Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard will be the first guest on Gray Television’s new nationally syndicated weekend political show, Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren.
The new series, starring Van Susteren, will debut Sunday, Sept. 8, and is cleared in more than 76% of the country, including in all of Gray’s 93 markets and in such major markets as New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Van Susteren is a veteran broadcast journalist who has anchored shows on Fox News, CNN and NBC.
“The show will tap the knowledge and expertise of Gray Television’s trusted bench of reporters who will provide on-the-ground reports from their communities,” said Sandy Breland, senior vice president, local media, Gray Television, in a statement. “It’s a perfect time to highlight politics through the local lens as viewers rank local news as their most trusted source. We look forward to Greta bringing her firm but fair approach to broadcast television.”
The first episode also includes an interview with former NFL head coach and NBC Football Night in America analyst Tony Dungy. Dungy, who has met with five US presidents including President Trump, calls for voters to take a stand if they are unhappy with the current state of politics in America.
“I think we need to make a difference, as an electorate, and say, ‘If this is not working, if this is not what I want in my country, I need to not elect those types of leaders,” said Dungy on the show. “But somehow we've got to attract the right people back into politics.”
Accompanying the new series, Gray also will launch a new digital and social media show, Full Court Press-Overtime to provide viewers and users with more critical content.
Full Court Press joins Hearst's Matter of Factwith Soledad O'Brien as one of the few weekend political shows in national syndication.
Lisa Allen is executive producer of Full Court Press, and Breland is executive in charge. WVUE New Orleans anchor Lee Zurik, director of investigations, and the Investigate TV team will also contribute to the show. Cary Glotzer, CEO of Tupelo-Raycom, is in charge of production.
