Discovery Communications To Produce TV Special To Support White House My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, Discovery Education To Host Town Halls To Deepen Learnings
Discovery Communications announced a comprehensive program to support the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, a White House program that seeks to improve the expected life outcomes of boys and men of color — while simultaneously altering public perception of them — through public-private partnerships.
Discovery has committed to produce and air a TV special and host town hall meetings, led by Discovery Education. Discovery Communications plans to invest more than $1 million to develop the special and host the town hall meetings, where the special will be screened. Additionally, David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications, has been named to My Brother’s Keeper’s National Convening Council, a body created to draw attention to and support the multi-sector work of the initiative, help facilitate communications and coordinate public-private partnerships.
“Discovery Communications is committed to equality in America and enhancing the opportunities of young men of color,” said Zaslav. “We are proud to be part of President Obama’s powerful initiative, and I am personally honored to serve on the My Brother’s Keeper National Convening Council to help change the narrative on this important issue and drive real results for our nation’s most deserving young men.”
The company will leverage the production expertise of its flagship network, the Discovery Channel, to create a special programming event in support of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. The special is one of many efforts to address the narrative change component of My Brother’s Keeper.
The special will chronicle specific youth stories and the interventions that made a difference as an illustration of ways to impact the future of boys and men of color while explaining My Brother’s Keeper points of intervention: 1) Entering school ready to learn, 2) Reading at grade level by third grade, 3) Graduating from high school ready for college and career, 4) Completing postsecondary education or training, 5) Successfully entering the workforce, and 6) Reducing violence and providing a second chance.
The 1-hour program will be simulcast on Father’s Day 2015 on Discovery Channel and other U.S. networks, including OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as Discovery’s online properties. Discovery’s 14 U.S. networks, which also include Spanish-language channels Discovery en Espanol and Discovery Familia, reach 879 million cumulative subscribers in the United States. The program also will be made available to educators.