By Diane Howard, Ph.D.
Fans of the successful streaming TV series, “Frankly Faraci,“ on the Dove Channel can now enjoy Matthew Faraci’s weekly conversations on all major podcast platforms that are focused on faithful people doing extraordinary things. These new Dove Channel podcast offers unique, behind-the-scenes looks at leading inspirational newsmakers.“Frankly Faraci,” Dove Channel’s first original series, wrapped up a successful first season this spring with strong viewership, positive reviews, and extensive media coverage. As this streaming channel prepares for “Frankly Faraci Season Two,” Dove Channel is announcing a new podcast series that offers families weekly content between the seasons. It offers families something unique and inspiring during the summer.”Frankly Faraci ” features authentic, heartfelt, behind-the-scenes interviews with inspirational figures in entertainment, music, sports, business, and politics who are actively focused on doing good and bringing positivity into the culture. It is an unprecedented show that will delight families with wonderfully unique stories they won’t see or hear anywhere else. For everyone who is looking to be uplifted and inspired…welcome home.
Matthew Faraci, who is the host of Frankly Faraci and also president of Inspire Buzz (a marketing and PR agency) said, “Nearly every day I come across a story featuring an inspiring person that I’m confident people will want to hear about. With a limited number of episodes in our Dove Channel series, we can’t cover most of those stories. That’s why I’m so grateful that Dove Channel created this podcast. Each week I have an opportunity to interview extraordinary people, and share it with the world,”
“Our lineup is already so compelling, and we continue to book a diverse, thought-provoking group of guests—from a journalist who brought the untold story of one of baseball’s greatest legends to light, and a reporter who interviews well-known celebrities about their faith, to an entrepreneur who is creating amazing audio adventures for kids, and a Rabbi who is uniting Christians and Jews—I can’t wait for folks to download and listen.”
Here’s my exclusive interview with Matthew Faraci.
DH: Why do you think inspirational programming is especially needed today?
MF: There isn’t enough of it. When it is produced it does exceptionally well
DH: What is the value of true stories of real people from their own mouths?
MF: Real stories explain ideas, capture imaginations, and are often more powerful than fictional stories.
DH: Is has been wonderful to follow outstanding developments with the Dove Channel’s offerings. How does your TV series and new podcasts uniquely fit into the Dove Channel’s other programming?
MF: My “Frankly Faraci ” TV series and podcasts fill a void for interviews with real people whose stories inspire. Along with The Dove Channel’s other offerings, they meet the needs of whole families that are looking for programing with good values.
The “Frankly Faraci ” TV series and podcasts joins The Dove Channel programming that currently includes a library of almost 1,400 pieces of content, including nearly 500 films and 900 television episodes approved by the Dove Foundation. It ranks as the largest library of faith-based & family-friendly content in the OTT marketplace. (OTT—over-the-top content—is a term used in broadcasting and technology that refers to audio, video, and other media via the Internet as standalone products without operators of multiple cable or direct-broadcast satellite television systems [multiple-system operators).
The Dove Channel also offers “Dove NOW,” which is a new auto-play feature on the service for those who simply want to relax and watch. It airs kids programming blocks in the morning and early afternoon, and offers blocks of more adult fare from fringe to primetime.
DH: How is the Dove Channel related to the Cinedigm Company?
DH: The Cinedigm Corp. is a distribution company which wants to serve the faith and family market. Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) is a leading independent content distributor in the United States, with direct relationships with thousands of digital platforms and retail storefronts. These include the following: iTunes, Netflix, Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target, as well as the national Video on Demand platform on cable television. Cinedigm has a distribution library of over 60,000 film and TV episodes.
Additionally, given Cinedigm’s infrastructure, technology, content and distribution expertise, the Company has rapidly become a leader in the quickly evolving OTT digital network business. Cinedigm’s first channel, DOCURAMA, launched in May 2014. It is available on the following: iOS, Roku, Amazon Prime, Xbox and Samsung, with additional platforms currently being rolled out. Cinedigm launched CONtv on March 3, 2015.
The Company’s third OTT channel, DOVE CHANNEL, launched on September 15, 2015 and is a digital streaming subscription service targeted to families and kids seeking high quality and family-friendly content approved by Dove Foundation. Combined. The three streaming channels currently provide more than 5,500 hours of content to viewers across more than 3.2 million app downloads. (Cinedigm™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Corp. www.cinedigm.com. [CIDM-G]
DH: You have a dynamic, engaging, entertaining personality and are able to cover a breadth of subjects and people. Tell me about your breadth of experience?
MF: I had many important years in Washington D.C., where I had friends on both sides of the aisle. I have attended a broad range of churches and met a broad variety of people. I am curious and interested in understanding people. I genuinely love people.
Prior to starting my company, Inspire Buzz, which is a marketing agency promoting family-friendly entertainment to the values audience, I had several successful careers. I served in many fields in many roles such as the following: journalist, political strategist, government spokesperson, communications strategist, publicist, entrepreneur, teacher, and even as a standup comedian and writer. I bring all of these experiences to bear as host of “Frankly Faraci, “which I want to serve as an inspiring new talk show that highlights faithful personalities the whole family can celebrate.
DH: How can people hear your podcasts?
MF: The easiest way to find them is on FranklyFaraci.com. The Frankly Faraci Podcast is also available on iTunes, Google Play, and Soundcloud.
DH: What have been some of the surprising, impacting stories you have heard in your podcasts?
MF: Ed Henry (Chief National Correspondent for Fox News) is the author of the New York Times bestseller, “42 Faith: The Rest of the Jackie Robinson Storybook” about Jackie Robinson, and he was fantastic. Jeannie Ortega (recording artist and Christian Post Entertainment reporter) told her story of being a successful pop artist who came to faith and then became a successful journalist and singer, and it was fascinating. Skip Vaccarello (author of “Finding God in Silicon Valley,” the story of being a man of faith and founder of Silicon Valley) told a story that was amazing.
“Frankly Faraci ” podcast guests have also included: Rabbi Jason Sobel, Founder of Fusion Global; Efrem Graham, host of “Studio 5” on CBN; Lauren Green, Fox News Religion Editor and author of “Lighthouse Faith;” Billy Hallowell, Senior Editor at Faithwire, and author of “Fault Line;” Darren Wilson, God’s Filmmaker, founder of Wanderlust Films, and more.
DH: What is your hope for the effect of your TV series or podcasts on audiences?
MF: For those with faith, I hope they will see that faith has no limits. For those without faith, I hope they will see that faith and freedom go together, as well as seeing that faith motivates people to do great, good things.
“Frankly Faraci”—the TV streaming series—is available exclusively on Dove Channel, and can be viewed across a broad spectrum of connected devices which include: Roku® Players and Roku TV™ models, Android and iOS, AppleTV, LeEco smart phones and TVs, the web, and other mobile and tablet devices. Additionally, Dove Channel, along with CONtv and Docurama, are available to Amazon Prime members as part of Amazon’s new Streaming Partners Program. Prime members can view Cinedigm’s channels with the Amazon Video app available across hundreds of devices.