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A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Thursday 21 July 2022
Soledad O’Brien show makes impression in off-hours time slot

By DAVID BAUDER proach,” Coleman said.
AP Media Writer “I found that I was very
NEW YORK (AP) — You’ve underwhelmed by the in-
got to wake up early on terviews we were getting,”
a weekend to catch Sole- O’Brien said. “People were
dad O’Brien. talking about policy but not
Say 4:30 a.m. Saturday in really talking about human
Chicago. Or 5 a.m. on Sun- beings. So we decided to
day in New York and Hous- cut out the middle man.”
ton. It’s 6:30 a.m. Saturday To a large extent, “Matter
in Washington, D.C. almost of Fact” is a reported show.
sleep-in territory. Reporter Jessica Gomez
Those are some of the time visited a hospital in Texas’
slots for “Matter of Fact,” Titus County for a story on
the news show she anchors rural health care. The show
that has overcome those profiled Emmanuel Pratt, a
hours over seven years to MacArthur Foundation fel-
establish itself over in the low who runs an urban re-
syndicated market. Pro- development agency that
duced by Hearst Televi- uses agriculture and car-
sion, “Matter of Fact” is Soledad O’Brien, left, appears with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the Hearst pentry to spur revivals.
Media Production Group-produced program “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien.”
available in 181 markets Associated Press O’Brien refers to the show
covering 95 percent of the as a “teaching hospital” of
country. “Matter of Fact” sistent time slot all over the O’Brien wanted to keep a sign a show that included news.
averages about 1.08 million country and, in some plac- hand in onscreen televi- voices not normally heard “I don’t know that you
viewers each weekend, es, literally airs in the middle sion work and, when ap- on network panel shows, can go wrong in elevating
roughly half the audience of the night. proached for “Matter of where occasionally the people who’ve been do-
for broadcast network O’Brien, formerly of CNN, Fact,” met with executive same government official ing good work in difficult
panel shows like “Meet the also contributes to HBO’s producer Rita Aleman and will appear on two or three circumstances and giv-
Press” or “This Week,” ac- “Real Sports,” but most of found that they had similar on the same weekend, said ing them a platform,” she
cording to Nielsen compa- her time now is spent run- ideas. Emerson Coleman, Hearst’s said. “I think we don’t do it
ny, which measures ratings. ning her own production “The mission of the show senior vice president of enough.”
That’s down from a pan- company. Her HBO docu- was always to share voices programming, who devel- The effort to get closer to
demic- and election-aided series “Black and Missing” as diverse as America, slic- oped the show. communities where “Mat-
peak of 1.2 million in 2020, won a Film Independent es of life that people should There was also a desire to ter of Fact” is broadcast is
but double what it was at Spirit Award, and a doc see in order to understand turn down the volume. The reflected in a just-complet-
the show’s start in 2015. about Rosa Parks recently how issues play out across inherent conflict of political ed project that became
That’s notable given that premiered at the Tribeca the country,” Aleman said. shows “makes for good TV, more involved as it was on-
the program has no con- film festival. Hearst was looking to de- but we have a different ap- going. q

No charges for ‘Late Show’ crew arrested on Capitol Hill

The decision, made by The Associated Press with a had been invited by con-
the U.S. attorney’s office in list of nine people who had gressional staffers and had
Washington, comes after been stopped by Capitol never been asked to leave
prosecutors determined Police. by the staff members who
they “cannot move for- They included several pro- had invited them. The U.S.
ward” with the misdemean- ducers, along with come- attorney’s office said some
or charges against the nine dian and writer Robert people in the group of nine
people arrested June 16 in Smigel, the voice behind had been told by police
the Longworth House Of- Triumph the Insult Comic that they were supposed to
fice Building. The incident Dog. Capitol Police officials have an escort.
followed the third public said Monday they respect “The Office would be re-
hearing by the House pan- the decision made by the quired to prove beyond
el investigating the Jan. 6, U.S. attorney’s office. a reasonable doubt that
2021, Capitol insurrection. Police said the group was these invited guests were
A spokesman for the U.S. arrested on unlawful entry guilty of the crime of un-
attorney’s office said it was charges “because mem- lawful entry because their
not probable a conviction bers of the group had been escort chose to leave them
Robert Smigel, creator, executive producer and voice of could be obtained and sus- told several times before unattended,” said Bill Miller,
“Triumph the Insult Comic Dog,” poses with the puppet during tained given that the nine they entered the Congres- a spokesman for the U.S. at-
the Television Critics Association 2016 Summer Press Tour at the arrested had been invited sional buildings that they torney’s office. “We do not
Beverly Hilton on Aug. 5, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif. and that their escorts had had to remain with a staff believe it is probable that
Associated Press never asked them to leave escort inside the buildings the Office would be able to
By MICHAEL BALSAMO people associated with the building. and they failed to do so.” obtain and sustain convic-
Associated Press CBS’ “Late Show with Ste- Though Capitol Police have Prosecutors said the group tions on these charges.”q
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fed- phen Colbert” who were refused to provide the
eral prosecutors said Mon- arrested in a building in the names of those who were LIKE US ON
day they have declined to U.S. Capitol complex last arrested, a person familiar
bring charges against nine month. with the matter provided Facebook.com/arubatoday/