Skip to content

Category: ABC Owned Television Stations

Press Release

October 18, 2022

Media relations
Anna Kukelhaus
Director of Communications
National Geographic Media and ABC Owned Television Stations
anna.kukelhaus@natgeo.com
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

ABC Owned Television Stations Reveal Stark Housing Inequality in New Documentary, ‘Our America: Lowballed’

Trailer Debuts Today, Oct. 18

WATCH THE TRAILER AND LEARN MORE HERE
SHARE TRAILER HERE

VISUALS AND INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE
KEY ART AND PHOTOS HERE

Black and Latino families have had their homes appraised for up to $500,000 less than expected, and they believe racial bias played a significant factor. According to an ABC Owned Television Stations data analysis of more than 50 million home loans, refinance applications in predominantly Black neighborhoods are nearly five times more likely to be under-appraised than in white communities. The analysis also found home-purchase loans in Black neighborhoods are more than twice as likely to be appraised under value. To raise awareness on this systemic issue affecting families across America and to equip viewers with information on what they can do if they find themselves lowballed in an appraisal, ABC Owned Television Stations has produced “Our America: Lowballed,” with the trailer now available.

The documentary special will debut on ABC Owned Television Stations’ 24/7 streaming platforms, 32 connected TV apps across streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku and Hulu beginning Dec. 2, with a linear release across eight ABC stations the weekend of Dec. 5 – ABC7/WABC-TV New York, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, 6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston, ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno. The linear releases in each market will also include local stories on the issue of appraisal discrimination and homeownership produced by the Race & Culture teams in each market leading up to the premiere.

A 2018 report from the Brookings Institution estimates that homes in predominantly Black neighborhoods are devalued by $156 billion, an average of $48,000 per home. This amount is enough to finance 8 million four-year degrees and cover nearly all Hurricane Katrina damage. This is vital equity Black families lack access to in order to pay for college, start businesses, remodel homes or create a nest egg for future generations—creating intergenerational wealth.

“Many are familiar with the Austins, a Black family in California who had the appraised value of their home jump nearly $500,000 after whitewashing their house—stripping it of family photos, artwork, even toiletries—and having a friend, who is white, stand in during the appraisal,” remarks Julian Glover, the executive producer for “Our America: Lowballed” and Race, Culture and Social Justice reporter at ABC7/KGO-TV Bay Area. “When we broke the Austins’ story, countless families across the country came forward with similar experiences. Through this documentary, we are giving a voice to those who believe they have been hit by appraisal discrimination, equipping viewers with information needed to take action if they are lowballed, and engaging federal leaders to fix this problem that has been robbing Black and Latino families of billions in equity for generations.”

Glover’s reporting on issues of appraisal discrimination has earned regional Emmy® and Edward R. Murrow awards for excellence in reporting on issues of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

“Our America: Lowballed” continues Glover’s impactful reporting and profiles three separate cases of appraisal discrimination experienced by families in California and Indiana, whose home values jumped an average of $300,000 as a result of whitewashing their homes, having white friends stand in during the appraisal, and pushing back on unexpectedly low valuations.

This reporting on the devaluation of Black and Latino homes has spurred new state laws and led President Biden to create the Property Appraisal Valuation Equity task force to identify solutions to root out appraisal bias. In addition, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, also featured in the documentary, introduced legislation to combat appraisal bias with the Fair Appraisal and Inequity Reform legislation. 

Reporting for “Our America: Lowballed” was facilitated by the Equity Report, which launched in September 2021, and is an unprecedented project by the ABC Owned Television Stations’ data journalism team to measure racial equity in each of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. The team gathered and analyzed more than 10 million data points across five quality of life categories impacting residents’ everyday lives: policing, housing, education, health and environment. The equity gaps revealed by the data analysis are leveraged in “Our America: Lowballed” and have been used by ABC Owned Televisions and ABC News to produce stories focused on inequity in areas from home ownership and insurance access to classroom discipline and pollution.

If you suspect that you or someone you know may have been affected by a housing lowball, you can learn more on Lowballed.abc.

More information about ABC Owned Television Stations streaming channels can be found here: ABC7/WABC-TV New York, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, 6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston, ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno.

LINK TO KEY ART AND PHOTOS HERE

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, with a record of 2.2 billion minutes streamed, 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. WABC-New York has remained the No. 1 station in the country for 19 years.

Media Contacts:
Anna Kukelhaus
Director of Communications, ABC Owned Television Stations
anna.kukelhaus@natgeo.com

Vanessa Abron
Account Manager, One35 Agency
(312) 480-9050
vanessa@one35agency.com

Press Release

September 30, 2022

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

ABC Owned Television Stations Explore Visibility With the Premiere of News Special ‘Our America: (In)visible’

Special Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Beginning Saturday, Oct. 1, Across Linear and the 32 Connected TV Apps on Streaming Platforms Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku and Hulu

View “Our America: (IN)VISIBLE” Trailer Here

In celebration of Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month, ABC Owned Television Stations presents “Our America: (IN)VISIBLE.” The hourlong news special examines what Hispanic and Latino visibility looks like across three sectors of society: business, entertainment and politics with special focus on how the community’s quality of life is impacted.

Special spotlights include the following:

  • The special begins by exploring the underrepresentation of Latinos in film and television, and features an intimate discussion with reality television pioneer and Chairman of Banijay Americas Cris Abrego. Additionally, actors Wilmer Valderrama, Xolo Maridueña, Francia Raisa and Michelle Ortiz as well as industry experts Ana-Christina Ramon, co-author of UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report, and Brenda Castillo, CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and “Encanto” producer Yvett Merino share their thoughts on what it means to be Latino in Hollywood.
  • While sharing a meal at Cafe Havana in New York City, ABC News chief White House correspondent Cecilia Vega, and ABC News correspondent, Gio Benitez, share an intimate and engaging conversation about Latino culture and visibility in media.
  • Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico – who Is currently the only serving Hispanic governor in the nation, shares her thoughts on the lack of Hispanic representation across all levels of the government.
  • The special takes a closer look at the political world into bipartisanship and where the Latino electorate stands with Democrat U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia and Republican former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman. New York State Senator Jessica Ramos walks viewers through her district, the most diverse in the country, sharing her thoughts about the importance of Hispanic representation in government.
  • Xavier Gutierrez, the first Latino CEO of a National Hockey League team – the Arizona Coyotes – shares his thoughts on inclusion, the Latino market, and examines visibility in the business world.
  • Dr. Krista L. Cortes, director of La Casa Latina at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the invisibility of the Afro-Latino community in society as well as the broad diversity of cultures that exists within the Latino and Hispanic communities.
  • Cheech Marin, actor, comedian, humanitarian and cultural icon, gives an inside look at his seminal collection of Chicano art at the new Cheech Museum in Riverside, California. Marin discusses his love of art and the need for Latino visibility in the art world. 

Beginning Oct. 1, viewers can stream the stories of Hispanic and Latino communities spotlighted in “Our America: (IN)VISIBLE” across ABC Owned Television Stations’ eight websites; connected TV apps on streaming platforms on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV andRoku; and each owned stations’ free news app: ABC7/WABC-TV New York, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, 6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston, ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno, and on Hulu, Friday, Oct. 14.

*“Our America: (IN)VISIBLE,” the 60-minute special, will air on WABC-TV New York, Sunday, Oct. 2 (2:00 p.m. EDT); KABC-TV Los Angeles, Saturday, Oct. 1 (10:00 p.m. PDT); WLS-TV Chicago, Sunday, Oct. 9 (11:00 p.m. CDT); WPVI-TV Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 16 (12:30 a.m. EDT); KGO-TV San Francisco, Saturday, Oct. 1 (9:00 p.m. PDT); KTRK-TV Houston, Saturday, Oct. 1 (11:35 p.m. CDT); WTVD-TV Raleigh Durham, Sunday, Oct. 2 (1:30 p.m. EDT); and KFSN-TV Fresno, Saturday, Oct. 1 (10:00 p.m. PDT).

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, with a record of 2.2 billion minutes streamed, 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. WABC-New York has remained the No. 1 station in the country for 19 years.

Media Contact
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com

Press Release

August 26, 2022

Media relations
Anna Kukelhaus
Director of Communications
National Geographic Media and ABC Owned Television Stations
anna.kukelhaus@natgeo.com
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

ABC Owned Television Stations Highlight the Search for the First Black US Marines in Documentary ‘Our America: Mission Montford Point’

Trailer Debuts Today, Aug. 26, in Honor of the 80th Anniversary of Black Marines Breaking the Color Barrier

WATCH TRAILER, LEARN MORE HERE
SHARE TRAILER HERE

History has largely overlooked the trailblazers who were the first Black men to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, the Montford Point Marines, named after the segregated section of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where they trained. Today, FRIDAY, AUG. 26, on the 80th anniversary of when the first Montford Point Marines set foot on the Marine base, ABC Owned Television Stations debut the trailer of “Our America: Mission Montford Point.”

The documentary special will debut on ABC Owned Stations 24/7 streaming platforms, 32 connected TV apps across streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku and Hulu beginning Sept. 20.

Chronicling the history of the Montford Point Marines, the one-hour special also highlights the dedicated individuals locating these Marines and their descendants in an effort to honor them with the Congressional Gold Medal the men collectively earned in 2012. Presently, an estimated 2,000 men have received the medal, leaving approximately 18,000 who are still due the honor.  

“The legacy of the Montford Point Marines has been a largely hidden story and it is our responsibility to amplify the voices of these heroes while attempting to right a historic wrong,” said ABC Owned Television Stations Race & Culture executive producer Porsha Grant. “We hope this news special will encourage the audience to not only embrace the Marines’ contributions but also to be inspired by the strength it took to serve and love a nation that did not always love them back.” 

The U.S. Marine Corps was the last of the armed forces to allow Black men to join. Still, the men came from far and wide and enlisted while staring down racism and discrimination. Housing conditions and treatment were harsh, but the Montford Point Marines persevered. Thousands saw combat in World War II’s Pacific Theater. Some of the Montford Pointers continued to serve with honor in the USMC after the end of segregation in the military, and others went on to have distinguished careers in public service and the private sector.

Those who served – or family members of deceased Montford Point Marines – can learn more on ABC7/ouramerica.com.

More information about ABC Owned Television Stations streaming channels can be found here: ABC7/WABC-TV New York, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, 6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston, ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno.

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, with a record of 2.2 billion minutes streamed, 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. WABC-New York has remained the No. 1 station in the country for 19 years.

Media Contacts:
Vanessa Abron
Account Manager, One35 Agency
(312) 480-9050
vanessa@one35agency.com

Anna Kukelhaus
Director of Communications, National Geographic Media
anna.kukelhaus@natgeo.com

Press Release

August 15, 2022

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

Adrianne Anderson Named Senior Vice President, Content Development, ABC Owned Television Stations

Multi-award-winning KABC-TV Los Angeles marketing executive Adrianne Anderson has been elevated to senior vice president, Content Development, ABC Owned Television Stations, reporting into station group President Chad Matthews.  In her new role, Anderson will be responsible for creating, leading and executing the multiplatform content vision and strategies that cross all eight local brands and businesses in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno. This includes oversight of the group’s Race & Culture, premium content, Localish & Creative Content teams.

“Adrianne is an incredibly talented, creative executive who takes a strategic, thoughtful and collaborative approach to content creation and marketing strategies,” said Matthews. “In her role at KABC, she has played a pivotal role in creating content and campaigns that have benefitted all or our stations. She has been instrumental to our support for ‘The Oscars’ – helping deliver hours and hours of ‘On the Red Carpet’ content to both domestic and international audiences. She has also played a major role in elevating content from our Race & Culture and Localish teams, as well as working hand-in-hand with our data and analytics team to deliver and amplify content that makes a difference in the lives of our viewers.” 

“The ABC Owned Television Stations group are the dominant local news leaders and content creators in their respective markets,” said Anderson. “I’m honored to help build on this legacy of best-in-class journalism and storytelling as we look forward to our future growth and innovation. I’m incredibly excited for the opportunities that lie ahead, collaborating with our content partners across The Walt Disney Company”

Most recently, Anderson served as vice president, Programming, Marketing & Content Development, KABC Los Angeles, where she was responsible for creating and executing multiplatform content development and marketing strategies for station initiatives using data-driven insights and research that helps local and national sales teams optimize multiplatform revenue and ratings. She also oversaw the creative development of live event, original series and select short-form programming across linear and digital platforms, among other responsibilities.

Prior to joining KABC, Anderson spent two decades working at leading television companies, including serving in senior level marketing positions at Tribune Media/KTLA 5, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television, Telepictures Productions, and Fox Television Stations (FOX 11/MNTV 13, KTTV/KCOP). She worked her way up the ranks in director roles at CBS Corp. and NBC Universal. 

Anderson is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and PROMAX, and has won numerous national and local Los Angeles Emmys®, PROMAX International Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.

She graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from Hofstra University where she was also on the AERho National Honor Society Dean List.

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.

Media Contact:
Fonda Berosini
fonda.berosini@abc.com

Press Release

June 15, 2022

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

ABC Owned Television Stations Announce Celebratory Juneteenth Programming

DYK? – Watch ABC Owned Television Stations’ Juneteenth Flag Explainer

To celebrate the 157th Juneteenth holiday, ABC Owned Television Stations are featuring content and programming spotlighting Black communities and traditions across its 24/7 streaming channels and linear newscasts: ABC7/WABC-TV New York, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, 6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston, ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno.

Localish: ABC’s award-winning Localish will air “More in Common: Juneteenth Special” across its digital sites and Localish network. The special features extraordinary stories from across America highlighting the historic day and the individuals who pushed to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. In addition, Localish will rebroadcast “Our America: Black Freedom,” an intimate 2021 special that looked at the history and modern-day celebrations of Juneteenth before it was recognized as a federal holiday, and Localish’s “All Red Everything: Juneteenth Food Traditions.”

ABC7/WABC-TV New York, the most-watched television station in the nation, celebrates the Juneteenth weekend with coverage of community events and special programming. Including a collection of specials from “Here and Now with Sandra Bookman,” a public affairs program focused on the Black tri-state community, which viewers can stream online on Thursday, June 16. This year Juneteenth falls on Father’s Day, and WABC looks at the state of African American fatherhood and the challenges and triumphs they face today. The station visits a school to share how students learn about Juneteenth history; and explores the meaning behind Juneteenth red-tradition foods.

ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles is the media partner for the rescheduled 37th Kingdom Day Parade (Monday, June 20, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. PDT), with Congresswoman and LA Mayoral candidate Karen Bass as the grand marshal. The parade is hosted by anchors Leslie Sykes and Rachel Brown, with reporters Sid Garcia and Anabel Munoz. KABC will cover Juneteenth celebrations in the cities of Irvine and Corona.

ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago joins in the celebration with its half-hour special, “Our Chicago: Freedom Day,” (Sunday, June 19, 4:30 p.m. CDT). Hosted by Emmy® Award-winning anchors/reporters Cheryl Burton and Terrell Brown, the special will also be available on abc7chicago.com and ABC7’s Connected TV Apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.

6abc/WPVI-TV Philadelphia is the proud sponsor and broadcast partner of the “2022 Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival” (Sunday, June 19, 12:30-2:30 p.m. EDT).The parade and festival will be hosted by 6abc anchors Rick Williams and Sharrie Williams with local radio personality Gary Shepherd. Special guests attending the parade include grand marshal Sheryl Lee Ralph of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and the American neo soul duo Kindred the Family Soul. Viewers can also stream the parade and festival LIVE on 6abc 24/7 streaming channel.

ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston covers the Juneteenth Parade and Emancipation Park 150th Juneteenth Weekend Festival (Saturday, June 18, 6:30 p.m. CDT) across linear and KTRK’s 24/7 streaming channel. KTRK will produce a half-hour special that looks at the history of the park and shares the story of Jack Yates, an enslaved person who raised $1,000 to buy the 10 acres of land that is now Emancipation Park. KTRK is also launching a collection of 30 Juneteenth news stories on KTRK’s connected TV app with more stories added throughout the month.

ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham is the exclusive media sponsor of the Inaugural Juneteenth Jubilee, a full-day street festival in Downtown Fayetteville (June 18-19). ABC11 will also provide news coverage of several local Juneteenth celebrations throughout the region. 

ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco is featuring community members celebrating Juneteenth and covering citywide Juneteenth events across the Bay area.

ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno is sponsoring the Fresno Juneteenth Festival (Sunday, June 19).

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, with a record of 2.2 billion minutes streamed, 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. WABC-New York has remained the No. 1 station in the country for 19 years. The stations also deliver locally sourced storytelling to more than 17 million viewers across America through its multiplatform lifestyle network, Localish. The station group has received numerous prestigious awards. Most recently, in 2022, the station group was recognized as a finalist by Fast Company’s WorldChanging Idea for creating “Our America Equity Report.”  In 2021, WABC was awarded 17 Emmy® Awards and several stations collected seven regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including “Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” and the prestigious national award for “Overall Excellence.” The entertainment brand “On the Red Carpet” won Broadcast & Cable’s “Best Lifestyle Show   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.  

Press Release

June 1, 2022

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

ABC Owned Television Stations Showcase a Powerful Pride Lineup of Monthlong News Stories, Town Hall Events and Community Resources for the LGBTQ Community

Celebrity Star-Studded Pride Parade Coverage Airs Live From New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, With First-Time Livestream From New York and Los Angeles on ABC News Live and Hulu

‘Our America: Who I’m Meant to Be’ Returns With an LGBTQ-Led Production Examining Intersectionality in the Community

ABC Owned Television Stations announce their monthlong Pride content, community town halls and resources for the LGBTQ community across their markets of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno. Additionally, the station group will broadcast Pride parades LIVE on June 12 in Los Angeles and June 26 in New York, Chicago, and in a first-time media partnership, San Francisco. The New York and Los Angeles Pride parades will also stream LIVE for the first time on ABC News Live and Hulu.

Watch “Who I’m Meant To Be” Trailer

“Our America: Who I’m Meant to Be,” the one-hour Pride documentary, returns with a new focus highlighting intersectionality and exploring how LGBTQ individuals’ identities exemplify who they are. The production is LGBTQ-led and is a spinoff from last year’s “Our America: Who I’m Meant to Be” Pride special which amplified the voices of transgender communities across America through first-person narratives. The special will be available to stream WEDNESDAY, June 1, across the station group’s connected TV apps, 24/7 streaming channels, and air across linear on ABC Owned Television Stations.

ABC7/WABC-TV New York, the most-watched station in the nation,broadcasts the three-hour celebration, “2022 NYC Pride March,” LIVE on SUNDAY, June 26 (12:00-3:00 p.m. EDT). FX’s “Pose”star Angelica Ross hosts alongside WABC’s Sam Champion, Ken Rosato and Lauren Glassberg. NYC Pride honors Ts Madison, Punkie Johnson, Schuyler Bailar, Dominique Morgan and Chase Strangio during the celebration. The parade will livestream onABC News Live and Hulu for the first time and will be available to stream on WABC’s 24/7 live streaming channel. In addition to the livestream, a replay of the parade will also be available on Hulu for 30 days post-event. Throughout the month, the station spotlights local LGBTQ leaders and provides resources and local news coverage celebrating Pride including the following:

  • “We Belong: Pride 2022,” an Eyewitness News hourlong special celebrating diversity, inclusion and unity within the LGBTQ community, airs SATURDAY, June 25 (7:00 p.m. EDT).

ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, Southern California’s most-watched station, will exclusively air “LA PRIDE 2022” on SATURDAY, June 12 (11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. PDT), and will livestream on ABC News Liveand Hulu for the first time ever. The special is co-hosted by actress Raven-Symoné and her wife, Miranda, with KABC’s Ellen Levya, Karl Schmid, Christiane Cordero and Eric Resendiz. Numerous celebrities join the annual celebration as it returns to Hollywood, the historical location where the first Los Angeles LGBTQ protest took place more than 50 years ago. In addition to the livestream, a replay of the parade will also be available on Hulu for 30 days post-event. Throughout the month, the station features local LGBTQ leaders and provides resources and local news stories celebrating Pride including the following:

  • KABC marks the first day of Pride month with a community town hall discussing LGBTQ Teens and Mental Health on WEDNESDAY, June 1 (4:30 p.m. PDT).
  • “ON THE RED CARPET CELEBRATES PRIDE” broadcasts fromLA PRIDE’S “Pride in the Park”event on SATURDAY, June 11 (6:30-7:00 p.m. PDT), hosted by Ellen Levya and Karl Schmid. The event will provide a sneak preview of new Disney content that focuses on LGBTQ stories and storytellers including the third and final season of “Love Victor” (coming to Disney+ and Hulu on WEDNESDAY, June 15) and Searchlight Pictures’ queer rom-com feature film “Fire Island” (coming to Hulu on FRIDAY, June 3).

ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco is the broadcast partner for the “San Francisco Pride 2022: Love Will Keep Us Together” celebration airing LIVE SUNDAY, June 26. This is the station’s first time as media partner for the San Francisco Pride parade. Throughout the month the station features news stories and local pride events including the following:

  • An LGBTQ-led half-hour special featuring Bay Area LGBTQ individuals and organizations premiering on SATURDAY, June 25 (6:30 p.m. PDT), and re-airing on SUNDAY, June 26 (10:00 a.m. PDT) leading into the station’s live parade coverage.
  • A livestreamed “Allies in Action: Embracing LGBTQ Families,” community roundtable in early-mid June.

ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago celebrates Pride month as a float participant and the exclusive broadcast partner for the 51st annual “Chicago Pride Parade 2022” on SUNDAY, June 26 (12:00-2:00 p.m. CDT).Throughout the month the station features ongoing news coverage, stories and local pride events including the following:

  • “Windy City Weekend Feature,” highlighting the LGBTQ community, airing every Friday (11:30 a.m. CDT) and hosted by Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini
  • The station plans to participate as a Broadcast Host Committee in the 20th anniversary of “OUT of the Office” on WEDNESDAY, June 1, a community event to benefit The Legacy Project Chicago, a nonprofit that provides LGBTQ inclusive educational curriculum at no cost to educators.
  • A virtual community town hall with LGBTQ leaders on TUESDAY, June 7 (1:00 p.m. CDT)

6abc/WPVI-Philadelphiais participating in the first annual “2022 Stonewall Awards,” available to stream live on SUNDAY, June 26; A half-hour “Stonewall Awards” special will air across linear on THURSDAY, June 30. Throughout the month the station features ongoing news coverage, stories and local pride events including the following:  

  • “FYI Philly” Pride airs SATURDAY, June 4 (7:00 p.m. EDT), with coverage of the Youth Run the next day on SUNDAY, June 5.
  • WPVI’s long-running diversity-focused community affairs program, “Visions,” spotlights events happening in the LGBTQ community on SATURDAY, June 18 (7:00 p.m. EDT).

ABC13/KTRK-TV Houstonpresents “Localish: Houston Pride” on SATURDAY, June 25 (6:30 p.m. CDT). A “Celebrate Pride” collection of more than 40 stories are featured on the station’s connected TV app. Throughout the month the station features ongoing news coverage, stories and local pride events including the following:

  • The “Protecting Our LGBTQ Youth” town hall streams THURSDAY, June 16 (7:00 p.m. CDT).
  • In partnershipwith the Greater Houston LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, KTRK hosts its second annual Pride in Business Awards WEDNESDAY, June 22 (11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. CDT), with anchor Melanie Lawson as the emcee.

ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durhamis spotlighting “Out! Raleigh Pride Festival”on SATURDAY, June 25 (11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EDT), and is airing ongoing news coverage, stories, local pride events and initiatives throughout the month including the following:

  • A community town hall discussing LGTBQ+ in the military on WEDNESDAY, June 15 (6:30 p.m. EDT).

ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresnois sponsoring the 32nd Annual Fresno Rainbow Pride parade. KFSN’s ongoing news coverage of local pride events and initiatives throughout the month include the following:

  • Community roundtable “Celebrating Pride: A Central California Conversation” is available to stream on connected TV apps WEDNESDAY, June 1.
  • The “Secretly Awesome: Celebrates Pride”special airs SATURDAY, June 4 (11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PDT).

Viewers can watch and stream ABC Owned Television Stations’ pride content and “Our America: Who I’m Meant to Be,” beginning WEDNESDAY, June 1, by downloading one of the following free news apps: ABC7/WABC-TV New York, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, 6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston, ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham and ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno on mobile devices or streaming platforms Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku, and on the station groups’ 24/7 live streaming channels.

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, with a record of 2.2 billion minutes streamed, 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. WABC-New York has remained the No. 1 station in the country for 19 years. The stations also deliver locally sourced storytelling to more than 17 million viewers across America through its multiplatform lifestyle network, Localish. The station group has received numerous prestigious awards. Most recently, in 2022, the station group was recognized as a finalist by Fast Company’s WorldChanging Idea for creating “Our America Equity Report.”  In 2021, WABC was awarded 17 Emmy® Awards and several stations collected seven regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including “Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” and the prestigious national award for “Overall Excellence.” The entertainment brand “On the Red Carpet” won Broadcast & Cable’s “Best Lifestyle Show   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.  

Press Release

May 13, 2022

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution Networks and Hollywood Records Announce the Release of ‘Finish Line’ Today, May 13, Performed by Global Superstar Rita Ora and Written by Award-Winning Songwriter Diane Warren

Rita Ora and Diane Warren to Unveil Exclusive Music Video Clip of ‘Finish Line’ on ABC’s ‘American Idol’ on Sunday, May 15 at 8/7c

A Majority Women-Led Team From ABC Owned Television Stations Spearheaded the Creative Direction of the Music Video For ‘Finish Line,’ the Soundtrack for ESPN’s ‘37 Words’ Title IX Docuseries Premiering June 21

Stream ‘Finish Line’ Here

Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution Networks and Hollywood Records announce the release of the song “Finish Line” TODAY, May 13, via all digital platforms. “Finish Line” is performed by global superstar Rita Ora, written by award-winning songwriter Diane Warren, and is the soundtrack for ESPN’s upcoming four-part Title IX docuseries, “37 Words.” A true passion project across the company, ABC Owned Television Stations’ race and culture team played a pivotal role in securing the song and was part of a majority-women-led team responsible for the creative vision of the “Finish Line” music video. An exclusive clip of the music video premieres Sunday, May 15, during ABC’s “American Idol.” Emmy® Award-winning producer and host Ryan Seacrest will interview both Ora and Warren LIVE.

“Finish Line” is a women empowerment anthem that will support “37 Words,” a four-part ESPN docuseries from documentary filmmakers Dawn Porter and Nicole Newnham, as part of The Walt Disney Company’s Fifty/50 initiative led by ESPN. The Fifty/50 initiative commemorates the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational institution receiving federal funding and gave women the equal opportunity to play.

“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IXacross The Walt Disney Company, it is a true gift to have two such prolific, powerhouse artists as Rita Ora and Diane Warren contribute their talent and passion to a song that celebrates and encourages girls and women around the country,” said Debra OConnell, president of Networks for Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. “‘Finish Line’ is a fantastic and empowering anthem, brought to life by an extraordinary and inspiring group of women. I’m incredibly proud of this collaboration and thrilled to showcase it on our Networks as part of theFifty/50 initiative.”

“I knew that I wanted to be a part of the Fifty/50 initiative because it celebrates the 50-year anniversary passing of Title IX,” said multi-award-winning songwriter Diane Warren. “This powerful initiative inspired me to write ‘Finish Line’ as an uplifting anthem that reminds us to never give up the fight. It may be 50 years since the law was passed, but we are still pushing for the fundamental human right of equality. Rita Ora understood the message of never giving up within this song. She sang it so movingly with the conviction it needed.”

“I love working with Diane. She is such a brilliant songwriter and collaborating with her is always a joy,” said global superstar Rita Ora. “When she brought this song to me, I was so moved by the lyrics and the passion they evoked and knew instantly that I had to be involved with the project. The fight for women’s equality is a global issue. Every day, women around the world are fighting to be seen, heard and respected. We must continue to work to empower one another as we strive to make equality a reality for women in every part of the world.”

A women-led executive and creative team came together to ensure that diverse women spearheaded all elements of the “Finish Line” production. The collaboration is an intentional nod of empowerment and respect to Title IX women who broke barriers and paved the way for many. The “Finish Line” project was led by Adrianne Anderson, vice president of Content Development & Marketing, KABC TV-Los Angeles, and Nzinga Blake, race and culture executive producer, ABC Owned Television Stations.  

“Supporting the Fifty/50 initiative was necessary,” said Blake. “ABC Owned Television Stations’ race and culture team is dedicated to amplifying the voices of the historically underrepresented, addressing cultural and social issues while celebrating them and their victories. It was a dream come true to have Diane and Rita agree to be part of this and have the women leaders in our organization support this initiative and watch the magic that evolved from this collaboration.”

Collectively, the ABC team decided to use the power of the Disney brand, tapping into internal resources and talent to launch this project. In an unprecedented move, the station group made the decision to produce and direct the music video in-house and work with Disney Music Group’s Hollywood Records to produce the song, collaborating closely with ESPN.

“Finish Line” is scheduled to release today, May 13 on all music streaming services. Fans can watch an exclusive music video clip when “American Idol” airs live, coast to coast, Sunday, May 15 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT/5:00-7:00 p.m. PDT), on ABC. Watch episodes on demand on Hulu the following day. Viewers will also hear the song in ESPN’s docuseries “37 Words” when it premieres June 21 (Parts 1 and 2) and June 28 (Parts 3 and 4) at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

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, with a record of 2.2 billion minutes streamed, 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. WABC-New York has remained the No. 1 station in the country for 19 years. The stations also deliver locally sourced storytelling to more than 17 million viewers across America through its multiplatform lifestyle network, Localish. The station group has received numerous prestigious awards. Most recently in 2021, WABC was awarded 17 Emmy® Awards and several stations collected seven regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including “Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” and the prestigious national award for “Overall Excellence.” The entertainment brand “On the Red Carpet” won Broadcast & Cable’s “Best Lifestyle Show   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. 

Media Contact:
Elita Fielder Adjei
Director, Communications & Publicity, ABC Owned Television Stations
Elita.adjei@disney.com  

About DMG
Disney Music Group is home to Hollywood Records, Walt Disney Records, Disney Music Publishing, Buena Vista Records, and Disney Concerts. The labels’ genre-spanning rosters include Queen (in North America), Andy Grammer, Sofia Carson, American Idol winner Laine Hardy, TINI Stoessel, Dreamers,  Joywave, DCappella,New Hope Club, almost Monday, AREA21, Daisy The Great, Netta, and more. DMG also releases family music and film and television soundtracks from some of the largest movie franchises in the world – from Disney, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, including the chart-topping albums “Encanto,” “Frozen 2,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Oscar® and Grammy®-winning “Frozen,” the Grammy-winning “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the Emmy®-winning music from “WandaVision,”  the Emmy-winning music from “The Mandalorian,” the Oscar and Grammy-winning “Soul” score, plus the Oscar-winning “Black Panther,” “Coco” and “Moana” soundtracks.   Recent titles include “Turning Red,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and the Oscar-nominated “Encanto,” plus the forthcoming films “Bob’s Burgers,” “Lightyear” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” the latter two featuring scores by Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Michael Giacchino. DMG’s rich and eclectic catalog has impacted pop culture globally, including music from films such as “Snow White,” “Star Wars,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” as well as recording artist Annette Funicello, and the beloved classic song “It’s a Small World.” DMG produces Disney’s For Scores podcast series highlighting conversations with acclaimed film composers from DMG soundtracks. Disney Concerts licenses and produces hundreds of shows around the world, including Star Wars in Concert, Disney on Classic, Pixar in Concert, and many more. To stream classic Disney Hits, please visit:  http://disneymusic.co/DisneyHits.

Media Contact:
Heather Davis
Director, Publicity
Disney Music Group/Hollywood Records
Heather.davis@disney.com

About Diane Warren:
One of modern music’s most celebrated songwriters, Diane Warren has penned nine #1 & thirty-two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is tied for having written the most #1 songs as a sole writer in Billboard history. She received 13 Academy Award nominations, is a Grammy winner with 15 nominations, Emmy winner and two-time Golden Globe award winner whose songs have been featured in more than 100 motion pictures. Recently, she won a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination for the original song “Io Si (Seen)” from the 2020 film The Life Ahead, and received an Academy Award nomination for the 2021 original song “Somehow You Do” performed by Reba McEntire for the feature film Four Good Days.

In Summer 2021, for the first time in her career, she released her debut album, Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1 on August 27, 2021 (via Di-Namic Records/BMG), making her mark yet again on the modern music world with this diverse album.  This collection of new original songs features some of the biggest worldwide artists, including Ty Dolla $ign, Maren Morris, John Legend, Luis Fonsi, Jon Batiste, Pentatonix, G-Eazy, Carlos Santana, Rita Ora, Sofia Reyes, Reik, James Arthur, Lauren Jauregui, Jimmie Allen, LP, Celine Dion, Darius Rucker, Paloma Faith, Leona Lewis and James Morrison.

Warren is also the sole owner of her publishing company Realsongs, the most successful female-owned and operated business in the music industry.  She is the recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

About Rita Ora
Rita Ora is an international critically acclaimed singer-songwriter with four #1 UK singles and holds the record for the most Top 10 singles for a British female artist in the UK in history with a total of 13. In 2021, she co-wrote and produced the global collaboration Bang with GRAMMY winning Kazakh DJ and record producer Imanbek. Featuring David Guetta, Gunna and Argentinian rapper KHEA, the four track EP is a mix of modern pop, 80s and 90s club culture and floor-filling house. The EP is the follow up to her album Phoenix, which has amassed over 4 billion streams worldwide, spawned 3 platinum singles and includes “Lonely Together,” her collaboration with Avicii which won “Best Dance” VMA at the MTV Video Music Awards. In addition, her debut album, Ora, debuted at #1 on the UK charts and was certified platinum. Rita is also a multi-talented industry leader across TV, culture and fashion, with brand partnerships across key sectors. Her film credits include the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, Fast & Furious, Southpaw, POKÉMON Detective Pikachu and Twist.

Contact for Rita Ora:
Kathy Reilly: kathy@permanentpressmedia.com
Ryann Hunt-Bila: ryann@permanentpressmedia.com

Press Release

February 1, 2022

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

ABC Owned Television Stations Celebrate Black History Month With ‘On the Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight’ Featuring Black Storytellers, a Multiplatform Slate of Stories Celebrating Black Culture and a Groupwide News Focus Addressing Voting Rights Issues

Black History Month Stories Will Air in the Local Newscasts of the Eight-Owned Stations, ABC’s Localish, and Available in the New 24/7 Live and Local Streaming Channels, Eight Websites, Mobile and Connected TV Apps on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV

‘On the Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight’ Features Interviews From the Casts of ABC’s ‘black-ish,’ to the creators of ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Women of the Movement’ and National Geographic’s ‘Into the Depths’

Today, ABC Owned Television Stations announced the multiplatform slate of its Black History Month content with news stories, placing a focal point on voting rights and election reform while celebrating Black cultures, heritage, and communities. Led by the Race and Culture Content team embedded at all eight stations, the journalists will shine a light on current circumstances that are making it increasingly difficult to vote. Most Black History Month stories, news coverage and premium content are available on ABC Owned Television Stations’ newly launched 24/7 streaming channels, in addition to airing across linear in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno, and its connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.  

Award-winning “On the Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight” series celebrates Black A-list storytellers. Cast members from the hit comedy series “black-ish” will discuss the show’s legacy and impact on the culture as it comes to an end. Quinta Brunson, creator, executive producer and star of ABC’s comedy series “Abbott Elementary,” shares her creative journey, challenges and wins as a woman of color in Hollywood. Marissa Jo Cerar, creator, showrunner and executive producer of ABC’s groundbreaking series “Women of the Movement,” talks about the importance of bringing the story of Emmett Till and Mamie TIll-Mobley to television and how being a Black mother impacted her creative process. Tara Roberts, National Geographic Explorer, takes viewers on a listening journey in the podcasts “Into the Depths,” the untold history of the transatlantic slave trade. She also shares with storytellers the importance and impact of Black voices in the podcast space.

ABC’s award-winning “Localish” will broadcast feel-good features highlighting Black-owned businesses and community leaders, including its most popular show, “More in Common,” across all platforms.

A brief overview of ABC Owned Television Stations celebrating Black History Month includes the following: 

  • ABC7/WABC-TV New York, the No.1 station in New York and the most-watched television station in the nation, is airing numerous news stories that celebrate Black communities, its leaders, and their historical role in art and entertainment while also addressing barriers that Black communities still face. Highlighted stories include an interview with Collette V. Smith, the first Black NFL coach, a profile on American artist Augusta Savage, and specials, “Women on the Move: Black History Month,” and Mentoring Kings: Black History Month.” Award-winning “Here and Now,” the popular longstanding African American public affairs program in the tri-state area, will cover issues and interests that impact and celebrate the community.  
  • ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, the most-watched station in Southern California, will air numerous news segments, including an investigative data journalism story about voting rights. Stories throughout the month spotlight Black Restaurant Week, SoCal Black History Parade and Unity Festival, the heritage of Afro-Latinos, local Black-owned businesses, coverage of the NAACP Image Awards and special Black History Month celebration vignettes featuring national celebrities.
  • ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, is proud to celebrate Black History Month with special news reports, programming and vignettes throughout February. The market leader will air special presentations of the three-time Emmy®Award winner “Our Chicago: Building Black,” a series that taps into the essence of Chicago’s Black community, hosted by ABC7’s Cheryl Burton and Hosea Sanders,with contributions fromJim Rose, Val Warner and Will Jones.
  • 6abc/WPVI-TV Philadelphia celebrates Black culture in both its popular 30-minute “FYI Philly” show and “Vision” a Black Community Affairs program. The market leader will air numerous news segments and stories celebrating Black excellence, including the “50th Anniversary of Philadelphia International Records” honoring legendary music producers and community leaders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.
  • ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco celebrates the Bay Area’s Black community, culture and leaders through numerous news stories that inform, inspire and empower the local audience. Local content featuring Black-owned businesses, like Ethos Collective, a company that helps elevate Black wedding creatives who are impacted by racial bias in the wedding industry. Race and Culture journalist Julian Glover delves into voting rights issues.
  • ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston celebrates Black history as Race and Culture reporter Rosie Nguyen examines issues surrounding voter rights in Texas and reports on other community-focused stories. In addition to news segments celebrating Black culture, the Houston market leader launches a 50-story collection of Black History Month stories available to stream across its 24/7 streaming channel and connected TV apps.
  • ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham will air 30-minute HBCU specials and rebroadcast content from the previous year’s HBCU Experience, news segments and community programming to celebrate Black History Month.
  • ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno will air numerous stories in the 6:00 p.m. newscasts highlighting Central California’s Black communities throughout the month. Viewers can watch inspiring profiles about community members, individuals and Black-owned businesses, including a Black wine owner, and the mission of California State University, Fresno to encourage more Black students to learn wine-making.

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.

Press Release

January 31, 2022

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

ABC Owned Television Stations, the Market Leader in Local News, Announce Its New 24/7 Live and Local Streaming Channels, Adding Thousands of Hours of News From Its Eight Owned Stations in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno

Viewers Can Stream Award-winning Local Newscasts, Breaking News, Weather, Premium Content, ABC’s Localish and More Across the Station Group’s Websites, Mobile and Connected TV Apps on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV

ABC Owned Television Stations, the No. 1 market leader in news, announced today its new 24/7 live and local streaming channels. The new streaming channels are an extension of the most-watched and trusted owned stations’ ABC7 New York, ABC7 Los Angeles, 6abc Philadelphia, ABC7 Chicago, ABC13 Houston, ABC7 Bay Area (San Francisco), ABC11 Raleigh-Durham and ABC30 Fresno. The streaming channels feature 24/7 local news coverage, breaking news, weather forecasts, feel-good stories from ABC’s award-winning “Localish,” and exclusive premium content available free on their websites and streaming channels.

“We are the trusted market leader in local news on linear, digital and social media, with stations that are the most watched in their regions, and I am incredibly pleased to offer the communities we serve their favorite local news at their fingertips 24/7,” said Chad Matthews, president, ABC Owned Television Stations. “We pride ourselves on listening to our audiences and delivering what they want in the most well-thought-out and impactful way. The launch of our 24/7 live and local streaming channels answers the call of our audiences who want more options and ways to view their favorite news and shows. The streaming experience our audiences will have is solely due to the incredible teams across our station group who worked tirelessly to deliver a streaming channel network we can now proudly share.”

Viewers will now have access to award-winning newscasts, stories and content. ABC Owned Television Stations’ newscasts and content have received numerous awards including Emmy® Awards in key categories of Overall News Excellence, Overall Station Excellence, Best Newscast, and awarded by the prestigious Edward R. Murrow awards in both the regional and national categories for Overall Excellence, Best Newscast and Best News Documentary. Viewers will now be able to stream popular content such as mysteries and true-crime documentaries like “Unsolved” and “Texas True Crime”; exclusive award-winning content such as “Our America” series, “Eyewitness to a Pandemic” and “Localish”; and station-produced local documentaries that carry national appeal such as “Being Blago,” “JFK Unsolved,” “No Good Deed,” “Killer High,” the upcoming “Stolen: A $3,000,000 Violin,” and many others.

ABC Owned Television Stations’ 24/7 streaming channels include the following:

ABC7 New York launched with a 6:30 p.m. newscast, anchored by Bill Ritter and Sade Baderinwa, and the premiere of “Inside Rikers,” an Eyewitness News Investigation. The 24/7 news programming will also include live breaking news, weather and the tri-state’s favorite segments, such as “Newsmakers,” “The Vault” and “Weather or Not with Lee Goldberg.”

ABC7 Los Angeles launched its 24/7 stream with a new weekday newscast, Eyewitness News at 7:00 a.m. with the ABC7 morning team of Leslie Sykes, Brandi Hitt, Leslie Lopez and Brianna Ruffalo covering weather, breaking and local news live. Viewers can stream exclusive premium content, hyperlocal reporting from community journalists and Hollywood content through the award-winning entertainment brand, “On The Red Carpet.”

ABC7 Chicago launched its 24/7 streaming with two new, original weekday newscasts available to stream. ABC7’s Tanja Babich, Terrell Brown and Val Warner anchor a new 7:00 a.m. newscast along with Roz Varon and Tracy Butler. Cheryl Burton and Rob Elgas will anchor a new 7:00 p.m. newscast. ABC7 Chicago will also debut “STOLEN: The Unsolved Theft of a $3,000,000 Violin,” a true-crime documentary exclusively on the 24/7 stream starting Wednesday, Feb. 2.

6ABC Philadelphia launched its 24/7 stream with a new weekday newscast hour that begins streaming at 7:00 a.m. and includes the premiere of “The Rush,” a segment anchored by Action News’ Matt O’Donnell, Tamala Edwards and meteorologist Karen Rogers. At 7:30 a.m., viewers can stream “Brighter News,” a lighter news format with feel-good stories that give viewers a sunny outlook on the day ahead.

ABC7 Bay Area (San Francisco) launched its 24/7 streaming platform with the all-new “ABC7@7,” an hourlong newscast each weekday featuring the ABC7 Mornings team. Kumasi Aaron, Reggie Aqui, Jobina Fortson and meteorologist Drew Tuma bring viewers more live, more local and more news for building a better Bay Area.  

ABC13 Houston launched 24/7 streaming in its market with 17 additional hours of live and local news weekly. Houston’s market leader now streams 4:30-9:00 a.m. every weekday with the premiere of Eyewitness News at 8:00 a.m. with Jonathan Bruce. The station will also debut its daily Eyewitness News at 9:00 p.m. Viewers can also stream the successful hit series “Unsolved” and “Texas True Crime.”

ABC11 North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham) is the first station to launch 24/7 streaming in its market. The station expands its live news coverage with the addition of a weekday 7:00-8:00 a.m. newscast anchored by Barbara Gibbs and John Clark. The stream will also showcase high-impact content from the ABC11 First Alert Weather Team, I-Team, Troubleshooter, and the Race and Culture teams.

ABC30 Central California (Fresno) is the first station to launch 24/7 streaming in the Central California market. ABC30 expanded its streaming local news by adding a 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. newscast featuring Landon Burke, Amanda Venegas and Madeline Evans for the morning show, and Warren Armstrong, Margot Kim and Kevin Musso for the evening show.

ABC’s Localish, the multiplatform lifestyle network that showcases feel-good content highlighting inspiring people and places in America is available on all eight websites, streaming channels and connected TV apps.

Users can access all eight streams from any ABC-owned station connected TV app, regardless of the market.

“We love the idea that a viewer is now connected to all our top stations through any of our station streaming apps.” said Matthews. “For example, you might stream from the ABC7 Los Angeles app but have interest or ties to Philadelphia and want to stream their content; you can seamlessly watch the 6abc Philadelphia 24/7 stream from the ABC7 Los Angeles app and stay tuned to what’s happening in the Philadelphia market. You are connected to all of our top stations through any app you choose to stream – greater access to our award-winning content and incredible storytelling – another example of how we are creatively serving our communities.”

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.

Press Release

January 26, 2022

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
Share this release

Chad Matthews Named President of ABC Owned Television Stations

Photo Courtesy ABC Owned Television Stations

Multi-award winning WABC-TV news executive Chad Matthews has been appointed to the position of president, ABC Owned Television Stations effective immediately, announced today by Debra OConnell, president, Networks, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. In this role, Matthews will report directly to OConnell and have chief management responsibility for the eight ABC-owned television stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.

“Chad is an exceptional leader who has a track record of success, always championing innovative content and storytelling, super serving our viewers with programs that have a meaningful impact on the community overall, and achieving and maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence while driving enormous success across linear and digital platforms,” said OConnell. “His strategic vision, passion for local news, forward thinking roll-up your sleeves attitude and commitment to teamwork are among the many attributes that will ensure that under his leadership our Owned Television Stations will continue to thrive.”

“I am truly honored to be given this opportunity to lead the best station group in the world!  The great eight as I like to call it,” said Matthews.  “The team members who make up the ABC Owned Stations are the best in the business.  Their talents, innovation, perseverance and flexibility are sources of constant inspiration. I am very much looking forward to working with them to further grow the business while continuing to find new ways to “super serve” our viewers and communities to set the bar for local television.”

Matthews steps into the role from his position as President and General Manager of ABC7/WABC-TV – New York, the No.1 station in New York and the most-watched station in the nation. In this role, he had overall management responsibility for ABC7/WABC-TV and its ancillary businesses, including operational oversight of “Live with Kelly and Ryan.”

Under his leadership, the team transitioned the station to a remote workforce to produce Eyewitness News without interruption at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when New York was at the epicenter of the initial US outbreak, helping to deliver life-saving information and resources; oversaw the station’s broadcast of New York City’s intensely followed mayoral debate, which switched from remote to in-person a week before broadcast; and produced countless stories and specials documenting social justice reckoning leading up to and then increasing after the murder of George Floyd. To mark the anniversary of 9/11, his team produced “Eyewitness to 9/11: Behind the Lens,” a harrowing 50-minute documentary that featured interviews with WABC team members who were reporting and experiencing the horrifying events of 9/11 as they unfolded.

He has been pivotal in growing the station’s digital presence, overseeing the station’s launch on connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku, and shepherding record growth across digital platforms.  In the last year, WABC grew its digital unique viewers more than 20 percent prior-year growth in viewers across platforms, most notably experiencing tremendous gains on connected TVs, including a 41.5 percent increase in unique viewers and 215 percent increase in total minutes watched.

Over the last year, the station won 17 Emmys, including the key categories of overall station excellence and overall news excellence, and best newscasts for mornings and dayside in 2020. They were also recognized with three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for Overall Excellence, Best Newscast and Best News Documentary, including a national Murrow award for Best Newscast. At the close of last year, Broadcasting and Cable named Matthews GM of the Year for 2021.

Matthews has an extensive background in local TV journalism and significantly in the tri-state region. He started his career at WABC in 2000 and was promoted to senior executive producer in 2002. He spent 12 years in senior roles for Eyewitness News and won both a Peabody Award in 2001 as the live control room producer for the station’s 9/11 coverage and an Emmy Award in 2007 for Best Evening Newscast. In 2012, Matthews temporarily left WABC for a five-year stint as assistant news director at NBC-owned WTVJ in South Florida. At WTVJ, he won another Emmy Award in 2017 for breaking news coverage during the Ft. Lauderdale airport shooting incident before returning to WABC as the assistant news director later that year.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication from Westfield State University. In 2020, he proudly served as a board member for the nonprofit organization Dance to Unite, which provides free dance instruction and promotes diversity for inner-city children. He’s a member of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists and serves as a senior adviser and executive champion on PRIDE at ABC News and ABC Owned Television Stations Business Employee Resource Group.

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.

Media Contact:
Fonda Berosini
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com