The blonde, raspy-voiced Nina Blackwood (born September 12, 1955, Springfield, MA) was the first of the original five MTV VJs (along with Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, and J. J. Jackson). After leaving the music video network in 1986, she hosted her own "Rock Report" for Entertainment Tonight. She also hosted the TV music show Solid Gold from 1986-1988. Blackwood has continued her TV music journalism with appearances on A Current Affair, Access Hollywood, VH1, The Discovery Channel, and MSNBC. Having studied at the renowned Strasberg Institute, Blackwood acted in a number of TV show and films, making appearances in the 1980 cult classic movie Vice Squad, Revenge of the Stepford Wives, and the 1993 film Reckless Kelly. She also was with the 2003 road company of The Vagina Monologues. Long before she became well-known as a performer, Blackwood appeared naked in the August 1978 Playboy pictorial "Girls of the Office." In 2001, Blackwood and longtime manager/producer Danny Sheridan launched a nationally syndicated radio show for United Stations Radio Networks, Nina Blackwood's Absolutely 80's. The two followed up with the another nationally syndicated program, the 80's alternative-themed Nina Blackwood's New Wave Nation. Blackwood currently hosts a weekday air shift (1-6 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m.-3 p.m. Pacific), and on weekends, The Big '80s Top 40 Countdown for Sirius Satellite Radio's Big '80s, their top-rated channel, dedicated to all '80s music. (Coincidentally, all of the other original surviving MTV VJs are also working for Sirius.) Today, in addition to her work at SIRIUS, Blackwood is working with San Diego radio station, FM 94/9, and can be heard on Sunday Mornings.
