wfn.org | 'News Odyssey' changes name, hosts and design

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

March 10, 2000 News media contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville,
Tenn. 10-71B{133}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - "News Odyssey," the 3-year-old cable news
television show produced at United Methodist Communications (UMCom), will
have a new name and a new host effective April 2.

Former CNN and NBC news anchor Mary Alice Williams has been named to host
"Odyssey Weekly," the redesigned news magazine series on Odyssey, A Henson &
Hallmark Entertainment Network. 

"Odyssey Weekly" will premiere at 3:30 p.m. (ET) April 2 on the interfaith
Odyssey Network. Each half-hour episode will attempt to generate debate and
discussion of moral, ethical and spiritual issues through features that
explore the values and ethics in society, said Susan Frank, vice president
and general manager of Odyssey Entertainment, in making the March 8
announcement about the reformatted news series.   

The former "News Odyssey," co-hosted by Demetria Kalodimos of Nashville,
Tenn., and Robert Jordan of Chicago, examined current events from a
religious perspective. The new format will allow further exploration of the
"currents of faith and values in our culture and not be closely tied to the
latest news events," said Wil Bane, a staff executive at UMCom.

The decision to retool the show and change the name from "News Odyssey" was
a natural progression that is in line with the changes made at the network,
said Jeff Weber, executive producer of  "Odyssey Weekly."

The Jim Henson Co. and Hallmark Entertainment recently joined Odyssey's
other partners - the National Interfaith Cable Coalition (NICC) and Liberty
Media Corp. -- in becoming co-owners of the network. NICC is a consortium of
nearly 70 faith groups, including the United Methodist Church.

As a result, the channel moved from airing shows promoting primarily faith
and values issues to a family channel that embraces spirituality, Weber
said. The network's new theme is "The First Channel for Today's Family," he
said.

Produced by Odyssey Productions in cooperation with NICC, "Odyssey Weekly"
will be a regular part of programming on the Odyssey Network, which reaches
about 30 million households and a growing number of cable channels
nationwide.

"The changes were made to help the network reach a broader audience and not
only concern itself with stories that are faith related," Weber said. "Faith
still plays a role, but we are expanding to attract a bigger audience." 

Franks calls "Odyssey Weekly" a "rarity" in television because of the issues
it explores and the way it presents them, and because it is a "program that
encourages viewers to think about the 'right and wrong' of real world
issues."

The former "News Odyssey" was designed to treat the issues of religion and
faith not dealt with by other newscasts, according to Weber. The retooled
show, he said, is shifting to provide feature stories that are current but
are not just related to the news of the week.

"As one of the premiere journalists in television, Mary Alice is ideally
suited for her new role with this program," Franks said. "She brings a
wealth of experience and enormous credibility, and we're delighted that she
is joining the series."

Williams, who also hosts Odyssey's "Quiet Triumphs," was the first woman to
win a national Emmy Award for anchoring an evening newscast, according to
the network. She is recognized as an expert in information technology,
public policy and the American family. 

A new host for the retooled show emphasizes that the program is changing,
Weber said.  It is likely that the former anchors of "News Odyssey" will
participate in the new show by making story contributions. 

Reed Galin, a former ABC and NBC national correspondent, will be the senior
producer of "Odyssey Weekly." Jeneane Jones, the former "News Odyssey"
managing editor, will continue that responsibility on the new show.

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United Methodist News Service
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