Pivot’s ‘TakePart Live’ Shakes Up Nightly News Programming

LOS ANGELES (May 9, 2014) – Pivot’s nightly topical news series, TakePart Live, hosted by Meghan McCain, Jacob Soboroff and Eddie Huang, is set to premiere its new season in primetime on May 12th. With a fresh take on the nightly news format, brand-new set design, and an eclectic guest list, the show airs at a new time 10pm ET/9 PM CT. The announcement was made today by Pivot’s Belisa Balaban, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Craig Parks, Senior Vice President, Live Programming.

TakePart Live is an interactive news show, where Gen Y audiences get informed and get involved in the world around them. Meghan, Jacob and Eddie offer very different perspectives to issues making headlines around the world, trending online, culled from social media and pop culture at large. What happens over the hour-long program is a freewheeling, intelligent conversation among personalities who may not agree on the issues but are willing to entertain an alternative point of view, unlike nearly all issue-oriented cable television. The new season, produced by Embassy Row (Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, AMC’s Talking Bad and The Talking Dead), airs live Monday through Thursdays, with a special highlights show on Fridays.

“The show goes beyond talking points and screaming matches to understand the issues, why they matter, and what you can do about them,“ said Craig Parks. “TakePart Live is the opposite of a traditional primetime news program presenting the often nuanced sides of an argument through intelligent, unfiltered conversations with hosts and guests you just won’t see anywhere else.”

In addition to topical news coverage, the hosts will provide their unique perspectives through signature segments including: Meghan’s “No Offense,” where she takes to task the hypocritical actions of celebrities, politicians and other newsmakers; Jacob will dive into stories concerning civil rights and how they can be eroded without us even knowing it; and Eddie will examine what it means to be a conscious consumer. The conversation continues online at TakePart.com with videos, in-depth coverage about issues and opportunity to take action through the Take Action Platform (TAP). TakePart Live will also explore wide-ranging topics on air and online including the death penalty, immigration, religion in government, women’s rights, food insecurity, the minimum wage, and the treatment and lives of America’s Veterans.

Audiences can tune into an eclectic mix of celebrities, cultural personalities, experts, and social media power players with particular expertise on the night’s issues or who represent the interests of Pivot’s audience. Premiere week guests include: Drake Bell (actor, musician, television personality), Candace Cameron-Bure (Dancing with the Stars, Full House), Chris ‘Drama’ Pfaff (entrepreneur and owner of Young & Reckless), Hannah & Mamrie Hart (YouTube sensations), Tony Award winning actor, Dan Fogler (Spelling Bee), Hasan Minhaj (comedian, Stand Up Planet),King Bach (Vine sensation) and more. Future guests include: Alexis Ohanian (co-founder of Reddit), comedian, Margaret Cho, YouTube sensations Bart Baker and iJustine, Sana Amanat (editor of Marvel Entertainment and creator of the new Ms. Marvel character) and journalist/filmmaker, Jose Antonio Vargas (founder of Define American), to name a few.

The TakePart Live studio in Los Angeles, designed by Jeff Hall of the award-winning design firm JHD Group, provides an industrial, post modern and eclectic backdrop for the show including an original mural created by acclaimed street artist Justin Bua.

About Pivot
Pivot (Pivot.tv) is a television network from Participant Media serving passionate Millennials (18-34) with a diverse slate of original series, acquired programming, films and documentaries. Pivot focuses on entertainment that sparks conversation, inspires change and illuminates issues through engaging content and, through its website TakePart.com, connects audiences to a wealth of content and customizable actions. Pivot is available nationally via major cable providers and offers subcribers a live and on-demand streaming option via its interactive, downloadable Pivot app. Follow Pivot on Twitter at @pivot_tv and on Facebook at facebook.com/pivottelevision.

About Participant Media
Participant (ParticipantMedia.com) is a global entertainment company founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll to focus on feature film, television, publishing and digital content that inspires social change. Participant’s more than 45 films include GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, SYRIANA, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, FOOD, INC., WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’, THE HELP, CONTAGION and LINCOLN. Through its films, social action campaigns, digital network TakePart.com and Pivot, its new television network for Millennials, Participant seeks to entertain, encourage and empower every individual to take action.

About Embassy Row
Embassy Row is a New York City-based television and digital production company dedicated to developing and acquiring original formats for television networks and online distribution in the U.S. and abroad. The company specializes in the genres of talk, games, competition, comedy, factual, food and sports and are pioneers in the areas of brand and social media integration. Recent credits include: Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” Oxygen’s “The Glee Project” and AMC’s “The Talking Dead.” Embassy Row is a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television.