Sinclair Rolls Out "The Raw Word"

Now entering this arena Sinclair Broadcast Group the medium39s largest station owner amp160Their first crack at this daytime format development is The Raw Word a talk hour hosted and coexecutive produced by Dr Michael Eric Dyson the noted author and provocative newspop culture commentator on various TV programsamp160 Sixteen Sinclair stations mostly Fox The CW and MyNetwork affiliates amp160launched the program on March 5 playing episodes between 9 am and 4 pm local timeamp160 Raw completes its test period at the end of this week on March 30Each episode is a combination of newspop culture headline conversations celebrity interviews lifestyle demonstrations and human interest profiles amp160Dyson39s cohosts include Claudia Jordan pictured at top best known as one of the Real Housewives of Atlanta and psychologist Dr Dan Ratner amp160Jordan Dyson and Ratner are pictured below left to right amp160The program originates from CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles taping a pair of episodes Wednesdays and three on Fridays all before live audiences amp160quotI39m having a good timequot Dyson declared when I interviewed him last week on my Tomorrow Will Be Televised radio program and podcast amp160quotWe39re hanging out with some good people everyday people ordinary Americans as well as celebrities amp160We39re trying to bring educational and insightful matters to TV and the American publicquotParticipating stations in Raw39s multiweek test include WPNT in Pittsburgh WUXP in Nashville WUTB in Baltimore EKRC in Cincinnati and WCGV in Milwaukee amp160Several stations including KVCW in Las Vegas and WTWC in Tallahassee FL carry the series on a digital subcarriermulticast channelHalfway through this monthlong tryout Raw is averaging a 3 rating and 1 share in its time periods according to Nielsen ratingsamp160 Among women age 2554 the series averages a 1 rating and 1 share amp160Social media activity is rising with more than 2600 Facebook followers and 1900 Twitter followersamp160 Dyson anticipates viewership will increase over the final two weeks thanks in part to appearances by IceT who also serves behindthescenes as an executive producer Common Ludacris and stars from blackish and other primetime TV series amp160Common IceT and Dyson are pictured below left to right amp160Also this week Raw will have a quotFlaunt for aamp160Franklinquot talent search with a 100 bill going to the winnerAfter years playing guest commentator often at the mercy of a moderator or time crunch running Raw as both host and offcamera producer is a great change for Dyson amp160quotYes amp8230 revenge is so sweetquot he said with a hearty laugh amp160quotSince I39ve been on the other side so often I know what it39s like to be quizzed and queried amp160So I try to be respectful and at the same time I try to ask questions people want asked plus avoid questions people are tired of getting asked about amp160The role is fulfillingquotMost surprising and rewarding to Dyson is viewer reaction to some of the opening backandforth commentary segments especially one dealing with protests around the country in the wake of the Parkland school shooting last month and the more unique notables spotlighted from rapperactor Nipsey Hussle to a female filmmaker working with terminallyill young peoplequotI didn39t know people would respond as they did to Nipseyquot Dyson recalled amp160quotHere39s a guy who was a gangbanger out on the streets yet when he talked about his tattoos and what they meant to him people were able to see a universal point of viewquotSinclair will spend the next few weeks reviewing Raw39s ratings and social media performance then determine what future the program has on a national level amp160Dyson believes the series can graduate to syndication as early as this fall if the audience increasesNo matter what Dyson is grateful that Raw and Sinclair39s willingness to put it on contributes to expanding diversity on TV amp160quotWe get the chance to show universal dimensions in every color every race and every ethnicity every gender every sexual orientationquot he said amp160quotThat39s the joy of this show to find the human register behind all those different identities amp160Let39s let other people with fresh ideas and identities come into the room come into play and make something interestingquotClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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Sinclair Rolls Out "The Raw Word"

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Simon Applebaum

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Sinclair Rolls Out "The Raw Word"

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