Skip to content

Category: ABC Owned Television Stations

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

Press Release

December 16, 2021

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

ABC Owned Television Stations Expand Its ‘Unsolved,’ ‘True Crime’ Slate, Premiering Tuesday, Dec. 21, on Hulu

The Station Group’s Slate Highlights Greed, Murder and a Mysterious Disappearance, Produced Respectively by News Station Leaders 6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston and ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles

View “No Good Deed” Trailer

View “Texas True Crime: The Candyman Murders” Trailer

View “Disappearance of Mitrice Richardson” Trailer

ABC Owned Television Stations is expanding its true-crime and “Unsolved” slate to release on Hulu on Dec. 21 to meet its audience’s growing interest. True-crime followers from across the country can stream some of the popular local stories on Hulu that were investigated and covered on ABC-owned news stations but carried national appeal.

ABC Owned Television Stations’ slate, set to be released Tuesday, Dec. 21, on Hulu,includes the following productions:

6ABC/WPVI-TV Philadelphia premieres the documentary “No Good Deed: A Crowdfunding Holiday Heist,” about what started as a heartwarming 2017 holiday story that turned into the biggest scandal in GoFundMe history, which WPVI investigated and  reported.

WPVI investigative reporter Chad Pradelli and Special Projects producer Cheryl Mettendorf are co-executive producers. “No Good Deed” updates viewers about Johnny Bobbitt Jr., a homeless man, who gave his last $20 to help a woman, Katelyn McClure, who ran out of gas.  At the time, WPVI and other local stations covered the touching story that went viral and became a national story as McClure created a GoFundMe page to help him out of homelessness. As the story went viral, McClure and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, raised nearly a half-million dollars for Bobbitt and appeared on local and national news shows.  But lavish social media posts of luxury spending sprees, parties, gambling and other strange behavior led Pradelli and Mettendorf to begin investigating. As pressure built around the trio, a fallout ensued eventually exposing the “Good Deed” as a lie that defrauded GoFundMe and thousands of kindhearted supporters.

As Danny Gordan, former vice president for Trust and Policy at GoFundMe, states in the documentary, “This was the largest GoFundMe guarantee payout that the company has had done and I think to this day is still the largest. And that tells you something.”

Pradelli and Mettendorf speak to family and friends of those criminally charged, prosecutors and GoFundMe executives. The hourlong documentary shares an explosive audio recording of McClure and D’Amico and newly released excerpts from WPVI’s 2018 exclusive interview with Bobbitt. “No Good Deed” explores how social media contributed to the significant increase in donations and ultimately brought down the trio.

“Acts of kindness bring out the best in people but this is a story that brought out the worst,” said Pradelli.

WPVI created a detailed “No Good Deed” immersive experience site that takes viewers through a timeline of events. The immersive page shares actual social media posts, audio recordings, text messages, court documents and other factors of this scandal.

ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston releases “Texas True Crime: The Candyman Murders” on Hulu about a case that haunted a Texas community nearly 50 years ago. ABC13 reporter Jessica Willey revisits killer Dean Corll’s horrific mass murders that dubbed him a “serial killer” before the term was widely used. Earlier this year, ABC13, Houston’s news leader, released a new series “Texas True Crime” on Hulu and season two of its successful and highly streamed “Unsolved” series. All ABC13’s “Unsolved” and “Texas True Crime” documentaries are available on Hulu.

“Deciding to share these locally produced true-crime stories on Hulu is indicative of the demand we are seeing from viewers who are obsessed with the content,” said Wendy Granato, president and general manager of KTRK. “It also speaks to the experience of our reporters, whose work gives a voice to the victims.” Since producing true crimes and unsolved cases, ABC13 receives numerous phone calls from community members and has worked with more than a dozen law enforcement agencies and investigators to help solve crimes.

ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, the most-watched station in Southern California, releases “Unsolved LA: The Disappearance of Mitrice Richardson”on Hulu about a 2009 unsolved mystery of a young woman who vanished near Malibu Creek State Park.  In the hourlong special, ABC7 Veronica Miracle examines the case of Richardson who, before going missing, appeared to have a mental health crisis in an upscale Malibu restaurant that led to her being brought to an LA county jail. Controversy ensued regarding how she was released in the middle of the night with no phone or car and vanished. Her remains were found 11 months later in a remote canyon nearby. Miracle looks at the events leading up to her disappearance, retraces Richardson’s steps, talks to those who loved her, and revisits how law enforcement treated her before and after her disappearance.

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

December 2, 2021

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

ABC Owned Television Stations Present ‘The Story of Ady Barkan,’ the Powerful 11th Installment of the ‘Our America’ Series, Set To Premiere Friday, Dec. 3, on Hulu and Saturday, Dec. 4 (10:30 P.M. PST) on ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles

‘Our America: Accomplices -The Story of Ady Barkan’ Shines a Light on the Challenges the Disabled Community Faces Through the Riveting Journey of Healthcare Activist Ady Barkan Who is Living With ALS


Watch the Trailer Here

ABC Owned Television Stations present “Our America: Accomplices – The Story of Ady Barkan” premiering Friday, Dec. 3, on Hulu, which also marks the “International Day of Persons with Disabilities.” The half-hour special provides behind-the-scenes access into the riveting journey of healthcare activist Ady Barkan, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2016 and experienced firsthand the many challenges disabled and senior communities face that prevent them from leading independent quality lives. The special is authentically narrated by Ady Barkan as he speaks through a Tobii Dynavox, an electronic device that tracks his eye movements to type out words, so he can share his story in his own words.

Barkan, an American lawyer, activist and one of Time Magazine’s  “Most Influential People of 2020,” has been fighting for social justice for historically underrepresented and marginalized communities since his youth.   After being diagnosed with ALS in 2016, he began to shed light on the inequities in the American healthcare system.   Be A Hero, the organization Ady co-founded, has been advocating affordable and accessible home care, which Ady attributes to helping him stay alive. He believes that all disabled, sick or aging individuals should be afforded the same access.

“Our America: Accomplices – The Story of Ady Barkan” shares with viewers Ady Barkan’s fight for healthcare justice as he premieres his film, “Not Going Quietly.” Viewers will also experience the power behind home caregivers as they witness those who care for Ady throughout his daily life and brave journey.

In the special, Ady introduces a new form of allyship, called “accomplice ship” and the powerful modern-day meaning, as he shifts the national conversation – challenging politicians and government officials and encouraging everyone to be a modern-day “accomplice” to underrepresented communities — which includes the disabled community. “’Accomplice ship’ requires working hand in hand with the most marginalized, underrepresented and excluded voices toward a world where everyone can live with dignity and [have] the basic resources they need to thrive,” said activist Ady Barkan.

The special was led by ABC Owned Television Stations’ Race and Culture executive producer Nzinga Blake. “Persons with disabilities are often communities that are ignored and excluded within the conversations of diversity and inclusion,” said Blake. “Ady’s story and advocacy is an incredible reminder that people with disabilities can lead productive lives and be major contributors to society if given the resources and support to do so.”

“Our America: Accomplices – The Story of Ady Barkan” captures Ady’s life, mission and journey while exemplifying modern-day “accomplice ship” and what courage and influence against all odds looks like.

The special premieres on Friday, Dec. 3, on Hulu, and is available to stream across each owned stations 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, and connected TV apps on streaming platforms Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. Additionally, the special will air on Saturday, Dec. 4 (10:30 p.m.) on ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, the most-watched station in Southern California.

The “Our America” series aims to amplify the voices of marginalized communities by examining social issues, exploring historical context and providing insightful information while celebrating heritage, triumphs and common humanity. The “Our America” series is executive produced by ABC Owned Television Stations’ Race and Culture executive producers Nzinga Blake, Porsha Grant and Mariel Myers.

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

November 15, 2021

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

ABC Owned Television Stations Present an Episodic Visual Journal of Indigenous Life in ‘Our America: Indigenous and Urban,’ Available To Stream on Wednesday, Nov. 17

In Celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the ‘Our America’ Streaming Special Can be Accessed Across ABC’s Connected TV Apps on Streaming Platforms Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku

Watch ‘Our America: Indigenous and Urban’ Trailer Here

ABC Owned Television Stations embrace the heritage and traditions of Indigenous people in “Our America: Indigenous and Urban,” available to stream on Wednesday, Nov. 17, across the owned station’s 32 connected TV apps on streaming platforms Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.

Executive produced by Porsha Grant, Nzinga Blake and Mariel Myers, the station group’s race and culture leads, the streaming special is an episodic visual journal of Indigenous life off the reservations, offering a more authentic view of their lives in urban America. The special shares their modern-day experience.

Approximately 70% of Indigenous people live outside of reservations, embedded in day-to-day society. Yet extraordinarily little is known or seen about them in mainstream media.  “Our America: Indigenous and Urban” shows viewers the beauty and complexity as they embrace their rich heritage and preserve the traditions of what it means to be Indigenous.

The episodes will feature unique highlights such as the music and original prose by Lyla June, an Indigenous scholar, public speaker and award-winning poet whose messages focus on Indigenous rights, supporting Indigenous youth and healing intercultural trauma.

“Our America: Indigenous and Urban” showcases the following:

  • Travel with ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston’s reporter Charly Edsitty as she leaves Houston to return to her childhood home in the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation in the Four Corners region of the Southwest.
  • Get personal with Quentin Fuller, a police officer in suburban Philadelphia. When not in uniform, he spends time passing on the traditions and customs of his Seminole heritage to his children.
  • Meet Afro Indigenous public health leader and social entrepreneur Sutton Cole King, who founded the Urban Indigenous Collective (UIC). She shares the richness of her work with Indigenous youth, discusses inequities that urban native people experience, and shares her proud connection to her Afro Indigenous roots and the native heritage being reclaimed in her community.

In addition to streaming “Our America: Indigenous and Urban,” viewers in each local market of ABC Owned Television Stations will see daily news coverage examining social and cultural issues locally that impact Indigenous people.

ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles’s “On The Red Carpet Presents Storytellers Spotlight” will feature Indigenous entertainers that include the creators of the popular FX’s “Reservation Dogs,” who introduced the nation to life on the reservation for four Native young people. Show creator Sterlin Harjo and actors D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai and  Lane Factor give viewers a look at what it is like to navigate the traditions of reservation life and the Hollywood culture that has overlooked the community for so long.   “The Storytellers Spotlight” will also provide more insight into the life and mission of Indigenous public speaker Lyla June, who is featured throughout the “Our America: Indigenous and Urban” special.

“Our America: Indigenous and Urban” is available via streaming on Nov. 17 across 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 connected TV Apps on streaming platforms Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.

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

October 29, 2021

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 Exclusive Streaming Docuseries, ‘Being Blago’ Premiering Friday, Nov 5 on Hulu

Being Blago’ Features Unprecedented Access to Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Who Was Convicted of Conspiring to Sell a Senate Seat

The Limited Series Features 100+ Hours of Archival Footage, Four Months of Exclusive Raw Access to Blagojevich’s Life Post-Prison as he Searches for Redemption and Determines a Return to Politics


View ‘Being Blago’ Trailer Here

ABC Owned Television Stations announced that it produced an exclusive streaming docuseries, “Being Blago,” about former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, which premieres on Hulu, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. The four-part docuseries is a story about Blagojevich’s life after prison – his journey, purpose, lost power, search for redemption, and if he plans to reenter politics.

The limited series features more than 20 years and 100+ hours of archival footage and four months of exclusive access to Blagojevich’s day-to-day life after being released from prison. The exclusive access is unprecedented and raw. In his own words, Blagojevich states, “I’m breaking a rule – don’t let the media in the house.”

“While the story of Rod Blagojevich has local appeal in Chicago, the overall journey, including his downfall and release from prison, has broad national appeal,” said Justin Allen, “Being Blago”’s co-executive producer and director, and senior coordinating producer, Content Development at ABC Owned Television Stations.

ABC Owned Television Stations continue to prioritize producing high-impact streaming content, outside the daily news cycle, for its connected TV apps and, in the case of “Being Blago,” specifically for OTT, direct-to-consumer streaming platforms like Hulu. “As we consider premium content with an appeal to a broader audience, it was a no-brainer for ABC Owned Television Stations to produce Rod’s story and distribute it nationally on Hulu,” adds Allen.

Former twice-elected Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (2002-2009) was a force to be reckoned with – a well-liked and relatable politician by the constituents he served daily. He was married into a political powerhouse family, and in the early 2000s, his rise to the top of American politics looked inevitable. It all came crashing down when he was charged with conspiring to sell the senate seat of Barack Obama when he became president. Blagojevich was impeached and later sentenced to 14 years – the second-longest term ever delivered in a federal court in Chicago for a public corruption case. In 2020, his 14-year sentence was commuted by then-president Trump, and he was released from a federal prison in Colorado.

Most of the archival footage is from 20 years of ABC-owned WLS-TV Chicago, following the career and downfall of Blagojevich, which included reporting from WLS’s chief investigative reporter Chuck Goudie.

“WLS is no stranger to Rod and has long covered his journey,” said Matt Knutson, director of Content Innovation at WLS, and co-executive producer and director of “Being Blago.” “However, ‘Being Blago’ is not a news story. It’s a very raw look at a man trying to amend his past and forge a new, meaningful and untarnished legacy. ‘Being Blago’ reminds viewers what happened through a visual timeline of events while simultaneously following Rod in his next chapter.”

“Being Blago” episodes include the following:

Episode one: “I Want You to Run” follows Blagojevich’s ascent to governor and the events that led to the FBI investigation allegedly triggered by his father-in-law, who was an Alderman. Episode 1 shows Rod grappling with how to regain relevancy post-probation.

Episode two: “All Falls Down” focuses on the time when Blagojevich‘s life was crashing down around him. He’s indicted, impeached and convicted while becoming a national punchline. Fast forward to 2021, Blagojevich finds himself gaining public support and attention, despite his wife, Patti, making it crystal clear (again) that if he runs for office, she’s out.

Episode three: “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow” opens with Blagojevich recounting his last moments at home before prison while following the journey of his wife, Patti, as she becomes a single mother and realizes she can live without him. Forward to 2021, Blagojevich prepares for a big performance and shares further his current day-to-day life.

Episode four: “Rod v. Everyone” – The series closes with Blagojevich facing an uncertain future at home and in the public eye.

“Being Blago” is directed and executive produced by Justin Allen and Matt Knutson, and Barb Markoff as senior producer.

Editor’s Note: “Being Blago” Press Kit Attached

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

September 13, 2021

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

ABC Owned Television Stations Kick Off Hispanic Heritage Month With the Streaming Premiere of News Special ‘Our America: Todos Unidos’ on Wednesday, Sept. 15, Across 32 Connected TV Apps on Streaming Platforms Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku and Hulu

The ‘Our America’ Series Celebrates Hispanic and Latino Cultures and Will Also Air Across the Eight Owned Stations the Weekend of Sept 18-19, With an Additional Airing on National Geographic and FX on Sept. 26, and Freeform on Sept. 27

View “Our America: Todos Unidos” Trailer

View “Hispanic Heritage Month” Explainer

ABC Owned Television Stations kick off Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 with the streaming premiere of its multiplatform news special “Our America: Todos Unidos” on Sept. 15. The news special features a collection of personal stories and a 60-minute special celebrating Hispanic and Latino cultures available to stream across the eight-owned stations’ 32 connected TV apps and on Hulu. The hourlong special will debut on-air on the ABC-owned stations in New York, Los Angeles Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno the weekend of Sept. 18-19*. The special will also air on National Geographic and FX on Sept. 26 (8:00 a.m. EDT), FX on Sept. 26 (9:00 a.m. EDT), and Freeform on Sept. 27 (11:00 a.m. EDT).

“Our America: Todos Unidos” celebrates the diverse cultures and rich traditions of Hispanic and Latino communities while looking at social and cultural challenges unique to their communities. ABC Owned Television Stations’ news special spotlights stories from each station’s market in New York, Los Angeles Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.

The special is executive produced by ABC Owned Television Stations’ Race and Culture executive producers Mariel Calizo Myers, Porsha Grant and Nzinga Blake. They worked closely with an editorial team comprised of Latino and Hispanic colleagues who contributed their unique perspectives to each aspect of the docuseries. The special is hosted by ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles Race and Culture Reporter Anabel Muñoz.

An example of how cultural perspectives were incorporated in the special can be seen in details such as the main title graphic for “Our America: Todos Unidos.” The creative team applied nontraditional colors inspired by elements that speak to different traditions. Pink is used as a base, commonly called “Rosa Mexicano” that has been an important symbol of the Mexican culture. The magenta, a traditional color used in typical costumes in central American countries and a hint of green representing the nature and richness found in Puerto Rico and the jungles and forests of the continent. The backgrounds with hints of flowers representations on papel picado alluding to a celebration of the culture and the festival traditions that surround Hispanic and Latino cultures.

From actors and activists to immigrants, Afro-Latinos and indigenous people, Hispanic and Latino people are building communities and keeping traditions alive while influencing the very fabric of the United States through entrepreneurship, advocacy, art, music and food. “Our America: Todos Unidos” shines a light on voices from this diverse, multiracial community with roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Venezuela and more as they honor their heritage and express their identity.

Examples of the diverse culture and rich tradition featured in “Our America: Todos Unidos” include the following:

  • Edward James Olmos & Latino Film Institute – Award-winning actor, activist and founder of the Latino Film Institute, Edward James Olmos, shares his mission of introducing the art of filmmaking to young children in Southern California. Olmos, and the CEO of the festival, Rafael Agustín, show how this brand of artistry can change a young person’s life while also being a source of cultural pride.
  • Latino | Latinx | Hispanic – The meaning behind each term, how they overlap and why they matter to the community. The ongoing debate is discussed in first-person narratives representing diverse Hispanic and Latino regions, generations and nations of origin. People proudly share how they identify, explore the meaning of the terms, and highlight the diversity within the community.
  • Separated and Reunited – In this emotional story, we learn about Mabel Gonzalez and her three sons who fled their native Honduras together but were separated for years when Mabel was deported. The eldest son shares his personal journey of becoming a caregiver to his brothers while their mother worked to return to the United States.
  • Más Masa – Diverse cultures, one common ingredient: Masa! Venezuelan, Mexican and Salvadoran chefs show how their respective communities use masa to make dishes unique to their cultures. Recipes steeped in nostalgia for immigrant families and considered staples in many Latino homes.

Beginning Sept. 15, the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, viewers can stream the stories of Hispanic and Latino communities spotlighted in “Our America: Todos Unidos” across ABC Owned Television Stations’ eight websites 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 connected TV Apps on streaming platforms Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.

*“Our America: Todos Unidos,” the 60-minute special, will air on WABC-TV New York, Sunday, Sept. 19 (1:00 p.m. EDT); KABC-TV Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 18 (10:00 p.m. PDT); WLS-TV Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 19 (11:00 p.m. CDT); WPVI-TV Philadelphia, Sunday, Sept. 19 (2:00 p.m. EDT); KGO-TV San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 18 (9:00 p.m. PDT); KTRK-TV Houston, Saturday, Sept. 18 (11:35 p.m. CDT); WTVD-TV Raleigh Durham, Sunday, Sept. 19 (2:00 p.m. EDT); and KFSN-TV Fresno, Saturday, Sept. 18 (10:00 p.m. PDT).  * Check your local listings for air times on ABC’s Localish Network.

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.