NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Hearst Television Inc., expanding the platforms for its award-winning local and regional news and feature content, has launched a series for Facebook Watch, “Dispatches from the Middle,” showcasing reporting from the Hearst Television stations throughout 26 TV markets across the United States.
“Dispatches from the Middle” will highlight local reporting from across Hearst Television’s stations, bringing that work to a wider national and global audience. The initial episode can be found here.
The show, produced for and funded by Facebook, is part of an investment the platform is making to test a destination for high quality and timely news content. “Dispatches from the Middle” will appear in the newly launched dedicated section within Facebook Watch for news along with shows from other news organizations such as ABC News and the ABC Owned Stations, Bloomberg, CNN, Fox News, TEGNA and Univision.
“So much of today’s news emanates from New York, Washington or Los Angeles, but what we know at Hearst Television is that amazing, authentic, and genuine stories are being told around the country every day,” said Andrew Fitzgerald, Hearst Television vice president and chief digital content officer. “We think it’s time to give those very real stories, and the people behind them, the greater attention they deserve. ‘Dispatches from the Middle’ highlights surprising and under-reported stories from all around the United States; each episode will showcase one of these compelling local stories, giving it a well-deserved in-depth dive for a national audience.”
“Hearst Television’s approach to ‘Dispatches from the Middle’ gives us an opportunity to see what happens when a national audience is presented with stories from smaller communities across the country,” said Shelley Venus, Video Lead, News Partnerships, Facebook. “I look forward to seeing what we can learn about this type of storytelling on Facebook as the series unfolds.”
“We’re looking forward to working with Facebook to bring great local reporting to national audiences as they strengthen their support of local news in the U.S.,” Fitzgerald added.
About Hearst Television
Hearst Television owns and operates television and radio stations serving 26 media markets across 39 states reaching over 21 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all of the major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over nearly 70 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, This TV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry’s premier companies, and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.
About Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch is a place to discover and enjoy shows on Facebook. Home to a wide range of shows – from scripted comedy and drama, to competition and reality series, to individual creators and live sports – Facebook Watch is a video platform where episodic content, community and conversation come together. This is a personalized viewing experience, where you can discover new series based on what your friends are watching, and catch up on the shows you follow. Facebook Watch is available for free on mobile apps across Apple and Android, on desktop, laptop and on TV apps listed here: https://videoapp.fb.com/.
SOURCE Hearst Television
