TYT Network
TNT Network has added three new shows to its recently launched YouTube TV channel, building out its programming slate to more than a dozen talk, news and entertainment shows for millennials.
Political analyst Michael Shure will host Reasonably Shure, a 30-minute weekly interview program where hell talk with artists, scientists, business leaders and politicians of various backgrounds and political leanings. The show aims to provide fresh insights and alternative viewpoints on topical issues.
The Young Turks Founder and Host Cenk Uygur will cover the grassroots political movement and candidates running to unseat establishment Democrats in Rebel HQ. The half-hour show airs three days a week, featuring interviews with progressive candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 28-year-old political newcomer who defeated longtime New York Rep. Joseph Crowley in an upset primary victory.
Political satirist and self-styled nightclub comedian Jimmy Dore hosts The Jimmy Dore Show, where he skewers the corporate-controlled media and the two-party duopoly that he believes is “out to screw us all.”
“These shows are important for two reasons,” said Uygur. “They give you the whole spectrum of thought. For news, we call ourselves the home of progressives. Michael Shure is more mainstream, but progressive. Jimmy Dore is hard left. Im the middle of that progressive spectrum.”
Uygur said programs like Rebel HQ will bring a regular focus to emerging progressive candidates, whether its Ocasio-Cortez, whom The Young Turks interviewed 34 times before the New York Democratic primary, or Kara Eastman, who capitalized on a growing wave of voters who want to push the Democratic party to the left and won a surprise primary victory in Omaha, Nebraska.
“Its going to be really exciting to see how the Democratic party changes,” said Uygur. “And if you want to see that change, youve got to tune into The Young Turks.”
TNT Networks flagship show, The Young Turks came into the national spotlight during the 2016 presidential race with its unabashed support of progressive Democratic candidate, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. But the show has been around since 2002, when the show debuted on Sirius Satellite radio show. Three years later, it made the leap to online video — making it one of the oldest shows on the Internet.
“The first article about us … described us as part Howard Dean and part Howard Stern,” said Uygur. “The Iraq war stared, and the show, because of the nature of the times, became more political and heavy news.”
Now, TYT Network comprises 30 YouTube channels that attract more than 200 million monthly views. The TNT Network channel debuted on YouTube TV launched in May, representing a significant milestone for the network as it expanded into 24-hour programming.
Analyst Colin Dixon of nScreenMedia says TYT is capitalizing on a shift in viewing habits.
“Millennials, particularly the younger group of 18- to 24- year olds, are moving away from television faster than any other group. Viewing of television, live or on-demand, has fallen probably by one-third in the last three years,” Dixon said. “Theyre really moving away fast and gravitating to online. The way TYT approaches the news is very irreverent. This offbeat approach really resonates well with that particular audience.”
Dixon said offering similar programming via YouTube TV captures viewers who havent abandoned the TV.
The network is diversifying further, with the launch of a new audio network with Panoply Media, giving the mike to hosts such as former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, an advocate for progressive ideals and values, and the former host of The Cycle on MSNBC, Touré.
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