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Lights! Music! Magic! ABC 7 Chicago Kicks Off the Holiday Season Nationwide With the Broadcast of the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Hosted by Cheryl Burton and Alan Krashesky Sunday, November 20 at 6:00 PM

Featuring Grand Marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mousefrom Walt Disney World® Resort; Special Performances Including One of the Top Female Groups of All Time, The Pointer Sisters; R&B vocal favorites, The Spinners, American Singer-Songwriter Debbie Gibson, and the go to dance band, C&C Music Factory.

The magic of the holidays, Chicago style, is captured for viewers around the country with musical performances, beloved Walt Disney World characters, and dazzling fireworks, as more than a million twinkling Michigan Avenue lights set the stage for the broadcast of the spectacular Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, Sunday, November 20 from 6-7:00 P.M. on ABC 7 Chicago. Encore broadcasts will air Saturday, December 10, from 11 A.M.-Noon and Christmas Eve from 4-5 P.M. on ABC 7.

ABC 7 Eyewitness News Anchors Cheryl Burton and Alan Krashesky will serve as co-hosts of the broadcastwith ABC 7’s Tracy Butler and Hosea Sanders capturing the magic from the street for viewers at home.

The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival parade will be available on demand and stream exclusively on abc7chicago.com and ABC 7’s Connected TV Apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.

The hour-long special, showcasing the country’s largest evening holiday parade celebration, will showcase a performance by one of the country’s all-time, top female groups, The Pointer Sisters, sparking everyone’s excitement when they perform their hit single, “I’m so Excited.” American rhythm and blues vocal favorites, The Spinners, will also perform, making it a night to remember. American singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson will perform songs from her eleventh studio album, Winterlicious, and C&C Music Factory will perform the song that always signals a good time, “Everybody Dance Now!” on the Enjoy Illinois float.

In addition, Phillip Mkhize will perform “The Circle of Life,” from Broadway in Chicago’s The Lion King, now at the Cadillac Palace.  The cast of Wicked, and Lookingglass Theater’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier will entertain viewers and parade goers alike. After performing on the parade route, The Spinners will offer a medley of their classic hits for an uplifting finale.

In the first official parade of the holidays, Grand Marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, illuminate over one million lights on 200 trees along “The Magnificent Mile,” one of the greatest avenues in the world.  Appearing on an awe-inspiring float, the world’s most famous characters will lead the way for four new marching bands from around the country including the Gulf Coast Shark Band (Naples,FL), Greendale High School Marching Band (Greendale, WI), Vandalia-Butler Marching Aviators And Kickline (Vandalia, OH), and Archbold High School Bluestreak Marching Band (Archbold, OH) in addition to returning fan favorites including the Crystal Lake Strikers, and others. Floating high above the crowds will be Twinkles the Snowman, beautiful gift packages and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital balloons.

Members of the ABC 7 Eyewitness News team— Judy Hsu, Rob Elgas and Jessica D’Onofrio will be spreading good cheer as they ride atop ABC 7 Chicago’s whimsical float during the parade.  

The broadcast’s grand finale, The Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular, will light up the sky (and children’s hearts) with a dazzling fireworks display over the Chicago River, after Santa ushers in the holiday season on a beautiful float!

This is the 16th consecutive year the much-anticipated tradition will be broadcasted to Chicago audiences on ABC 7, the most watched television station in the city. Throughout the holiday season, the special will be watched in nearly 100% of the country’s television markets as well as Toronto, Canada, with encore airings in multiple markets. Check local listings for times.

About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.6 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, ABC 7 Eyewitness News produces “Chicago Proud,” a series of features that spotlights everyday heroes in and around Chicago. The station also produces the highest-rated New Year’s Eve special in Chicago, holiday kickoff special “The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival,” syndicated to a national audience, as well as the award-winning program series “Our Chicago,” which showcases the city’s diversity and highlights contributions in the Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+ communities, among others. Every Friday, Windy City Weekend entertains while giving Chicagoans everything they need to know about what’s happening in the city. ABC 7 is the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago’s rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago’s electorate informed. ABC7’s outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives, one of the biggest one-day drives in the country and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.

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ABC Owned Television Stations Release Trailer of ‘Stolen: The Unsolved Theft of a $3,000,000 Violin,’ produced by ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago

Adding to its true-crime slate, ABC Owned Television Stations announced the release of the trailer to the ABC7/WLS-TV-produced documentary, “Stolen: The Unsolved Theft of a $3,000,000 Violin,” today, ahead of the Feb. 3 streaming premiere on ABC7 Chicago App, and connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.

The true-crime documentary features what is deemed as the world’s greatest violin, a Davidoff Stradivarius, that was stolen 25 years ago from renowned violinist Erica Morini and is still missing. The theft is on the FBI’s list of top 10 unsolved art crimes.

Days before Morini died in 1995, the violin was stolen from a closet in her 5th Avenue apartment in New York City.

The hourlong documentary features individuals who were close to Morini along with interviews with the FBI, well-known violinists and experts who examine the fate of the Davidoff Stradivarius, the beauty and uniqueness of its creation, and whether its sound will ever be heard again.

The production team behind “Stolen” include Zach Ben-Amots, and Jordan Arseneau as executive producers, and Justin Allen, and Matt Knutson as producers.

About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, the station produces 41 hours of local news weekly and Chicago’s only local weekday entertainment talk show, “Windy City LIVE,” as well as its highest-rated New Year’s Eve special. ABC7’s award-winning programs such as “Heart and Soul,” “The Ñ Beat” and “Asian Influences” showcase the city’s diversity, while being the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago’s rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago’s electorate informed. ABC7’s outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.

About ABC Owned Television Stations
Disney Media Entertainment & Distribution’s eight owned ABC stations are multiplatform leaders in local news and information. Collectively No. 1 across all U.S. television, reaching 23% of households and more than 34 million Total Viewers and 62 million digital visitors a month, the eight stations are comprised of 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 stations also deliver locally sourced storytelling to more than 17 million viewers across America through its multiplatform lifestyle network, Localish. In 2020, the stations received five Broadcast & Cable awards, including in the 2020 Best in Local TV Awards category as Station Group of the Year for its innovative and next-generation news reporting, and in the major market category for 2020: Best News Coverage, Best Digital Multiplatform or Website, Best Investigative Reporting Station Group and Best Public Affairs Programming, illustrating the Group’s strength and ever-increasing growth and reach in the multiplatform space.

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ABC 7 Chicago Names Doug Whitmire and Nneka Nwosu Faison to Assistant News Director Positions, ABC 7 Eyewitness News

News veterans Doug Whitmire and Nneka Nwosu Faison will serve in the positions of assistant news director for ABC 7 Eyewitness News, it was announced today by Jennifer Graves, vice president of News, ABC 7 Chicago.

In their new assistant news director roles, Whitmire will oversee news gathering, day-of newscasts and operations. Faison will oversee digital, including ABC 7’s new streaming newscasts, specials and storytelling.

ABC 7 President and General Manager John Idler said, “The collaboration of two outstanding individuals sharing insight and experience will extend ABC 7’s legacy of excellence and continue to set the standard for great journalism in Chicago.”

According to Graves, “I’m thrilled to welcome Doug and Nneka to these critical news management positions. The combination of their leadership skills, news acumen, dedication to storytelling and commitment to the community make them the perfect choices to help lead Eyewitness News.”

Emmy® Award-winning producer Doug Whitmire has been an essential part of the ABC 7 Eyewitness News team for 18 years, joining the station in 2003.   Since then he has risen through the ranks, serving each role with distinction, from news writer/producer and executive producer/morning news to his current position as executive producer of the 10 p.m. newscast. Under his leadership, ABC 7 Eyewitness News at 10 p.m. has been honored with four regional Emmy Awards for Best Newscast in the past five years.

During his tenure as executive producer, Whitmire has been at the helm of the station’s election night coverage, Chicago Cubs World Series Championship coverage and coverage of multiple tornado outbreaks that included open-ended coverage of breaking weather.

Whitmire started his career in broadcasting as a radio anchor/host and moved to television as a reporter/producer at WTVG-TV in Toledo, Ohio. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University.

Nneka Nwosu Faison, a Harvard University Nieman Foundation for Journalism Fellow and Emmy Award-winning producer, joins ABC 7 from WCVB-TV in Boston. In her role as executive producer at WCVB-TV, Faison led the award-winning newsmagazine program “Chronicle” to double-digit growth in key demographics. During the pandemic, she also created several interactive show franchises including “History Quiz,” “Cooking at Home,” and “Viewer’s Choice.” She joined WCVB-TV in 2013 as a producer for “Chronicle” and was promoted to managing editor before taking over leadership of the show as executive producer.

Prior to WCVB-TV, Faison was a reporter/multimedia journalist for WTNH-TV in New Haven, Connecticut.

She has also taught a course called Video Storytelling for Social Media as an adjunct professor at Harvard University Extension School.

Faison was recently named one of Boston’s Most Influential Women in 2021 and was chosen as a “40 under 40” business leader in the Boston Business Journal. She graduated from Princeton University and received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York City.

Whitmire will begin his assistant news director duties on Dec. 27, and Faison will begin her new role at ABC 7 on Jan. 24 after relocating from Boston.

About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.6 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, ABC 7 Eyewitness News produces “Chicago Proud,” a series of features that spotlights everyday heroes in and around Chicago. The station also produces the highest-rated New Year’s Eve special in Chicago, holiday kickoff special “The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival,” syndicated to a national audience, as well as the award-winning program series “Our Chicago,” which showcases the city’s diversity and highlights contributions in the Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+ communities, among others. Every Friday, Windy City Weekend, entertains while giving Chicagoans everything they need to know about what’s happening in the city. ABC 7 is the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago’s rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago’s electorate informed. ABC7’s outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives, one of the biggest one-day drives in the country and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.

Twitter:	https://twitter.com/abc7chicago
Instagram:	https://www.instagram.com/abc7Chicago/
Facebook:	https://www.facebook.com/abc7Chicago/

Media Contacts:
Jayme Nicholas
(312) 750-7254
jayme.a.nicholas@abc.com

Elita Fielder Adjei
Director, Communications & Publicity, ABC Owned Television Stations
(424) 247-3517
elita.adjei@disney.com

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ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago To Produce and Broadcast ‘Graduation 2020: For Chicago. By Chicago.,’ a Virtual Ceremony for Chicago’s Graduating High School Seniors

Virtual Graduation Is Hosted by ’Hamilton’ Star Miguel Cervantes, With Commencement Address by Oprah Winfrey, Joined by Celebrity Appearances Including Award-Winning Hip-Hop Artist Common

Special to air Sunday, June 14, (1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CDT) on ABC7 Chicago,  Localish Network, and multiple radio and television stations across the city of Chicago

Stream live at ABC7Chicago.com, ABC7’s connected Apps, ABC7Chicago’s Facebook and Localish’s  Facebook, YouTube and Windy City Live’s Facebook

ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago and ABC’s Localish digital network to broadcast and exclusively produce “Graduation 2020: For Chicago. By Chicago.,” a live 60-minute first-of-its kind, citywide virtual graduation ceremony to celebrate the city of Chicago’s 35,000 graduating seniors. The special will recognize the tenacity and achievements of Chicago’s high school seniors who are graduating during unprecedented times. The ceremony will air SUNDAY, JUNE 14 at 1:00 p.m. CDT, hosted by Chicago’s “Hamilton” star Miguel Cervantes, and commencement keynote by Oprah Winfrey.

The star-studded lineup will appear virtually to give tribute and well-wishes to graduating seniors’ achievements. Confirmed appearances include Gov. JB Pritzker, “The Voice”’s Katie Kadan  performing the national anthem, and an opening narrated by Chicago’s hometown, hip-hop recording artist, Common, the first rapper to win an Emmy®, Grammy®, and an Academy Award®, with many more special appearances.

The televised production captures inspiring citywide images of Chicago, its high schools and students through original and drone aerial footage, despite a pandemic and citywide protests. Partnered with footage of tributes and speeches from well-known Chicagoans ranging from Mayor Lightfoot to Chicago’s professional sport stars to extraordinary high school graduates; the special also showcases popular high school band performances that display the pride and culture of the city. ABC7 made submission links available to all seniors for their own “Pomp and Circumstance Graduation Walks” videos, which production then paired with music produced by Chicago’s DJ Hot Rod to air as part of the graduation celebration. The package is showcased through original short videos and segments produced by ABC7 Chicago and Localish.

“We are honored to not only produce this historic event for the city of Chicago’s graduating seniors, but we are pleased to be able to expand the virtual graduation past our broadcast on WLS and Localish, and offer it to all television and radio stations across the city of Chicago,” said John Idler, president and general manager, WLS-TV. “We are living in an unprecedented time, but that didn’t stop the class of 2020. WLS wants to ensure that we produce and deliver an exciting, heartfelt send-off that can be felt by all graduating seniors and their families wherever they are throughout the city, and one that will not be forgotten.”

In addition to ABC7, the virtual graduation ceremony will be broadcast on WGN-TV, WTTW, WCIU, CBS2, NBC5, FOX32 and Univision Chicago (WGBO-TV); and will air live on Localish Network in 14 million homes across the country, and on the Facebook page of WLS’s ‘Windy City.’ WBEZ 91.5 FM Chicago will air portions of the graduation celebration and stream the entire ceremony live on WBEZ.org. Additionally, the city of Chicago will provide a live-stream feed from Chicago.gov and it’s Facebook page. The ceremony will be closed captioned and Univision Chicago (WGBO-TV) will provide Spanish closed captioning.

ABC7 Chicago and Localish are the lead broadcasters and will showcase the live virtual celebration with a multiplatform focus that will leverage its promotional strength across ABC’s linear, digital and social footprints.  Viewers can stream live at ABC7Chicago.com, ABC7’s connected Apps, ABC7’s Facebook, YouTube, and Localish on Facebook, YouTube and WLS-TV’s ‘Windy City Live’ Facebook. The station will also rebroadcast the special across its digital streaming platforms and connected TV.

About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades in linear broadcast and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, the station produces 41 hours of local news weekly in addition to producing Chicago’s only local weekday entertainment talk show, “Windy City LIVE,” as well as its highest-rated New Year’s Eve special. ABC7’s award-winning community outreach includes programs showcasing the city’s diversity such as “Heart and Soul,” “The Ñ Beat” and “Asian Influences”; producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago’s rich cultural history; town halls focused on current social issues; annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives; and most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.

About Localish
Localish, a digital native lifestyle brand from ABC Owned Television Stations featuring locally sourced yet nationally relevant stories which target a younger audience, debuted its broadcast home on Feb. 17, 2020. In Localish’s first year, ABC’s owned stations produced over 700 pieces of digital video, totaling more than 240 million video views, with 65% of its audience under the age of 44. Most recently honored with the 2019 Innovator Award – the highest distinction among TVNewsCheck’s annual Social Media Excellence Awards – Localish was credited for its forward-minded ideas, sleek execution and all-around positive impact. As a broadcast network, Localish expanded its short-form series of local storytelling into long-form programming to reach approximately 14 million households across America. The brand also continues to debut stories on localish.com, ABC digital platforms and social media platforms, as it transcends city limits and inspires its audience to live like a local wherever they are.