Dan Abrams
![]() | This article may have too many section headers. (December 2023) |
Dan Abrams | |
---|---|
![]() Abrams in 2017 | |
Born | Daniel Abrams May 20, 1966 New York City, U.S. |
Education | Duke University (BA) Columbia University (JD) |
Occupation(s) | Television presenter, businessman |
Title | CEO, Abrams Media |
Partner | Florinka Pesenti |
Children | 2 |
Parent | Floyd Abrams (father) |
Relatives | Ronnie Abrams (sister) |
Daniel Abrams (born May 20, 1966)[1] is an American media entrepreneur,[2] television host,[3] and author.[4][5][6] He is currently the host of the prime-time show Dan Abrams Live on NewsNation, On Patrol: Live on Reelz[7] and The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets The Law[8] on SiriusXM's[9] P.O.T.U.S. channel. He is also the Chief Legal Analyst of ABC News.[10]
Abrams was the host of Live PD on the A&E cable network and created and hosts Court Cam, a Law&Crime production on A&E.[11] He was formerly an anchor of Nightline. Abrams also worked as the chief legal correspondent and analyst for NBC News and general manager of MSNBC, and doubled as an anchor for the same network.[12] He began his professional career in 1994 as a reporter for Court TV, covering, among others, the O. J. Simpson murder trial.
Early life
Daniel Abrams was born in Manhattan, New York City; he is Jewish, the son of Efrat and well-known attorney Floyd Abrams, an expert on constitutional law. He is a 1984 graduate of Riverdale Country School. Abrams received his B.A. cum laude in political science from Duke University in 1988. While at Duke, he anchored newscasts on the student-run channel Cable 13, and was vice president of the student body. Abrams received a J.D. from Columbia Law School.[13][14]
Career
Television and broadcasting
Early career
Abrams started his career working at Court TV, where he covered the O. J. Simpson case,[15] the International War Crimes Tribunal from the Netherlands, and the assisted-suicide trials of Dr. Jack Kevorkian from Michigan.[16]
MSNBC and NBC News
After leaving Court TV, Abrams was a general assignment correspondent for NBC News from 1997 to 1999 at which time he was named Chief Legal Correspondent.[17] Abrams then began hosting his own show at MSNBC, and The Abrams Report began in 2001.[18][19] Abrams hosted The Abrams Report until he accepted the lead managerial position at MSNBC.[20] Abrams held the position of General Manager of MSNBC from June 12, 2006, until October 2007.[21] Abrams left to concentrate on his program Live with Dan Abrams, which replaced Scarborough Country due to Joe Scarborough's move to mornings. This show would eventually be revamped and renamed Verdict with Dan Abrams,[22] which aired until August 21, 2008. MSNBC announced on August 19, 2008, that Air America Radio host Rachel Maddow would take over that time slot beginning September 8, 2008.[23] At that time, Abrams took on additional duties with NBC News including substituting as an anchor on the Today show. Shortly thereafter Abrams launched his own media company consisting of Mediaite and other sites.[24]
ABC
In March 2011, Abrams left NBC to become the Chief Legal Analyst for ABC News and a substitute anchor on Good Morning America.[13] ABC announced in June 2013 that Abrams would become the network's Chief Legal Affairs Anchor, as well as an anchor of Nightline.[25] He stepped down from his full time role as Nightline anchor in December 2014 to focus on his expanding media businesses and returned to his freelance role as the network's Chief Legal Analyst.[26] In 2020, The Poynter Report described Abrams as the "go-to analyst on legal affairs."[27]
A&E
From October 2016 to June 2020, Abrams hosted the A&E show Live PD, which followed police officers live across the United States as they patrol their communities. Using dash-cam footage, handheld low-light-capable cameras, and fixed-camera rigs, Abrams analyzed each incident with analysts Tom Morris Jr. and Sean "Sticks" Larkin as the police work occurs. He was also co-host of Grace vs. Abrams, in which Abrams and legal commentator Nancy Grace debated high-profile crime cases.[28] In 2019, Abrams signed on to produce and host Court Cam, a new show that takes viewers inside America's courtrooms.[29] Live PD was canceled on June 10, 2020, in the wake of protests against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd and the destruction of the video footage of the killing of Javier Ambler.[30]
NewsNation
On July 19, 2021, Nexstar announced that Abrams would join NewsNation to host a nightly prime-time show called Dan Abrams Live, which premiered on September 27, 2021.[31]
Reelz
On June 8, 2022, the Wall Street Journal announced that Abrams would return as host and executive producer for On Patrol: Live, a new show on Reelz following the same format as A&E's cancelled Live PD.[7] On Patrol: Live premiered on July, 22nd 2022.[32]
Abrams Media
Gossip Cop
On July 29, 2009, Abrams and Michael Lewittes launched Gossip Cop, about celebrity gossip. The site has been described by its designer, Rex Sorgatz, as "TMZ meets Smoking Gun". The site rates gossip rumors on a 0–10 scale.[33] For the month of May 2013, the site reported over 8 million unique visitors.[34] In 2019 Gossip Cop was acquired by Gateway Blend.[35]
Mediaite
In September 2009, Abrams started Mediaite, a news site he described as "appreciating the celebrity of the media." The site combines editorial content with analytic rankings of media personalities.
Geekosystem
Geekosystem was launched on January 25, 2010. Geekosystem covered "geek" culture, following developments in science, technology, as well as internet memes and Internet culture. Abrams described the site upon launch as "a broader interest site that will celebrate and cover everything from technology and science fiction to video games and comics."[36]
Styleite
Abrams's foray into fashion, Styleite, debuted on March 25, 2010.[37] Functioning for fashion the way Mediaite did for journalism, Styleite launched with both news and opinion content, as well as a fashion version of the "Power Grid," which ranks designers, models, writers, and others in the style business based on influence and following. Abrams rebranded Styleite as Runway Riot in 2015, appointing model Iskra Lawrence as managing editor.[38] RunwayRiot.com is marketed as a fashion site for "plus-sized women."[39]
SportsGrid
Launched in May 2010, SportsGrid offers a mix of sports news, video clips and other media tracking both sports and the media world surrounding it. Like the other Abrams Media properties, the site features a Power Grid "tabulated by using a specially developed algorithm that pools a variety of metrics, including TV ratings; Web traffic and circulation counts; attendance; number of Twitter followers; on-field performance for players and coaches; and franchise values."[40] In 2013, SportsGrid was acquired by Anthem Media Group in a stock and cash deal.[41]
The Mary Sue
In 2011, Abrams Media started The Mary Sue,[42] a sister site to Geekosystem with the goal of "highlighting women in the geek world, and providing a prominent place for the voices of geek women."[43] Based on its rapid growth and high engagement, in 2014, Abrams folded Geekosystem into The Mary Sue.[44] On November 17, 2021, The Mary Sue was acquired by GAMURS Group.[45]
The Braiser
In May 2012, Abrams launched a site focused on the personalities and lifestyles of chefs. Rather than recipes or techniques, The Braiser's topics consist of chefs who "have gone from being food icons to becoming mainstream celebrities," according to an interview Abrams gave to The New York Times in late April.[46] It was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in 2014.[47] By 2015, The Braiser had gone on "a short hiatus" with plans for a relaunch,[48] but saw no further activity as of 2019.[49]
Law&Crime
In 2016, Abrams started LawNewz, a legal news website which also live streams trials as part of its online network.[50] The new live trial network, slated as the new Court TV, launched on February 24, 2017, with A&E Networks taking a stake in the site.[51][52] In 2017, LawNewz was rebranded to Law&Crime.[53][54][55] In October 2023, Abrams sold Law&Crime to video content startup Jellysmack in a reported nine figure deal. [56]
Ambo TV
On October 15, 2018, Abrams launched his new media service,[57] Ambo TV, a Christian TV streaming service[58] "dedicated to broadcasting Christian sermons with an in-studio discussion." It was announced that the service would be available to the public in November 2018. The station will be located at new studios built especially for Ambo TV at Abrams Media studios in Herald Square in New York City and will feature live programming on the weekends.
Whiskey Raiders
In December 2020, Abrams launched Whiskey Raiders, a site that uses a proprietary algorithm to rate whiskeys on a scale from 50 to 100.[59] Abrams purchased Jay West's spirit review site, t8ke.review, as part of the launch. In September 2022, Abrams Media launched sister sites Gin Raiders, Tequila Raiders and Rum Raiders.[60]
Writing
Abrams has published articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today magazine, The American Lawyer, and the Yale Law and Policy Review. He has also written for online magazines such as The Huffington Post, Daily Beast, and Mediaite.[citation needed]
In March 2010, Abrams published the book Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers and Just About Everything Else.[61] The book was #10 on The Washington Post best seller list of July 17, 2011,[62] and has been translated into Russian, Indonesian, Croatian, Swedish and Hebrew, among other languages.
Abrams' second book, Lincoln's Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency, tells the true story of Abraham Lincoln's last murder trial. The book was released in June 2018, and spent five weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list for hardcover non-fiction. Mental Floss rated the book #1 on their list "56 Best Books of 2018."[63]
Abrams’ third book, Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense: The Courtroom Battle to Save His Legacy, published on May 21, 2019, and became a New York Times bestseller.[64]
Abrams' fourth book, John Adams Under Fire: The Founding Father's Fight for Justice in the Boston Massacre Murder Trial, published on March 3, 2020, and became a New York Times bestseller.[65]
Abrams' fifth book, Kennedy's Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy, and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby was published in 2021. It tells the story of the trial of Jack Ruby, who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald.[66]
Abrams' latest book, Alabama v. King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Criminal Trial That Launched the Civil Rights Movement was published in May 2022.
Abrams has made other on-air appearances covering law, politics, and to promote his books, including on all three late night talk shows. He has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live,[67] The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS[68] and the Tonight Show on NBC.[69]
Personal life
In June 2012, Abrams had his first child with girlfriend Florinka Pesenti,[70] who was part of the winning team on The Amazing Race 3.[71] They had a daughter in 2021.[72][73][74]
Abrams was a co-owner with David Zinczenko of the restaurant The Lion in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood.[75] The Lion closed in 2015.
In 2021, Abrams purchased Laurel Lake Vineyards on Long Island's North Fork,[76] which he relaunched in Summer 2021 under a name inspired by his two children, Ev&Em Vineyards.[73][74]
References
- ^ "Dan Abrams Biography (1966–)". Biography.com. February 12, 2012. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ "The Five Spot: Dan Abrams". Broadcasting Cable. February 17, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 24, 2019). "Dan Abrams To Host & Executive Produce New Courtroom Series For A&E Network". Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books – Best Sellers – Books – March 29, 2020". The New York Times. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books – Best Sellers – Books – July 22, 2018 – The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Dan Abrams Books". Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Flint, Joe (June 8, 2022). "WSJ News Exclusive | 'Live PD' is Coming Back on TV This Summer as 'On Patrol: Live'". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Dan Abrams Launching SiriusXM Show". October 25, 2018.
- ^ "Law&Crime Founder Dan Abrams to Host New Show 'Where Politics Meets the Law' on SiriusXM". LawAndCrime.com. October 25, 2018.
- ^ "/ "Veteran legal analyst Dan Abrams will join NewsNation with a prime-time show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 30, 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ O'Connell, Michael (October 24, 2019). "Dan Abrams Gets Another A&E Series, 'Court Cam'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ "Running from Cops". Topic. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "Dan Abrams' Biography". ABC News. June 2, 2011. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ Cohan, William D. (April 8, 2014). The price of silence: the Duke lacrosse scandal, the power of the elite, and the corruption of our great universities (First Scribner hardcover ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1-4516-8179-6. OCLC 852226555.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "A conversation about the O. J. Simpson case". Charlie Rose. January 26, 1997. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013.
- ^ Schneider, Keith (June 3, 2011). "Dr. Jack Kevorkian Dies at 83; Backed Assisted Suicide". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ Unattributed. "America's Top 50 Bachelors : People.com". People. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ Cox, Ted (December 14, 2000). "CNN, cable are the big winners in election coverage". Chicago Daily Herald. p. 4.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (December 25, 2000). "Down By Law". Time. Archived from the original on April 7, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^ Abrams, Dan (June 20, 2006). "Farewell, but not goodbye". NBC News.
- ^ Johnson, Peter (June 19, 2006). "Dan Abrams goes from legal anchor to head of MSNBC". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ Kurtz, Howard (September 24, 2007). "MSNBC's Abrams Quits His Day Job". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ Carter, Bill (August 19, 2008). "Rachel Maddow to Replace Dan Abrams on MSNBC". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ "Dan Abrams' Mediaite to Launch Tech News Site and Other Verticals". December 8, 2009.
- ^ "Dan Abrams Named Nightline Anchor and Chief Legal Affairs Anchor for ABC News". ABC News. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
- ^ Barr, Jeremy (December 18, 2014). "ABC's Dan Abrams stepping aside as 'Nightline' co-anchor". Politico. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
- ^ Poynter Reportpardot.com Archived October 20, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Rodney Ho, Radio and TV Talk. "Nancy Grace/Dan Abrams square off on new A&E show starting March 29". ajc. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ "Court Cam: A&E Launching New TV Show with Dan Abrams (Live PD)". October 28, 2019.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 10, 2020). "'Live P.D.' Canceled By A&E Amid Ongoing Protests Against Police Brutality". Deadline.
- ^ "Dan Abrams to Host NewsNation Live Show; Adrienne Bankert to Anchor 'Morning in America'". July 19, 2021.
- ^ "Reelz sets premiere date for new version of 'Live PD'". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Carr, David (July 29, 2009). "Gossip Cop Patrols Celebrity 'News'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ "Gossip Cop Thanks Readers For Making May 2013 Our BIGGEST Month". gossipcop.com. June 3, 2013. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ^ "At Gateway Blend, Kasey Grelle digs in to acquisitions". February 13, 2020.
- ^ Shea, Danny (January 20, 2010). "Geekosystem, Dan Abrams' New Geek Site, Set To Launch". HuffPost. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ "Dan Abrams Launched His Fashion Website". New York. March 15, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ Steigrad, Alexandra (October 5, 2015). "Styleite to Re-brand as RunwayRiot, a Plus-Size Site With E-Commerce". Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ Gilbert, Kylie. "Model Iskra Lawrence Wants You to Stop Calling her 'Plus-Size'". Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ Fisher, Eric (March 29, 2010). "Website to Provide Sports Power Rankings". Sports Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 10, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ "Anthem Media Group Acquires Rotoexperts and Sportsgrid to Boost Fantasy Sports Television Launch". Sportsgrid.com. August 1, 2013. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ "Ownership Policy". The Mary Sue. April 26, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ "GAMURS Group Acquires The Mary Sue". GAMURS Group. July 4, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ "Tomorrow Geekosystem Joins Forces with The Mary Sue for a Better Tomorrow". The Mary Sue. June 11, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ Mediaite Staff (November 17, 2021). "Announcement: Mediaite Sister Site The Mary Sue Acquired by GAMURS Group". Mediaite. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ Stelter, Brian (April 30, 2012). "From Mediaite's Founder, a Site for Blanket Coverage of Celebrity Chefs". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ "The Complete 2014 JBF Award Nominees". Jamesbeard.org. March 18, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ "Now Hiring Associate Editor for The Braiser". Mediaite. August 19, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- ^ "The Braiser | Mediaite". Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- ^ Kludt, Tom (January 19, 2016). "Dan Abrams launches LawNewz website". CNN. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ^ Alpert, Lukas I. (November 13, 2017). "A+E Networks Takes Stake in Dan Abrams's Live Trial Website". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ "Court TV is basically being resurrected online". Mashable. February 24, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ Nakamura, Reid (November 13, 2017). "A+E Networks Partners With Dan Abrams to Rebrand LawNewz as Law&Crime Network". Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ "LawNewz Relaunches as Law & Crime With A+E Networks Investment". Law & Crime. November 13, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ "Law & Crime Expands Reach With Launch On TuneIn". lawandcrime.com. December 20, 2018.
- ^ Fischer, Sara. "Exclusive: Jellysmack acquires Law&Crime Network". Axios. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ Abrams, Dan. "Very excited to announce my latest media project via @thehill!". Twitter. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ Swanson, Ian (October 15, 2018). "Mediaite founder Dan Abrams to launch Christian sermon streaming network". The Hill. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ "Abrams Media Gains Taste for Bourbon with New 'Whiskey Raiders' Site". December 7, 2020.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (September 12, 2022). "The Bar Is Open: Abrams Media Opens New Sites Devoted to Tequila, Rum, Gin". Variety.com. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Book World Bestsellers — July 17, 2011". The Washington Post. August 5, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ "BOOK WORLD Bestsellers — July 17, 2011". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Mental Floss's 56 Best Books of 2018". mentalfloss.com. December 5, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
- ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books – Best Sellers – June 8, 2019 – The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
- ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books – Best Sellers – March 22, 2020 – The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ "Kennedy's Avenger: Original – HarperCollins".
- ^ "Elisabeth Moss, Dan Abrams, Dustin Lynch". TVMaze. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Katz, AJ (June 17, 2019). "Dan Abrams Addresses His Move From MSNBC Host to General Manager…and Back Again". AdWeek. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Green, Michelle (July 15, 2015). "The Doting Dad Side of Dan Abrams". The New York Times.
- ^ Griffith, Carson; Caparell, Adam (June 21, 2012). "French star Omar Sy could be a big hit in the U.S.A." Daily News. New York City. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ Green, Michelle (July 15, 2015). "The Doting Dad Side of Dan Abrams". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "New owner rebrands Laurel Lake Vineyards". March 23, 2021.
- ^ a b "Dan Abrams Renames North Fork Winery After His Children". March 23, 2021.
- ^ Stevenson, Peter (December 10, 2010). "Dan Abrams and Dave Zinczenko, Friends and Partners". The New York Times.
- ^ "Laurel Lake winery to be sold to Dan Abrams of ABC News". February 9, 2021.
External links
- 1966 births
- Living people
- ABC News personalities
- American chief executives in the media industry
- American legal writers
- American magazine publishers (people)
- American television reporters and correspondents
- Anthem Sports & Entertainment
- Businesspeople from New York City
- Columbia Law School alumni
- Duke University Trinity College of Arts and Sciences alumni
- Jewish American journalists
- Jewish American non-fiction writers
- Journalists from New York City
- MSNBC people
- NBC News people
- New York (state) lawyers
- People from Manhattan
- Riverdale Country School alumni
- Writers from New York City