Type: KFSN-TV, Fresno
Press Release
December 18, 2020
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ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno’s Third Installment of Its Popular ‘Children First’ Program Will Highlight Youth Overcoming Obstacles
The Half-Hour Special Airs Sunday, Dec 20 (6:30 p.m. PST), and Viewers Can Stream Live Now on ABC30’s Connected TV Apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku
ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno, the No.1 source for local news in Central California, will air “Children First: Overcoming Obstacles” on SUNDAY, DEC. 20 (6:30 p.m. PDT). Viewers can also stream the half-hour special on ABC30’s connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. Hosted by ABC30 anchor Jason Oliveira and meteorologist Madeline Evans, the special will focus on the resilience of youth facing adversity.
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Creek wildfire, ABC30 spotlight extraordinary individuals overcoming obstacles. Hosts Oliveira and Evans share local resources available to viewers and organizations providing aid to Central Valley families.
Featured stories include the following:
- A former foster child who lived in 15 different homes found help and hope at the Dream Center in Visalia operated by the Tulare County Office of Education.
- A student who struggled speaking English as a child uses her creativity in the kitchen to develop and grow a charcuterie board business.
- A local mother who has a child with autism shares the challenges of distance learning and how the family received help from Clovis Unified School District.
- Students at Sierra High School share their resilience of navigating the challenges of distance learning while being evacuated from their home due to the “Creek” fire.
- ABC30 spotlights Educational Employees Credit Union’s “Wise Up” financial literacy program, which teaches high school seniors to understand the realities of financial freedom through real-life scenarios.
- The special will also examine the challenges recipients of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program faced during the pandemic when essential items became scarce and WIC-approved groceries were difficult to find.
ABC30 has long been dedicated to covering the important challenges and opportunities among the youth in Central California. Children First is a year-round effort by KFSN. The program shows how the average person can make a difference in a child’s life and highlights local organizations working with children. The Children First campaign includes half-hour programs like “Overcoming Obstacles,” public service announcements and special stories that air on Action News. ABC30 thanks its partners Educational Employees Credit Union, Tulare County Office of Education, Valley Children’s Healthcare for putting Children First in the Central Valley.
About KFSN
KFSN-TV ABC30 is the No. 1 source for local news in Central California, both online and on the air. The station has dominated the local news ratings in the San Joaquin Valley for decades as a leader in multiplatform audience engagement. KFSN-TV is an ABC owned television station based in Fresno, serving Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Tulare and Kings counties.
| Twitter: | https://twitter.com/ABC30 |
| Instagram: | https://www.instagram.com/abc30_actionnews |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/ABC30 |
Press Release
September 25, 2020
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ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno Special ‘Children First: Distance Learning’ Airs Sunday, Sept. 27 (6:30 P.M. PDT)
Viewers Can Stream Live on ABC30’s Connected TV Apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku
ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno, the No.1 source for local news in central California, will air “Children First: Distance Learning” on SUNDAY, SEPT. 27 (6:30 p.m. PDT). It will also stream live on ABC30’s connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple T, and Roku. Hosted by ABC30 anchors Landon Burke and Amanda Venegas, the half-hour special will examine how parents, students and educators are navigating remote learning.
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were tasked with implementing distance learning with many challenges. The sudden shift to homeschooling has many students and families feeling disconnected as they attempt to transition teaching through digital devices, navigate schedules, unfamiliar technology, and a digital divide in some communities, where many families don’t have computers or Wi-Fi access. Families and teachers alike are juggling a global pandemic combined with quite possibly, the largest disruption of education.
While there are drawbacks, ABC30 offers solutions. Burke and Venegas take a closer look at how students, parents and educators are navigating remote learning. The special shares how individuals and communities face these hardships and highlights inspiring stories. Featured stories include the following:
- One rural school district in Tulare County is helping families stay connected with hotspots, electronic devices and becoming its own internet provider. Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District is in a farm working community where 97% of its students are socio-economically disadvantaged. ABC30 visits a school that’s providing translators for all teachers and gets details on Tulare County Office of Education’s plan to provide coverage to all 100,000 students in Tulare County.
- Viewers will meet Carlanda Williams, known as the magical teacher who loves all things Disney. She shares her love for magic and Disney in her teaching of students at King Elementary in Southwest Fresno.
- South valley volunteers are creating garden kits to help students with hands-on science lessons.
As ABC30 also looks at mental health, Dr. Jennifer Johnson from Valley Children’s Hospital shares valuable tips on how families can cope during the pandemic. The special will examine electronic screen time and provide guidelines of how much time children should be spending on electronics.
ABC30 has long been dedicated to covering the important challenges and opportunities among the youth in Central California. Children First is a year-round effort by KFSN. The program shows how the average person can make a difference in a child’s life and highlights local organizations working with children. The Children First campaign includes half-hour programs like “Distance Learning,” 30-second public service announcements and special stories that air on Action News. ABC30 thanks its partners Educational Employees Credit Union, Tulare County Office of Education, Valley Children’s Healthcare for putting Children First in the Central Valley.
About KFSN
KFSN-TV ABC30 is the No. 1 source for local news in central California, both online and on the air. The station has dominated the local news ratings in the San Joaquin Valley for decades as a leader in multiplatform audience engagement. KFSN-TV is an ABC owned television station based in Fresno, serving Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Tulare and Kings counties.
| Twitter: | https://twitter.com/ABC30 |
| Instagram: | https://www.instagram.com/abc30_actionnews |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/ABC30 |
Media Contact:
Elita Fielder Adjei
(424) 247-3517
elita.adjei@disney.com
Press Release
June 24, 2020
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Martin Ortiz Elevated to News Director of ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno, the No. 1 Source for Local News in Central California
Martin Ortiz has been named news director of ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno, announced today by Michael Carr, president and general manager, KFSN-TV, to whom he will report. Ortiz will be responsible for directing the Action News team for KFSN, the No. 1 source for local news in central California.
“Martin Ortiz is a dynamic news manager with a passion for storytelling, team building and recruiting,” said Carr. “As a central California native, Martin has a strong understanding of the issues and challenges that impact our local communities. And as someone who began his journalism career at KFSN, I am confident his leadership will only grow ABC30’s already strong connection to our local audiences.”
“I grew up watching Action News,” said Ortiz. “Every day, our family TV was tuned to ‘AM Live’ in the morning and ‘Live at Five’ in the evening, I was lucky enough to then start my news career at ABC30. I can’t think of a better honor than to come home, help lead the Action News team, and tell the important stories of Central California.”
Since 2017, Ortiz has been the executive producer for weekday editions of “ABC7 Mornings” (4:30-7:00 a.m.) and “Midday Live” (11 a.m.) at sister station ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco. In October 2017, he helped lead the station through 25 hours of continuous wall-to-wall coverage on the North Bay wildfires, subsequently earning KGO a Northern California Emmy® Award nomination. Additionally, he has been instrumental in leading the transition to a new newsroom operating and editing system, as well as working alongside linear and digital content producers focused on maximizing the station’s multiplatform reach and overall content strategy. Other responsibilities have included identifying, hiring and scheduling emerging talent, while also recruiting top producers and writers; producing continuous coverage of breaking news and special events; and working with the station’s sales department to carry out integrations of key sponsors into linear newscasts. Previously, Ortiz was a news producer for KGO’s top-rated ABC7 News at 11 p.m. and weekday 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. newscasts, where he produced wall-to-wall breaking news coverage and special events including the Warriors Championship Parades in 2015 and 2017.
Prior to his tenure at KGO, Ortiz was hired as the news producer and writer for the weekend morning newscasts at KTVU Channel 2 News, where he was part of the team that launched the new newscast to immediate ratings success.
He began his career at KFSN in 2007 as an assignment editor and writer but was soon promoted to weekend morning news producer. Within a year, he was promoted once more to news producer for the ratings-dominant hour-long weekday 6 a.m. newscast, which was the winner of the 2010 Northern California Emmy® Award for Best Daytime Newscast, Medium Market.
Ortiz holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in mass communication & journalism from California State University, Fresno.
About ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno
KFSN-TV ABC30 is the No. 1 source for local news in central California, both online and on the air. The station has dominated the local news ratings in the San Joaquin Valley for decades as a leader in multiplatform audience engagement. KFSN-TV is an ABC owned television station based in Fresno, serving Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Tulare and Kings counties.
| Twitter: | https://twitter.com/ABC30 |
| Instagram: | https://www.instagram.com/abc30_actionnews |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/ABC30 |
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.
Media Contact
Elisa Bolduc
(818) 460-5095
elisa.bolduc@disney.com
Press Release
May 18, 2020
Media relations
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News Executive Michael Carr Named President and General Manager of ABC30 KFSN-TV Fresno
News executive Michael Carr has been named the president and general manager of KFSN-TV, announced Wendy McMahon, president, ABC Owned Television Stations. In his new role, Mr. Carr has overall management responsibility for KFSN-TV ABC30 and its ancillary businesses.
“Michael started his career at KFSN decades ago and has repeatedly proven his incredible dedication to the station and the community,” said McMahon. “During his tenure as news director, he led the newsroom to embrace innovation and next-generation storytelling while always ensuring a steadfast commitment to our mission as local news brands. That vision and leadership led to increased ratings, audience reach and total engagement. You could say that Michael grew up with the station, and the station with him. This community knows him and trusts him, and just as important, the team at KFSN does too. I couldn’t imagine a better-suited leader than Michael to take KFSN-TV ABC30 into its next chapter.”
“I’m thrilled for the incredible opportunity to lead the station in the very community that I’ve long called home,” said Carr. “We have such an amazing team at ABC30 and the trust that we’ve built with the community is invaluable. Together, we will continue to create meaningful, impactful, and premium content and experiences for our viewers as the No. 1 news source in central California.”
As the news director for KFSN for the past eight years, Carr oversaw the overall function of content creation and operations for KFSN’s television, digital and social media platforms. He led the redesign of ABC30’s studio; expanded the newscasts at midday, 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and led the creation of the digital content team. Under his leadership, the station significantly increased television ratings, attained four regional Emmy® Awards and increased its social media audience.
Carr has an extensive background in local TV journalism. He began his career as an intern at KFSN and has worked as an assignment editor, producer and executive producer prior to news director. In addition to Fresno, he has also worked in newsrooms in San Francisco and Sacramento.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and journalism from California State University, Fresno, where he also played football for the Bulldogs. In 2017, Carr was named as a fellow to the Fresno State Media, Communication and Journalism Department Hall of Fame. He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
About KFSN
KFSN-TV ABC30 is the No. 1 source for local news in central California, both online and on the air. The station has dominated the local news ratings in the San Joaquin Valley for decades as a leader in multiplatform audience engagement. KFSN-TV is an ABC owned television station based in Fresno, serving Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Tulare and Kings counties.
| Twitter: | https://twitter.com/ABC30 |
| Instagram: | https://www.instagram.com/abc30_actionnews |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/ABC30 |
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.