THE FIRST MEDIA OUTLET TO BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE MUSEUM PRIOR TO ITS PUBLIC OPENING

Two-Hour Live Broadcast Presented with Limited Commercials Will Be Sponsored Exclusively by Target and Toyota

CBS THIS MORNING will broadcast live from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., on Monday, Sept.12, the first media outlet to broadcast live from the museum prior to its public opening on Sept. 24. The two-hour live broadcast will be sponsored exclusively by Target and Toyota. It will be the first time that CBS THIS MORNING is presented with a reduced network commercial load.

Broadcasting outside the museum against the backdrop of the Washington Monument as well as inside the museum across special exhibits, co-hosts Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell will take viewers on an intimate tour of the museum with live interviews, taped pieces and walkthroughs. They will be joined by guests including: former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sen. Tim Scott (R- SC) and the museum’s director, Lonnie Bunch. CBS EVENING NEWS anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley will also join as a guest.

Additionally, the two-hour live broadcast will include interviews with historians and curators who designed the museum's inaugural exhibitions and donors who contributed items to make those exhibitions possible.

“CBS News and the Museum of African American History and Culture have a passion for sharing these important stories with our country,” said Ryan Kadro, Executive Producer of CBS THIS MORNING. “We’re grateful Lonnie Bunch and his team have entrusted us to present this incredible museum to the public for the first time in a live broadcast. CBS THIS MORNING is uniquely positioned for moments like this — we are dedicated to offering our viewers significant stories that matter.”

“We’re pleased to partner exclusively with two valued clients, Target and Toyota, on our morning show’s unique broadcast, showcasing this impressive new museum for the first time,” said Jo Ann Ross, President, Network Sales for CBS Television Network. “Paring down the commercial load is indicative of the special nature of the program, and along with our two great partners, CBS is proud to have the opportunity to be a part of this momentous occasion.”

“As a founding donor of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and a grand opening sponsor, Target celebrates the museum’s work to educate and raise awareness of African American culture and history, which is an important part of the overall story of America,” said Laysha Ward, chief corporate social responsibility officer at Target. “We are proud to partner with CBS to provide guests with an exclusive first look at this remarkable landmark and help further the museum’s mission to share the rich story of the African American experience with all Americans.”

“Toyota takes special pride in being a founding donor and grand opening sponsor of this important museum,” said Latondra Newton, Group Vice President for Social Innovation and Chief Diversity Officer at Toyota. “We and the museum recognize the urgent need to protect and preserve our natural and historic treasures, and we applaud CBS News for giving the opening the attention it deserves. We support the museum’s efforts to embrace sustainable principles, and its mission to transcend boundaries and become a lens into a story that unites us all.”

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history and culture. It was established by an Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. To date, the museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts. Nearly 100,000 individuals have become charter members of the museum. When the NMAAHC opens on September 24, 2016, it will be the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

CBS THIS MORNING launched Jan. 9, 2012, and has become the Network’s most successful morning newscast in nearly three decades. The broadcast has posted year-over-year audience increases for 47 consecutive months. Each weekday morning, Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell deliver two hours of original reporting, breaking news and top-level newsmaker interviews in an engaging and informative format that challenges the norm in network morning news programs. The broadcast has earned a prestigious Peabody Award, a Polk Award, two News & Documentary Emmys and two Daytime Emmys. The broadcast was also honored with an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award as part of CBS News’ division-wide coverage of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
Ryan Kadro is the Executive Producer of CBS THIS MORNING.

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