Fox Stations To Test Multicultural Magazine

Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury and producer Will Packer (Night School, Girls Trip) are teaming on a multicultural entertainment news magazine show Central Ave. The daily, half-hour series originating live from Atlanta will launch Nov. 4 for a 5-week preview on select Fox-owned stations.

According to Debmar-Mercury, “With a quest to blast trails and set trends, Central Ave is poised to deliver relevant entertainment and pop culture news through a provocative, socially conscious and diverse lens.”

Television personality Julissa Bermudez (106 & Park) will co-host Central Ave with former Olympic track star and five-time gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross — marking the first time two women of color have been named to co-host an entertainment magazine series, according to Debmar-Mercury.

Central Ave is the second collaboration between Will Packer Media and Debmar-Mercury, which, together with Lionsgate Television, produce OWN’s upcoming multigenerational family saga, Ambitions. The Fox stations will air the magazine strip in access and early fringe time periods following the conclusion of the World Series.

Frank Cicha, Fox Television Stations EVP of programming, said: “We can’t wait to work with someone this successful who, when you ask how many syndicated strips they’ve worked on before, the answer is ‘none.’ I have to believe we’re going to get something fresh here. Will Packer doesn’t know what he can’t do in this space. That, to me, is invigorating.”

Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus said: “Will Packer brings an entirely new and vibrant vision to syndication with Central Ave. We are excited to fill a need in the marketplace for a magazine show like this by partnering once again with our good friends at the Fox stations and a team headed by an A-List film producer of the caliber of Will.”

Packer said, “Central Ave will stand out in the newsmag space by presenting a unique first-person perspective on the culture-driving, trendsetting topics that mainstream audiences have a voracious appetite for. Being fronted by fresh voices that happen to be diverse and female gives us license to do stories in a way no one else can.”

Will Packer Media and Debmar-Mercury will co-produce the series, with Packer, Kelly Smith and showrunner Monique Chenault serving as executive producers.