they’re also doing a local Atlanta show.

The news did not play out well for New Yorkers, who criticized the station on Instagram, where angry comments flooded in. The move comes just weeks after the station axed Ebro Darden’s morning show that ran for 13 years. Ebro got the boot in December 2025 after his “Ebro In The Morning” show was canceled. He said HOT 97 no longer cares about Hip-Hop or the Black community and believes the station just wants to make money from wealthy friends.