When Campbell Brown takes maternity leave in early April for eight weeks, CNN contributor Roland Martin will fill in as host at 8pmET.

"Roland is a solid journalist and a terrific communicator," said a CNN spokesperson in an email today. "He's been a regular part of the No Bias, No Bull family and our audience knows him well. He has also served as a contributor/analyst for CNN, and in fact, he's been transparent about whom he has supported for president, whether it was George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush or Barack Obama. We look forward to Roland's smart, energetic and spirited reporting in this role, and in the future on CNN."

The spokesperson also said CNN "plans to develop a weekend program with Roland" once Brown returns.

"Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" CNN at 8pmET was down 6% in Total Viewers and 21% in the A25-54 demo during February '09 compared to last year (CNN Election Center, with rotating hosts) — the only 8pmET news program to decline. It finished fourth in both categories. Brown took over in mid-March '08.

Click continued to see Martin's bio...

Roland Martin is currently a CNN contributor/analyst, appearing regularly on Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull as well as on The Situation Room, Anderson Cooper 360, Lou Dobbs Tonight, and other CNN programs. In August 2007, he joined Essence Magazine as a special correspondent, writing a bi-monthly column and a daily blog on Essence.com and in October 2008, Martin joined the Tom Joyner Morning Show as senior analyst. He is also a commentator for TV One Cable Network, where his "In Conversation: The Michelle Obama Interview" earned the 2009 NAACP Image Award for Best Interview. In addition, he's a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, and the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith, and Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America.

He was named by Ebony Magazine in 2008 as one of the 150 Most Influential African Americans in the United States, has been recognized as one of the top 50 political pundits by the Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom, and was awarded the 2008 President's Award by the National Association of Black Journalists for his work in multiple media platforms. In 2008, he was inducted into the Texas A&M University Journalism Hall of Honor.

An insightful and provocative analyst, Martin has appeared on MSNBC, FOX News, Court TV, BET Nightly News, BBC News, National Public Radio, The Word Network, America's Black Forum, American Urban Radio Networks, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and NPR's News and Notes.

He is the former executive editor/general manager of the Chicago Defender, the nation's largest Black daily newspaper.

Martin is the former founding news editor for Savoy Magazine under the team of New York-based Vanguarde Media, and the former founding editor of BlackAmericaWeb.com, owned by nationally syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner and Radio One.

He previously served as owner/publisher of Dallas-Fort Worth Heritage, a Christian monthly newspaper. Martin also has worked as managing editor of the Houston Defender and the Dallas Weekly, which he led to a number of local, state and national journalism awards. Martin has worked as morning drive reporter for KRLD/1080 AM; news director and morning anchor at KKDA-AM in Dallas; city hall reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and county government and neighbors reporter for the Austin American-Statesman.

He has won nearly 30 professional awards for journalistic excellence, including a regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television News Directors; several first place awards from the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators; two citations from the National Associated Press-Managing Editors Conference; the top sports reporting award in 1997 from the National Association of Black Journalists; and honors from the Houston Press Club.

Martin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, and a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc..

He is a 1987 graduate of Jack Yates High School-Magnet School of Communications, and a 1991 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor's of science degree in journalism. In May 2008, Martin received a master's degree in Christian Communications from Louisiana Baptist University.

Martin is married to the Rev. Jacquie Hood Martin, author of Fulfilled! The Art and Joy of Balanced Living, and a college dean in Chicago. They reside in Chicago and Dallas.