Soledad O’Brien Hosts Captivating Conversations on Race and Equity in New Special on Hearst TV Stations in 26 Media Markets and, Later, on A&E and fyi Networks
[Tampa, FL], July 2, 2021 – The multiplatform “Matter of Fact Listening Tour,” exploring difficult issues surrounding race and equity and hosted by Soledad O’Brien, arrives at its next stop beginning July 4th at 10:00p.m. with the inaugural television airing on MOR-TV of “To Be An American: Identity, Race And Justice.” This episode will additionally run on July 4th at 6:00p.m. on MeTV Tampa Bay and July 5th at 7:00p.m. on EstrellaTV Tampa Bay.
The one-hour production, featuring a wide array of thought leaders from across the nation, is a special project from Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, the nation’s most-watched syndicated public affairs program, produced by MOR-TV parent Hearst Television.
“To Be An American: Identity, Race And Justice” will air between July 2 and July 5 in primetime slots on Hearst Television stations in 26 media markets reaching nearly 20% of US television viewers. It will then air on July 10 at noon on the A&E Network, and on July 11 at 10 a.m. and July 18 at 10:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) on A&E sister network fyi; the two networks are co-owned by Hearst Television’s parent company.
The “Matter of Fact Listening Tour” will continue throughout 2021 with a series of forums employing the digital platforms of many of Hearst’s consumer media brands, including 33 television stations; newspapersaround the country; and many of the world’s most popular magazines —and on Matter of Fact’s website, YouTube and Facebook Live channels.
“To Be An American” first streamed in March 2021; the Tour’s first episode, “The Hard Truth About Bias: Images and Reality,” initially streamed in October 2020 and received television airings in February 2021. The television airings have been edited for length; the original streams of “The Hard Truth About Bias” and “To Be an American” are available on matteroffact.tv.
“The continuing conversation in this country about what it means to be an American is at the heart of both what divides us and unites us,” O’Brien said. “Our special provides a platform for a diversity of voices to explore how identity, race, and other points of connection or contention play into the narrative of who we are.” “To Be An American” features a diverse lineup of guests from academia, literature and entertainment — including historians Eric Foner and Annette Gordon-Reed; comedian Gina Brillon; and 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones. These and other guests share personal stories, essays and insights in order to bring greater understanding to the complex topic of race, identity and belonging. Matter of Fact contributors Jessica Gomez and Joie Chen provide reports and interviews from around the country.
Viewers will be taken on a tour across the middle of the country from Denver to Kansas City on I-70 to meet and engage some of the diverse cross-section of Americans that help define the nation. They will also be asked to consider the ways our diverse country interprets “belonging” and “allegiance.”
About MOR-TV
MOR-TV is a Hearst Television owned and operated television station in Tampa Bay and is one of America’s top Independents. MOR-TV features the best in off-network comedies, talk, dramas and more, featuring The Big Bang Theory, Schitt’s Creek, The Goldbergs, Mom, Last Man Standing, Modern Family, Family Guy, The Dr. Oz Show, Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Tamron Hall and more. MOR-TV is one of three stations in a group that includes MeTV Tampa Bay’s memorable television channel featuring the best of the best of television shows, dramas, and comedies, plus estrellaTV Tampa Bay, the fastest growing Hispanic entertainment channel in America. MOR-TV’s website is www.mor-tv.com.