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Category: ABC Owned Television Stations

Press Release

March 6, 2023

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
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ABC Owned Television Stations Celebrate Women’s History Month

‘Our America: Women on A Roll’ Special With Host Tamron Hall

Women’s History Month stories will air in the Local Newscasts of the Eight ABC Owned Stations, and be available on ABC’s Localish channel as well as the Eight ABC Owned Stations’ 24/7 live and local streaming channels, websites, mobile apps and connected TV apps on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV

March marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, which is devoted to highlighting the achievements of women and girls both past and present, and the impact they have had on their communities and society as a whole. The ABC Owned Television Stations join in that celebration with a multiplatform slate of Women’s History Month content throughout the month that includes a variety of news stories, news coverage and premium content on the ABC Owned Television Stations’ 24/7 streaming channels, in addition to airing across these stations’ linear channels in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno, and the stations’ connected TV apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.  

The award-winning “Our America” series will present a Women’s History Month special – “Our America: Women on a Roll” hosted by the Emmy® Award-winning Tamron Hall, the broadcast journalist host of the nationally syndicated daytime talk show of the same name. In this Women’s History Month special, Tamron Hall will lace up her skates and explore how women have used skating as a platform to express their beliefs, form unbreakable bonds, and bring joy to themselves and their communities. “Our America: Women on a Roll” will air across the ABC Owned Television Stations and will be available on digital and streaming platforms. 

“Women on a Roll” highlights diverse women and girls who are making a difference in their neighborhoods by uplifting and defining skate culture. From feminists fighting elbow to elbow on a roller derby flat track to a mother and daughter duo reshaping their community one rink at a time, these local skate icons share their inspiring stories, impart the lessons they’ve learned, and demonstrate how anyone can do anything with determination and perseverance – especially when one is on eight wheels. 

ABC’s award-winning Localish channel will also broadcast other feel-good features highlighting extraordinary women across America throughout the month.

A brief overview of ABC Owned Television Stations celebrating Women’s 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 women in their communities, its leaders and their instrumental role in every area of society. For the United Nations Observance of International Women’s Day 2023 on March 8, ABC award-winning news journalist Sade Baderinwa will host and deliver welcome remarks at the General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters. The theme this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality.”Baderinwa will also host a panel with international women innovators, politicians and community advocates.

ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles: The most-watched station in Southern California will air numerous news segments, covering issues and interests that impact and celebrate women’s contributions to their communities.

ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is proud to celebrate Women’s History Month with special news reports, programming and vignettes throughout March. The market leader will air weekly specials on exceptional women from Chicago who are making history. One story will focus on a Chicagoan who is making history as the first Black woman to play the lead role of Christine in “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway. The station will also cover relevant news stories as they develop throughout the month.

6abc/WPVI-TV Philadelphia: For Women’s History Month, the market leader will air numerous news segments and stories celebrating female excellence, and highlighting local female heroes and notables.

ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco: The Bay Area celebrates female leaders in business, sports and culture. ABC7/KGO-TV news anchor Jobina Fortson will interview Meena Harris, founder of the Phenomenal brand to talk about women in the workforce and her new book. Fortson will also be live on the court with the Golden State Warriors for the morning news to highlight the Women’s History Month events at the Chase Center. Additionally, Fortson will interview Bay Area artist Allison Hueman, who designed the rose jersey, and women-owned businesses at Thrive City outside the Chase Center. 

The station also plans to air an interview with Marin County woman Zara Babitzke, founder of the nonprofit Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity, which helps homeless and foster care youth become self-sufficient.

KGO is committed to featuring at least one Women’s History Month guest each week in March, and social media posts will highlight Women’s History Month with reflections on women of note.

ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston will celebrate Women’s History Month with a vast collection of stories. The station is producing several new Women’s History Month-themed stories for newscasts throughout March. One of those stories is a profile on retired U.S. Army Sergeant Kari Miller Ortiz who lost both legs to a drunk driver. She took up adaptive sports and won several Olympic medals as well as a Paralympian of the Year honor.  Today, Ortiz is inspiring and working with other injured vets, teaching them a variety of adaptive sports and providing them with critical emotional support.   

KTRK will air its locally produced half-hour special, “Our America: Celebrate Her Stories,” on its 24/7 channels.   

KTRK also serves as the media partner for Dress for Success Houston. An ABC13 anchor will emcee its annual event gala.

ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham will partner with Dress for Success Triangle NC in honor of International Women’s Day. The Dress for Success mobile boutique will come to the station for Glitz, Glam and Giving Back. The organization provides professional work attire for those who need it.

The station will air a multitude of news segments and community programming to celebrate Women’s History Month including stories covering Ya Liu and Maria Cervania, the first Asian American women elected to serve in the N.C. General Assembly. They are paving the way for more diverse representation in North Carolina.

The station will also highlight women-owned businesses such as Sugar Euphoria. The owner of Sugar Euphoria, Randi Smith, creates wedding cakes and has been featured in several publications. Sugar Euphoria also represents the only Black-owned business in Historic Raleigh.

ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno will air numerous inspiring stories in newscasts highlighting Central California’s women of note throughout the month. Viewers can watch inspiring profiles about community members, individuals and women-owned businesses.


About ABC Owned Television Stations

Disney Network’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.

Press Release

January 25, 2023

Media relations
Fonda Berosini
Disney Entertainment, Networks
Fonda.berosini@disney.com
Ambir Sniezko
ambir.sniezko@abc.com
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ABC Owned Television Stations Launch ‘Neighborhood Safety Tracker,’ the New Interactive Website

Provides Viewers with Essential Crime and Safety Data in Their Neighborhoods

The ABC Owned Television Stations’ Neighborhood Safety Tracker is a new interactive website and app that provides viewers with up-to-date crime and safety information tailored to each individual market. Working with data collected from local police departments, the Neighborhood Safety Tracker provides the latest crime data in the major cities community-by-community in each local market ABC covers — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno — to add authority to daily public safety stories and in-depth special reports by ABC’s award-winning investigative journalists.

The data is gleaned from the public record which individual police departments and state agencies release regularly. The ABC Owned Television Stations’ data journalism team then reviews this data and, while working with its reporters in the newsrooms across the country, produces stories that incorporate the data into breaking news stories and exclusive investigations. They also create interactive graphics and maps that enhance reporting on the news of the day, leading to more viewer engagement and important stories on the latest major crime figures where people live – and how that compares to past trends, impacting people’s lives and safety. 

“The Neighborhood Safety Tracker is a groundbreaking news enhancement that delivers a reliable and essential view of safety where viewers live, providing more context for crime risk in cities and neighborhoods to help our viewers make informed decisions,” said Chad Matthews, president of the ABC Owned Television Stations. “News continues to be a top driver of engagement among our live TV viewers/subscribers. Our viewers have responded that being knowledgeable about crime trends in their area is essential in helping to protect themselves and their families and that their local TV stations are a trusted resource in keeping them informed and safe.”

While the data used in the Neighborhood Safety Tracker is not proprietary, the code used by the data journalism team is proprietary to the ABC Owned Television Stations. The code repeats the work daily or weekly, whenever new records become available, so the Neighborhood Safety Tracker is always up to date as the latest reports and records are released. Overnight, programs run to continuously gather, analyze and rebuild the site every day. The result is a unique site for each market that provides viewer-friendly, searchable categories including homicide, theft, assault and burglary, among others. The data also provides hard facts about what is happening and where – information that can be used to hold police and local officials accountable.

ABC Owned Television Stations created its data journalism team in 2019, led by director John Kelly, a veteran investigative journalist with a history of award-winning data projects. He assembled a team of data reporters to be based in each of OTV’s newsrooms. The data team is made up of journalists with special training in data, statistics and computer programming.  Under his stewardship, there have been an increasing number of national investigations that the ABC Owned Television Stations team is developing with ABC News.

With the completion of the rollout of the Neighborhood Safety Tracker in all eight ABC Owned Television Station markets, the team will look to upgrade and expand to additional suburbs in the eight markets this year.  Additional safety measures that are important to viewers, such as information on traffic accidents or safety lighting, may also be added. Meanwhile, the Neighborhood Safety Tracker’s use in daily crime coverage will continue to be a valuable tool for reporters using it for investigative and solutions journalism. 

Following is a complete list of the Neighborhood Safety Tracker available in the eight ABC Owned Television Station markets:

 New York
https://abc7ny.com/safetytracker/

Los Angeles
https://abc7.com/safetytracker/

Chicago
https://abc7chicago.com/safetytracker/

Philadelphia
https://6abc.com/safetytracker/

San Francisco
https://abc7news.com/safetytracker/

Houston
https://abc13.com/safetytracker/

Raleigh-Durham
https://abc11.com/safetytracker/

Fresno
https://abc30.com/safetytracker/

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.

Press Release

November 3, 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
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ABC Owned Television Stations Honor Native Sovereignty in New Documentary in Partnership With National Geographic, ‘Our America: Reclaiming Turtle Island’

Documentary Features Prominent Indigenous Voices Including Model and Activist, Quannah Rose Chasinghorse, and Artist and Black Eyed Peas Band Member Taboo

Special Is Based on Cover Story in July 2022 Issue of National Geographic Magazine, ‘We Are Here’

First Preview Clip Debuts Today, Nov. 3, in Commemoration of Native American Heritage Month; Full Documentary Airs Later this Month

WATCH AN EARLY CLIP FEATURING TRADITIONAL CORN GROWER ANGELA FERGUSON DISCUSSING THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND LEARN MORE HERE

SHARE CLIP HERE

VISUALS AND INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

KEY ART HERE

To raise awareness and elevate the conversation around Native American sovereignty, ABC Owned Television Stations have produced “Our America: Reclaiming Turtle Island,” with an early clip now available, commemorating Native American Heritage Month this November. The documentary will be available on November 18 at reclaimingturtleisland.abc.

The documentary special will debut beginning Nov. 19-20 on linear across eight ABC stations 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, its 24/7 streaming platforms, 32 connected TV apps across streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku and available on Hulu November 25, Native American Heritage Day.

“Our America: Reclaiming Turtle Island” is an hourlong documentary special that will inform viewers about Native sovereignty, the inherent authority of American tribes to govern themselves and honor and preserve their cultures and traditions. Told through the lens and imagery of National Geographic Explorer and photographer Kiliii Yüyan, the special is produced by Nzinga Blake, Race and Culture executive producer at ABC Owned Television Stations, and edited by Tracy Quezada.

The documentary brings to life the July 2022 cover story for National Geographic magazine, “We Are Here,” with text by Charles C. Mann and photography by Yüyan, and features powerful individuals discussing the strides their nations and communities are taking to reclaim Turtle Island – a common Indigenous name for North America. Featured in the documentary are Taboo, a cultural activist Marvel comic creator, writer, and global music icon known for 1/3 of the pop group Black Eyed Peas; Quannah Rose Chasinghorse, a model and activist known for appearing on the 2020 Teen Vogue list of Top 21 under 21 and more; Jody Potts-Joseph, traditional tattoo practitioner and subject of the National Geographic series “Life Below Zero: First Alaskans”; historian and Native American artist G. Peter Jemison, whose art is featured in the documentary; and traditional corn grower Angela Ferguson.

The special will begin with Taboo reading the creation story about the origin of how and why North America is referred to as Turtle Island. Viewers will then journey from Minnesota to Southern California and then Western New York, connecting with tribes and Native American changemakers as they define what Native Sovereignty means to them and share how they are contributing to the movement through their platforms and activism.

The ABC Owned Television Stations, which collectively reach 23% of households across all U.S. television, have made a commitment to produce high-impact content representing various voices within communities and newsrooms across the country. “Our America: Reclaiming Turtle Island” will aim to inform and serve those underrepresented in the United States today by amplifying the voices of the Indigenous activists featured in the documentary.

“We hope that with this special event, we will continue the elevation of the Native American culture, and both educate and inspire current and future generations to come, including those audiences unfamiliar with the history and culture of Native indigenous communities,” said Chad Matthews, President, ABC Owned Television Stations.

In addition, ABC Owned Television Stations has partnered with the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP.org) to make “Our America: Reclaiming Turtle Island” accessible to blind and deaf audiences through audio description and captions. The DCMP has been committed to making quality educational programming accessible through audio description for over 30 years.

To learn more about Native American sovereignty and view the preview for “Our America: Reclaiming Turtle Island,” visit natgeo.com/nahm.

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.

For more on the July 2022 cover story by National Geographic, “We Are Here,” click HERE.

LINK TO KEY ART 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

National Geographic Media and ABC Owned Television Stations
(202) 258-8020
anna.kukelhaus@natgeo.com

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

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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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