A+E NETWORKS LAUNCHES NEW CROSS-PLATFORM CAMPAIGN "VOICES MAGNIFIED" AMPLIFYING SOCIAL CHANGE-MAKERS AND ADDRESSING A RANGE OF CRITICAL ISSUES FACING OUR NATION TODAY
FIRST SPECIAL UNDER THE BANNER,
"VOICES MAGNIFIED: POLICING IN AMERICA,"
NARRATED BY EMMY(R) AWARD-WINNER LAURENCE FISHBURNE
PREMIERES SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 AT 9PM ET/PT ON A&E
New York, NY - August 27, 2020 - A+E Networks today launched Voices Magnified, a cross-platform campaign that will spotlight and amplify the voices of those making changes in their communities for the greater good. Representing the collective voice of the A+E Networks portfolio, this initiative will create thought-provoking specials and a robust series of short form videos that give a national spotlight to timely and important conversations on equality and social reform which are occurring across America today.
"We are proud to launch the Voices Magnified campaign to elevate the stories of those pursuing solutions to the critical issues of our time," said Rob Sharenow, President, Programming at A+E Networks. "Through long-form and short-form programming, PSAs and partnerships, we are committed to using our platforms to shine a light on the diverse people and organizations who are bringing communities together, confronting challenges and inspiring change."
The first programming special to originate under the banner is "Voices Magnified: Policing in America" which premieres Sunday, August 30 at 9pm ET/PT on A&E. Narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne, this one-hour special examines what it will take to transform the way we police our streets so people of all races can feel safe and respected by those who are charged with protecting them. Assembling multiple perspectives including community leaders and activists, police, grieving families and victims of brutality, the aim is to understand why, amid a global health pandemic, Americans from across the socioeconomic and racial spectrum felt compelled to leave the safety of their homes and pour into the streets this spring to demand racial justice after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others. People deeply invested on all sides seek to advance solutions, transforming the smoldering embers of the uprising into a real spark for systemic change. The special will also specifically examine the city and county of Los Angeles and track the unfolding story of how that city is working to address the historically troubled relationship between residents of color and law enforcement. "Voices Magnified: Policing in America" is produced for A&E by executive producers Jeanmarie Condon and Fatima Curry from ABC News' Lincoln Square Productions and executive producers Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland from Cinema Gypsy Productions. Fatima Curry serves as Director. Brie Miranda Bryant and Sharon Scott serve as executive producers for A&E.
In addition to the special, A&E will support the initiative with short form content on air and online focused on the stories of individual people who are finding solutions to social justice issues, working to bring communities together, confronting difficult challenges and inspiring change.
As part of Voices Magnified, A&E will also be supporting non-profit organizations in their critical work in the fight for social justice. These include contributions to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund to support scholarships for law students seeking careers as public interest and civil rights attorneys and to the George Perry Floyd, Jr. Scholarship for Racial and Social Justice at Santa Monica College which provides two-year endowed scholarship awards to selected students of African descent. In addition, the network is supporting the National Women's Law Center in their efforts to use the law to change culture and drive solutions toward gender equity.
Voices Magnified is part of a long-standing commitment by A+E Networks to social justice initiatives and empowering diverse storytellers, from the "Shining a Light" campaign focusing on race in America in the aftermath of the massacre in Charleston, South Carolina, to "Divided States," an in-depth documentary focusing on ending hate in America, and more. The Voices Magnified campaign also includes on-going efforts across A+E Networks' platforms including Broader Focus on Lifetime and HISTORY's Save Our History and More to History initiatives. Broader Focus is Lifetime's initiative to elevate the creative roles of women in front of and behind the camera. Lifetime is proud to claim more than double the industry average when it comes to women behind the camera. Save Our History is the network's Emmy-Award winning historic preservation initiative. More To History is an on-air short-form series on HISTORY featuring diverse stories from our nation's past.
ABOUT A+E NETWORKS
A+E Networks(R) is a global content company comprised of some of the most popular and culturally-relevant brands in media including A&E(R), Lifetime(R), HISTORY(R), LMN(R), FYI(R), VICE TV(R) and Blaze(R). A+E Networks' portfolio extends across platforms and genres, with a scripted production division, A+E Studios(TM); unscripted production through Six West Media(TM); independent film unit A&E IndieFilms(R); watch apps, games, FAST channels, AVOD, and SVOD initiatives including Lifetime Movie Club and HISTORY Vault; and podcasts such as History This Week, through A+E Digital(R); Experiential/branded live events and Ecommerce through A+E Consumer Enterprises(R); and branded channels, content distribution and scripted/unscripted co-productions around the world through A+E International(R). A+E Networks' channels and branded programming reach more than 335 million households in over 200 territories in 41 languages. A+E Networks is a joint venture of Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/aenetworks and Facebook at facebook.com/AENetworks.
ABOUT A&E NETWORK
A&E leads the cultural conversation through high-quality, thought provoking original programming with a unique point of view. Whether it's the network's distinctive brand of award-winning disruptive reality or groundbreaking documentary, A&E always makes entertainment an art. The A&E website is located at aetv.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/aetv and Facebook at facebook.com/AETV.
ABOUT LINCOLN SQUARE PRODUCTIONS
ABC News' Lincoln Square Productions (LSP) specializes in deeply-reported storytelling for multiple platforms including National Geographic, A&E, Lifetime, Hulu, ABC, Disney+, Netflix and PBS. Productions have included the death row docu-series "The Last Defense" from Viola Davis, National Geographic's "America Inside Out with Katie Couric," Disney+ original series "Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2" about a year inside the Walt Disney Animation Studios and "Rogue Trip" with Bob and Mack Woodruff, the archival series "1969," "The Genetic Detective" with investigative genetic genealogist CeCe Moore, Investigation Discovery series "The Truth About Murder with Sunny Hostin" and A&E's "Shining a Light" produced in partnership with Pharrell Williams, John Legend and Alicia Keys and popular series "What Would You Do?". LSP also develops scripted projects from fact-based stories and with partners including ABC Studios and A&E Productions. LSP has produced dramas including the ABC miniseries "Madoff" starring Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner and Lifetime's "The Lost Wife of Robert Durst" starring Katherine McPhee.
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