Mitch Albom Teams With WDIV-TV Local 4 To Launch "The Heart of Detroit"

 DETROIT, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- WDIV-TV Local 4 is proud to announce a new partnership with Mitch Albom, best-selling author, journalist, radio broadcaster and charity director, to launch a groundbreaking public service initiative, The Heart of Detroit, sharing inspiring stories of metro Detroiters with heart and everyday people who step up to help make our community a better place to live.

Beginning Thursday, September 22, The Heart of Detroit featuring Mitch Albom will air weekly during Local 4 News at 5 p.m., Detroit's top evening newscast, with an encore airing on Sunday mornings immediately following Flashpoint with Devin Scillian at 10 a.m.  Viewers will follow Mitch as he profiles unsung heroes through documentary-style videos on Local 4, ClickOnDetroit.com and MitchAlbom.com. The Heart of Detroit will reveal the many local people who spend countless hours sacrificing to make others less hungry, less troubled, less impoverished or just a little happier.

"I have been taught that giving is living," said Albom.  "I see so many people in metro Detroit who live - and give - that way, but are never celebrated the way we do a rock star, actor, athlete or even a reality show figure.  These unsung inspirations deserve to have their stories told. And that's what I hope to do."

"It's hard to imagine a better way for Local 4 to extend our longstanding commitment to service in our community than to partner with such a remarkable talent as Mitch Albom, and to help facilitate the noble desires to make a difference here at home," said Marla Drutz, VP and General Manager of WDIV-TV.  "It should not go unnoticed that in addition to WDIV's commitment of air time, Mitch is also donating his amazing talents and valuable time as well as covering production costs for this important community effort."

Contributions and donations inspired by The Heart of Detroit will be directed solely towards the causes or persons profiled in the segments.  The Heart of Detroit is produced by Fat Dog Entertainment.

About Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, Detroit Free Press columnist,  screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have collectively sold over 28 million copies worldwide; have been published in forty-one territories and in forty-two languages around the world; and have been made into Emmy Award-winning and critically-acclaimed television movies. But his life is beyond the typewriter. Albom has founded five charities, many in the metropolitan Detroit area: The Dream Fund, A Time to Help, S.A.Y. Detroit, an umbrella organization for charities dedicated to improving the lives of the neediest, including the S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic, and A Hole in the Roof Foundation, helping faith groups of every denomination who care for the homeless repair the spaces in which they carry out their work.  His latest effort is the Have Faith Haiti Mission with the goal to provide a safe, nurturing environment for Haitian children who do not have one.  Children are to be cared for medically, nutritionally, educationally, and spiritually. They are to be taught in both French and English, with a goal of achieving at least a high school diploma. Christian prayer and guidelines are a part of their daily life, as is a sense of giving back to the mission though work and responsibility.

About WDIV

WDIV-TV’s strong commitment to outstanding community service was recently honored with the 2011 Service To America Award from the National Association of Broadcasters.  Local 4 News is currently the #1 newscast at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. in Nielsen household ratings for the Detroit television market, and Local 4 News at 11 p.m. is the highest-rated newscast of all NBC affiliates in the top 11 markets nationwide. This year, Local 4 News was honored with 2 Edward R. Murrow Awards from the RTDNA for breaking news and continuing news coverage. Local 4’s www.ClickOnDetroit.com and www.JustWeather.com are leading breaking news and weather websites in Michigan.  Post-Newsweek Stations, owner and operator of WDIV, is owned by The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO), a diversified education and media company.  In addition to WDIV, Post-Newsweek Stations owns and operates KPRC, the NBC affiliate in Houston; WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami; WKMG, the CBS affiliate in Orlando; KSAT, the ABC affiliate in San Antonio; and WJXT, an independent in Jacksonville.

About Fat Dog Entertainment 

Fat Dog Entertainment is an independent video production company based in Southeast Michigan.  Executive Producer and founder, Kristen Kassouf, has developed and produced videos across the country for the retail, non-profit, automotive and entertainment industries and has created original, non-fiction programming for broadcast and the web.  

SOURCE WDIV-TV