ABC Owned Television Stations Announce Juneteenth Programming Across Its Eight Markets

In recognition of the 155th Juneteenth holiday, ABC Owned Television Stations highlight African American content and programming across its eight markets. Juneteenth celebrates the effective end to slavery in the United States and marks the day when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last remaining slaves in Galveston, Texas – two and a half years after its signing.

Localish’s most popular show, “More in Common,” is spotlighting Juneteenth from its origins in the state of Texas. Host Michael Koenigs will interview one of Juneteenth’s leading advocates, 92-year-old Texas native Opal Lee, who has been marching two and half miles in designated states across the country as part of a walking campaign pushing for Juneteenth to become a nationally recognized holiday. Symbolizing the two and a half years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation (signed in January 1863) to reach Texas on June 19, 1865, Lee hopes the walking campaign will raise awareness about the importance of this historical day of slave liberation.

“More in Common”’s “Juneteenth” episode will air in linear broadcast in select cities on ABC (check local listings for airdate information). The episode will also be shared across the Localish social network on Friday, June 19, as well as premiere on ABC.com.

ABC7/WABC-TV New York, the most-watched television station in the nation, is commemorating Juneteenth festivities throughout the weekend with multiple coverage of community events and a public affair special addressing the history of racism in America.

Below is a list of WABC-NY programming highlights featuring Juneteenth festivities throughout the state of New York; all times are EDT:

Friday, June 19 – 12:00 p.m. – WABC’s afternoon coverage starts at Manhattan City Hall with Tiffany Rea-Fisher of Elisa Monte Dance. Rea-Fisher is one of the hosts of the Juneteenth March taking place at city hall with the goal of rallying 1 million attendees to continue the discussion of race relations in America and in the dance community.
Friday, June 19 – 6:00 p.m. – During its evening newscast, WABC- NY will feature the Freedom Day March commemorating Juneteenth, which will take place at the Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. Guest speakers include Dexter Roberts, the vice-chair for Graduate Affairs University Student Senate at CUNY. Attendees plan to march from Flatbush to Fort Green Park, where performances from black creatives will be showcased, followed by a moment of silence in solidarity for those who have lost their lives to racial injustice and police brutality.
Sunday, June 21 – 12:00 p.m. – “Here and Now”’s “The Race to Justice” presents a panel discussion about the history of racism in America. Hosted by Eyewitness News reporter Sandra Bookman, they will delve into systemic racism, the numerous black lives lost due to police brutality, global protests and the demand for police reform.

Other OTV coverage commemorating Juneteenth include the following:

Friday, June 19 – 1:00 p.m. EDT – ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham Presents a Juneteenth Virtual Town Hall: Racial Justice: A Juneteenth Conversation with Community Leaders. The panel will discuss police brutality, racial bias and how to work together for change.
Friday, June 19 – 1:00 p.m. EDT – ABC6/WPVI-TV Philadelphia will cover Juneteenth community events throughout their newscast. They will air a virtual Juneteenth parade special scheduled for Sunday, June 28.
Friday, June 19 – ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston will have a series of powerful stories including an in-depth interview with Jamie Byrd, the daughter of James Byrd who was dragged to his death by three white supremacists in Jasper, Texas, 22 years ago; broadcast live removal of two Confederate statues followed by interviews with the Houston Museum of African American Culture and the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site; and air the 155th Juneteenth Anniversary Celebration from Galveston, Texas.
Friday, June 19 – 6:30 p.m. CDT – ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago will host a virtual town hall as part of their series “Do You Hear Me? A Discussion About Race” hosted by anchor Cheryl Burton.
Friday, June 19 – 8:00 p.m. PDT – ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles will air an ABC News special event “Juneteenth, A Celebration of Overcoming.”
Friday, June 19 – ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco will air a series of educational content with reporter Jobina Fortson on What is Juneteenth?
Friday, June 19 – ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno, viewers can stream the encore of the virtual town hall, Anger, Action, Answers: A Central California Conversation on ABC30.com and its digital platforms.

About ABC Owned Television Stations
The ABC Owned Television Stations includes WABC-TV New York, KABC-TV Los Angeles, WLS-TV Chicago, WPVI-TV Philadelphia, KGO-TV San Francisco, KTRK-TV Houston, WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and KFSN-TV Fresno. The eight owned stations reach 23% of all U.S. television households. The stations are consistently market leaders in multiplatform local news, collectively No. 1 in local news among Adults 25-54 for 11 consecutive broadcast seasons, and in overall digital audience, video consumption and social reach and engagement. In 2018, the Stations further expanded their content portfolio and reach with the launch of the digital-first national lifestyle brand Localish that in its first year produced over 650 pieces of digital video content, totaling more than 240 million video views. The Live Well broadcast channel was rebranded as Localish in February 2020, delivering locally sourced yet nationally relevant storytelling as long-form linear programming to more than 14 million viewers across America.