For immediate release
Chicago, IL - August 3, 2020
WTTW News today announced it will launch CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES and CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES, two additions to its influential and independent news and public affairs content and an extension of one of Chicago’s flagship news shows. These half-hour programs premiere on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, September 13 at 6:00 pm on WTTW and will stream live and on-demand on wttw.com/news, Facebook and YouTube. Hugo Balta, News Director for WTTW News, will launch LATINO VOICES as host and Brandis Friedman, co-anchor of CHICAGO TONIGHT, will host BLACK VOICES.
CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES – Saturdays beginning September 12 at 6:00 pm
CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES – Sundays beginning September 13 at 6:00 pm
The VOICES series will provide thoughtful and accurate coverage of current events to inform and engage the public, and create opportunities for real conversation and a platform for different voices and perspectives. Each week, LATINO VOICES and BLACK VOICES will offer a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts and life, entrepreneurship and innovation, and equity and justice across the sectors of our society and in the Black and Latino communities in Chicago. The producers will work with a range of local grassroots organizations in story selection to ensure that coverage reflects the needs of the community.
WTTW NEWS COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS – last Monday of each month beginning August 31 at 8:00 pm
Latino Voices: A WTTW News Community Conversation
Black Voices: A WTTW News Community Conversation
Inspired by the new VOICES weekend programs, each month WTTW will bring together viewers and community and thought leaders for a dynamic conversation around the issues affecting the lives of Black and Latino Chicagoans, using topics in the shows as a springboard for discussion.
“In VOICES, we will do what WTTW News can do best: present trusted analysis and authentic conversations with experts, community leaders, and our local politicians about the issues that matter to the Black and Latino communities,” said LATINO VOICES host Hugo Balta. “We will unpack how current events impact the diverse communities that live and work in all of Chicago’s neighborhoods.”
“Recent events have spotlighted the ways in which Black and Brown communities feel underrepresented and marginalized,” said BLACK VOICES host Brandis Friedman. “These new series will allow us to explore the issues that matter to those communities, while giving those neighbors an opportunity to be heard.”
“WTTW’s role – public media’s role – is to serve our community with essential, trusted, quality content and to do our part to build a stronger society where people and communities thrive and where our identities are celebrated,” said WTTW President & CEO Sandra Cordova Micek. “WTTW has a role to play now, and our purpose to enrich lives, engage communities and inspire exploration has never been more relevant.”
Leadership support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES is provided by Fifth Third Bank. Additional support is provided by The Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation. Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES is provided by CIBC.
CHICAGO TONIGHT/WTTW News
Co-anchored by Brandis Friedman and Paris Schutz, WTTW’s flagship nightly newsmagazine CHICAGO TONIGHT airs at 7:00 pm weeknights on WTTW and streams live and on-demand on wttw.com/news, Facebook and YouTube. Independent and trusted, CHICAGO TONIGHT and the WTTW News website cover arts and entertainment, business, crime and law, education, health, politics, and science and nature across Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods and communities.
WTTW
WTTW is the PBS member station in Chicago, committed to creating and presenting unique media content across distinct television and digital channels – WTTW, WTTW Prime, WTTW Create/WTTW World, WTTW PBS Kids 24/7, wttw.com and the PBS/WTTW video app. Recognized for award-winning journalism and local productions such as CHICAGO TONIGHT, CHICAGO BY ‘L’, CHECK, PLEASE!, digital-first series FIRSTHAND, URBAN NATURE, and FOODPHILES, and national productions PREHISTORIC ROAD TRIP, 10 THAT CHANGED AMERICA and NATURE CAT, WTTW presents the very best in public affairs, arts and culture, nature and science, history and documentary, and children’s public media content.
