TV News Roundup: NBC News Now Announces Virtual Conversation About Race Amid Protests

In today’s TV News Roundup, NBC News Now and NBC BLK announced a virtual conversation in the wake of the social unrest across the country, and ATX Television Festival announced a supporting sponsorship with Showtime for its virtual festival. 

EXECUTIVE NEWS

Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films have named Syrinthia Studer as executive vice president. Studer’s responsibilities will include overseeing live-action feature-length content for both studios in a role that encompasses development, production, acquisitions and co-financing. Studer will report to Shelley Zimmerman, executive vice president, Live-Action Studio at Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films. Studer was most recently serving as executive vice president of worldwide acquisitions at Paramount Pictures.

SPECIALS

NBC News Now and NBC BLK will present a virtual discussion hosted by MSNBC correspondent Trymaine Lee to discuss race, what it means to be black in America and the ongoing protests around the country in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Wisconsin lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes, actor Don Cheadle, Campaign Zero co-founder Brittany Packnett Cunningham, musician T.I., New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and actor Kendrick Sampson will be featured. The special will air on NBC News Now on June 2 at 8 p.m.

FESTIVALS

ATX Television Festival has announced supporting sponsorship and additional programming with Showtime for its first entirely virtual festival. This includes a newly-announced panel for “The Good Lord Bird,” an adaptation of James McBride‘s book about an enslaved boy who travels with abolitionist soldiers during Bleeding Kansas. The festival will feature a sneak peek and a conversation with executive producer and star Ethan Hawke, star Joshua Caleb Johnson, and McBride on June 6 at 6 pm 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. In addition, Showtime president of entertainment Jana Winograde will join the panel conversation “Channel Changers: A Conversation with TV’s Presidents” on June 5 with other leaders in the industry.