For immediate release
Chicago, IL - October 3, 2022
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WTTW News and its flagship local news series CHICAGO TONIGHT, co-anchored by Brandis Friedman and Paris Schutz, will debut an enhanced experience for viewers beginning Monday, October 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm.
The audience will see and hear exciting changes to the set, graphics, music, and surrounding technology – along with expanded digital coverage, vivid enterprise storytelling, and essential community-driven reporting and dialogue – across the family of WTTW News programs including Chicago Tonight (Mondays-Thursdays 7:00 pm), Week in Review (Fridays at 7:00 pm), Latino Voices (Saturdays at 6:00 pm), and Black Voices (Saturdays at 6:30 pm).
“We are excited to debut this new and immersive viewing experience, which will enhance our news coverage and advance our mission to provide independent, trusted journalism that is inclusive and reflective of the diversity of Chicago and the region,” said WTTW President & CEO Sandra Cordova Micek.
“Chicago Tonight provides Chicagoans with a carefully curated menu of meaningful stories, thoughtful conversations, and community-focused content,” said award-winning production designer Eric Siegel, who has deep experience working with public media news organizations. “The tone of the program is friendly, no-nonsense and straightforward, and it was clear when we embarked on this project that the new studio had to reflect these values.”
Chicago Tonight is a cornerstone of the extraordinary lineup of trusted and essential news and public affairs programming on WTTW that includes PBS NewsHour, Washington Week, Frontline, BBC World News America, Firing Line, and Amanpour & Company.
Chicago Tonight’s new season will kick off with four-part special series, “Permanent Punishment,” which will explore the restrictive laws, rules, and policies that continue to penalize people long after they have served their sentence in prison. Hosted by Brandis Friedman, this new reporting will expose the harsh realities facing the nearly 3.3 million formerly incarcerated people in Illinois.
WTTW NEWS is a nonprofit, public media newsroom serving the Chicago region with trusted, independent, ground-up community reporting and outlets for deeper engagement and discourse on regional issues of consequence and concern.
CHICAGO TONIGHT, WTTW’s flagship nightly live news program, is an essential source for trusted, local, independent news that connects the people and communities in our region. We inform and engage our audience by providing clarity and context around complex issues, serving as a resource for information about the Chicago/Midwest region, and engaging communities through in-depth original reporting.
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’; Chicago Stories; digital-first series FIRSTHAND, Urban Nature and Foodphiles; and national productions Prehistoric Road Trip 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. Connect with WTTW on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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The CHICAGO TONIGHT set design and technology are made possible by Alexandra and John Nichols. Studio facility and infrastructure are provided by The Crown Family. Studio control and audio suite are provided by The Grainger Foundation. Lead support for CHICAGO TONIGHT is provided by Alexandra and John Nichols, the Jim and Kay Mabie Family, and the Polk Bros. Foundation. Major support is provided by Ann and Rich Carr, the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, Julius N. Frankel Foundation, and The William F. O’Connor Foundation. Additional support is provided by Joel M. Friedman, President, Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, The Bossert Family Fund at The Chicago Community Trust, The Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, The Dauntless Charitable Fund, The Howard S. Dubin Family Foundation, and the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation. Additional thanks to the supporters of the WTTW Fund for Independent News. Closed captioning is provided by Clifford Law Offices.
