Carlos Watson (born September 29, 1969) is an American entrepreneur , journalist, and television host. A former contributor on MSNBC , he was the CEO of the media company Ozy Media , which he co-founded in 2013.
83-624: Ozy Media (styled as OZY ) was an American media and entertainment company launched in September 2013 by Carlos Watson and Samir Rao. It was headquartered in Mountain View , California, with an additional office in New York City . On September 27, 2021, The New York Times reported a series of scandals at Ozy involving fraud and executive misbehavior. On October 1, after significant negative media attention, Ozy's board of directors announced that
166-445: A $ 10,000 grant to pursue a "genius idea". Among the 2017 class of Ozy Genius Award winners was poet Amanda Gorman , who later rose to fame for reading " The Hill We Climb " at the inauguration of Joe Biden in 2021. Axios described Ozy as one of the few U.S. digital media companies that was founded and is run by a person of color. CEO Watson said, "More than half of our company is people of color, more than half of our leadership team
249-454: A 2021 incident where Watson's deputy impersonated a YouTube executive during a fundraising call with Goldman Sachs . On June 14, 2024, Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified in the trial; in his testimony, he denied that Google had made a $ 600 million offer to acquire the company. Pichai clarified that while Google considered hiring Watson and potentially investing $ 25 million in Ozy to facilitate
332-631: A YouTube executive, figured prominently in the case. Following the various allegations of fraud and illegal behavior in September 2021, the company ceased most all operations across its media channels. It ceased production of podcasts and videos but was reported to continue producing a newsletter. Ozy's digital magazine focused on profiles of rising stars and trends, often rehashing stories covered previously by other media without any original interviews or reporting. Reporters were given budgets as small as $ 150 per story and were instructed not to cover topics covered by other mainstream media outlets. This led to
415-487: A civil lawsuit from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission , which alleges that the executives and the company lied to investors. On March 1, 2023, Ozy posted on its Twitter account, "In light of its current operational and legal challenges, the Ozy board has determined that it's in the best interests of its stakeholders to suspend operations immediately." The company's web site became unreachable on
498-660: A daily digital news publisher to a producer of TV shows and podcasts. Ozy had partnerships with A&E Networks , iHeart Media , and Live Nation . Watson was also the host of several of Ozy's TV shows and the Ozy Fest events held in New York City. In late September 2021, Ozy Media was the subject of a New York Times article bringing attention to possibly fraudulent business practices and misrepresentations, including some attributed to Watson. Watson sent an email to all Ozy staff, and posted it to his Twitter account, referring to
581-513: A daytime news anchor for MSNBC in March 2009. From June to September 2009, he hosted an 11:00 am newscast on the channel. In March 2016, PBS announced a new debate program, Point Taken , produced and hosted by Watson. Watson was elected to the Board of Directors of NPR in 2018. On September 17, 2021, NPR announced that he was reelected to a second three-year term that would begin on November 1. In
664-427: A financial stake. According to Lifetime executives, the network stood to lose up to one million subscribers due to TCI's move. However, Lifetime published advertisements in some of the markets that would be affected – including Eugene, Oregon and Newport, Rhode Island – informing customers that TCI was removing the only network that was made for women. After TCI customers called the company to complain, TCI cut back
747-451: A format based on The Newlywed Game ; it was canceled after one season. The network has also previously produced scripted dramas, such as Devious Maids and Witches of East End . The network currently airs a mix of second-run syndicated series (such as How I Met Your Mother and Grey's Anatomy ) during the daytime hours. In the past, Lifetime has revived several programs that originally aired on other networks. In 1988, it bought
830-577: A fund management company that invested more than $ 2 million, filed a lawsuit claiming Ozy "engaged in fraudulent, deceptive and illegal conduct." On June 13, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed LifeLine's lawsuit. Axios noted the company would continue to face multiple issues in its attempted recovery, including investigations by the U.S. federal government and by outside law firms. They also noted that it remained unclear how much cash Ozy has on hand, and that
913-399: A long way toward shedding its low-rent image." Douglas McCormick became the network's president in 1993. He moved to make Lifetime a seven-day-a-week network by ending Lifetime Medical Television after nearly a decade of existence, and the next year, the channel relaunched with a new tagline, "Television for Women". Lifetime began airing a limited amount of women's sports coverage, including
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#1733114267953996-649: A nightly lineup of talk shows and call-in programs hosted by people including Regis Philbin and Ruth Westheimer (known as "Dr. Ruth"). In the process, the creators dropped the apple from the logo. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Lifetime devoted itself on Sundays to the airing of in-depth medical programs—and advertising—for physicians under the banner of Lifetime Medical Television (LMT). As early as 1990, however, plans were floated to move LMT to another channel, with TLC and CNBC being considered. Lifetime began programming Sundays on August 1, 1993. In 1988, Lifetime hired Patricia Fili as its head of programming. In
1079-451: A result, Goldman Sachs did not go forward with the investment. Google referred the matter to federal law enforcement. The New York Times report also discussed inflated traffic numbers, which BuzzFeed had reported on in 2017. Following media coverage of Rao's impersonation, Ozy's board of directors asked him to take a leave of absence and announced that they had engaged the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to undertake
1162-552: A review of the company's business practices. Upon the company's relaunch, Watson said he doubted that the review would happen. Elsewhere it was reported that the board members who had requested the review were no longer with the company. A number of prominent people and organizations distanced themselves from Ozy following the publication of the Times article. Television journalist Katty Kay , who had joined just three months prior, resigned from Ozy Media. SV Angel announced it would give up
1245-523: A statement, "We suspended all campaigns with Ozy Media on behalf of our clients … We have also terminated our agreement with Ozy Media at this time." From OZY's launch in September 2013 until the summer of 2014, Watson (or sometimes authors of recent articles in OZY) appeared in a weekly installment of NPR 's All Things Considered called "The New and the Next," in which he would lay forth on "People, places and trends on
1328-524: A story about the relationship between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle . It also premiered the James Corden -produced Seatbelt Psychic with Thomas John . In addition to feature films, as well as made-for-television films previously broadcast on other networks, Lifetime is known for producing various original films of its own. These films are produced by the network's own Lifetime Pictures unit. A movie-focused spin-off channel, known informally as
1411-512: A weekly, Saturday-afternoon game beginning in the 2017 season. Lifetime launched an HD simulcast on April 16, 2008. On May 30, 2012, Canadian television broadcaster Shaw Media announced that it would rebrand Showcase Diva , a Category B subscription specialty channel as the Canadian version of Lifetime under a licensing agreement with A+E Networks; Showcase Diva relaunched as Lifetime on August 27, 2012. AETN All Asia Networks plans to bring
1494-753: Is female." According to employees, Ozy demanded very long work hours and high output. Employee turnover was high; employees have described executives as mercurial and abusive. The Daily Telegraph described OZY as "a left-wing media company". Variety profiled Ozy favorably. Ozy Fest 2018 was criticized as a "neoliberal nightmare" by Rolling Stone , a "sizzling hot festival for folks who love Coachella and neoliberalism" by GQ , and "a progressive alternate reality" by The Washington Post . Carlos Watson (journalist) As an entrepreneur, Watson co-founded Achieva College Prep Service in 2002, which he later sold to The Washington Post and Kaplan . Ozy Media raised over $ 70 million from investors. Watson
1577-801: Is fully dubbed in Portuguese . In Mexico, it was launched on October 1, 2014, replacing The Biography Channel . A+E Networks launched the African version of Lifetime on Channel 131 on DStv on July 22, 2014. On April 25, 2022, it was announced the channel alongside Lifetime Play would cease transmission in Africa by the end of May. A+E Networks launched a version of Lifetime for Israel on September 14, 2014, replacing The Biography Channel . On March 16, 2016, A&E Television Networks announced that Lifetime (Turkey) channel would be launched on April 26, 2016, in Turkey with
1660-754: Is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services , a subsidiary of A&E Networks , which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company . It features programming that is geared toward women or features women in lead roles. As of November 2023 , Lifetime is available to approximately 63,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its 2011 peak of 100,000,000 households. As of November 2023, Lifetime has garnered nominations for 63 Emmy Awards , 8 Golden Globe Awards and 20 Critics' Choice Movie Awards . There were two television channels that preceded Lifetime in its current incarnation. Daytime , originally called BETA ,
1743-486: The 2004 presidential election and writing CNN.com's main political column. Watson also hosted Meet the Faith on BET . In October 2004, Watson gave an exclusive interview with 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote speaker, then-Illinois U.S. Senate candidate and future U.S. President Barack Obama . In 2007, Watson began hosting a series of one-hour primetime interview specials on Hearst Television stations across
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#17331142679531826-567: The Lifetime Movie Network or "LMN" due to its frequent rebrands, was launched in 1998. In its early years, Lifetime occasionally broadcast coverage of women's professional sports . From its inaugural season in 1997 to 2000, Lifetime was one of three broadcasters of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), alongside NBC and ESPN . In 2000, Lifetime phased out its live broadcasts and replaced them with an original series documenting
1909-508: The Nielsen ranking system that favored "upscale" couples who shared a television set. By January 1995, Lifetime was the sixth most-highly rated subscription network by Nielsen. In 1996, TCI , one of the United States' largest subscription providers, announced that it would no longer carry Lifetime in certain markets to make room for the soon-to-be-launched Fox News Channel , in which TCI held
1992-403: The Times article as a "ridiculous hitjob". Five former Ozy employees reported that, as a New York article summarized, "Watson's demands, expectations, and plans were often detached from reality, yet were enforced with an intensity that some felt bordered on cruelty." Sharon Osbourne , the wife of rock star Ozzy Osbourne , alleged that Watson had falsely claimed the couple had invested in
2075-535: The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York . Suzee Han, Ozy's former chief of staff, pleaded guilty to fraud conspiracy charges on February 14, and told a magistrate judge that she falsified financial information about the company at the direction of two unidentified executives. Carlos Watson was arrested and pleaded not guilty to fraud charges. Rao, Watson, and Ozy also face
2158-626: The WNBA and the America's Cup , in which it sponsored the first women's crew team to compete. McCormick also strengthened the network's ties with women's organizations, such as the National Organization for Women , and began airing public service announcements about women's issues, such as breast cancer awareness. Meanwhile, the channel's original programming was aimed not just at women aged 24–44, but these women's spouses, who research showed watched
2241-674: The Conversation aired in August and September 2019 on the Oprah Winfrey Network . The episode "Motherhood" won the Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis award at the 41st News & Documentary Emmy Awards in 2020. The show featured conversations with an audience of 100 black women. In January 2020, Ozy announced a partnership with A&E Networks to co-produce at least two additional television shows. By September 2020,
2324-493: The Global Head of Education Investment Banking for Goldman Sachs . In 1997, he was a co-founder, together with Laurene Powell Jobs, of College Track. Watson began a television career in 2002 with guest appearances on Fox News and Court TV as a political analyst. He joined CNBC in early 2003 and moved to CNN later that year. For two years, he appeared regularly as a political commentator on CNN, most notably covering
2407-563: The History Channel's channel's parent company A&E Networks . On September 26, 2021, the New York Times reported that Samir Rao, COO and a co-founder of the company, had impersonated a YouTube executive on a conference call with Goldman Sachs. The meeting was an attempt to secure a $ 40 million investment. Goldman Sachs contacted Google, YouTube's parent company, and confirmed that no YouTube executives participated in that call. As
2490-620: The Lifetime channel into Southeast Asia. The channel began broadcasting on June 14, 2013, 6.00 p.m with Astro and StarHub TV being two of the first providers to carry Lifetime in Asia. In July, available in Hong Kong now TV channel 520. And since September 1, 2014, Lifetime Asia airs in the Philippines on Dream Satellite TV channel 18 and SkyCable . A+E Networks UK launched a version of Lifetime for
2573-471: The Osbournes as investors because they had been granted shares of stock in Ozy as part of a legal settlement. On October 1, 2021, Watson, who had just been re-elected to a second three-year term as a corporate director of NPR , resigned immediately before a governance committee was planning to meet to determine his future. The same day, Ozy edited its website to remove Samir Rao's staff page. The board announced
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2656-523: The UK and Ireland in November 2013. The network was unsuccessful in the market, as Lifetime's program contractors instead distributed their programming on different networks, and it slowly lost rights over the years. The channel closed at 06:00 on March 1, 2021, after A+E Networks UK contracted with Discovery+ to carry Lifetime's original network-produced American programming in the UK and Ireland. Lifetime announced
2739-405: The article's author, "a journalist with the suspicious name of Hugh Grant", was depicted with a stock photograph. Tech Bullion , the news site that ran the Ozy 2.0 article, charged money for publishing articles , according to a reporter at The Information . Watson deleted his original tweet and followed up by tweeting, "I gave an interview. Shared all of the exciting things happening at OZY. I had
2822-411: The board of directors now includes only Watson and venture capitalist Michael Moe. The publication was skeptical about Watson's claims, noting that it was unclear how many employees still worked at Ozy and that Ozy's team page still listed "many people who are long gone" from the company. Ron Conway , an early investor, was highly critical of Watson's decision to reopen. Conway said that he did not think
2905-443: The business. She said of Watson, "This guy is the biggest shyster I have ever seen in my life". Watson told NBC News's Today that he had referred to the Osbournes as investors because they received shares of Ozy stock as part of a legal settlement. Osbourne told CNBC that she was repeatedly offered shares in Ozy and declined all offers. On October 1, 2021, Ozy announced that it would cease operations. Watson on October 4 said that
2988-546: The charges. On his Twitter account on February 24, Watson denied wrongdoing, writing, "I am not now and never have been a 'con man.'" Watson defended his work and vowed to fight the charges "with everything I have". The trial on the fraud charges against Watson started in federal court on May 29, 2024. The federal judge who heard the case was Eric R. Komitee . Jury deliberations in the trial began on July 12. The trial, which involved allegations of Watson misrepresenting Ozy's financial status and deceiving investors, highlighted
3071-570: The company should spend any money on a relaunch and that, instead, Ozy should have used its remaining cash to pay two weeks' severance to about 75 former Ozy employees. Conway subsequently surrendered his shares in Ozy and hired law firm Wilson Sonsini to represent the ex-employees in a suit against the company. In late November 2021, Ozy reached a severance settlement with most of its former full-time employees. It included final paychecks, requested reimbursements, accrued but unused PTO , and other owed wages such as commissions. In November 2021, it
3154-660: The company would cease operations. On October 4, Watson announced that the company would remain in operation with a significantly reduced board of directors. The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission opened investigations into the company. In February 2023 three executives, including both founders, were charged with fraud. Ozy ceased operations, and its website went offline, on March 1, 2023. On July 16, 2024, Ozy Media and co-founder Watson were convicted of fraud at trial. Co-founder and COO Rao and chief of staff Suzee Han had pleaded guilty and cooperated with
3237-451: The company would remain in business. On February 8, 2023, Ozy held a 30-minute upfront presentation in New York, promoting itself to advertisers. Watson appeared at the presentation to host a live version of his eponymous talk show. Ozy announced that it was shutting down on March 1, 2023, following federal fraud charges against Watson and other executives. On February 23, 2023, Watson
3320-440: The company's closure, saying, "It is therefore with the heaviest of hearts that we must announce today that we are closing Ozy's doors." A majority of the staff were laid off. On October 4, 2021, Watson said that Ozy would remain active. In an interview on NBC 's Today , he announced the company is open for business, saying, "This is our Lazarus moment, if you will, our Tylenol moment." The next day, LifeLine Legacy Holdings,
3403-541: The company. In January 2017, Ozy announced a $ 10 million Series B round of fundraising, led by Michael Moe's GSV Capital. In November 2019 Ozy announced a Series C round of $ 35 million, led by businessman Marc Lasry . Ozy also received funding from the Ford Foundation . In January 2021, Watson said that the company had reached profitability for the first time. He stated that Ozy brought in $ 50 million in revenue in 2020. Several major news outlets questioned
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3486-432: The cooperation of Multi Channel Developers. Lifetime Turkey ceased operations on April 26, 2019. A localized version of Lifetime was launched on September 22, 2017, by A+E Networks Asia-Pacific and local company iHQ . Its programming primarily consists of Korean dramas, talk shows, and entertainment programs. Backstreet Rookie is the first Korean drama invested in by the channel. In 2019, A&E Television Networks
3569-494: The country called Conversations with Carlos Watson , which won a Gracie Allen award for "Outstanding Portrait/Biography Program" and an Accolade Award in 2008. Watson was named one of People ' s "Hottest Bachelors" in 2004, as well as Extra ' s list of most eligible bachelors in 2008. Watson was a founder and investor in The Stimulist, a daily blog that operated from mid-to-late 2009. Watson became
3652-573: The decision showed that Fox "might have an agenda of its own that is anti-woman." TCI executives were surprised and angry about the public's reaction. TCI's vice president of programming was quoted in The New York Times as saying, "I resent the implication that they are the women's network. Other networks come in to us and say Lifetime is not telling the truth. Lifetime is a women's channel only in name and advertising. [...] It programs for ratings." TCI senior vice president Robert Thomson stated that
3735-439: The documentary awards at the 2021 awards show , but stepped down following the New York Times report about Ozy. In September 2013, Watson launched Ozy , a daily digital news and culture magazine, with Samir Rao, a fellow Goldman Sachs alumnus. As CEO, Watson led Ozy to raise over $ 70 million in fundraising from investors including Laurene Powell Jobs , Louise Rogers, Ron Conway , and others. The publication expanded from
3818-574: The duration of the partnerships. In 2019, Ozy produced a television show that aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network and won an Emmy for Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis. That same year, the company produced a show for PBS that won an Imagen award for Best Informational Program. In 2021, the company co-created a podcast with the BBC . It had 33 episodes, the last of which aired in April 2021. Ozy also partnered with Lifetime , The History Channel , and with
3901-476: The end of the 2010–11 season, although special feature episodes continued to air intermittently on Fox. Lifetime aired more than 40 new episodes of the program before cancelling it in 2013. On July 21, 2017, Lifetime simulcasted the premiere of Disney Channel 's original movie Descendants 2 ; marking the first time the channel premiered a program produced for a wholly-owned Disney subsidiary. In 2018, Lifetime premiered Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance ,
3984-461: The expectation the interview would be published in a mainstream business news outlet. It wasn’t and the author used a pseudonym. The content is all true. Great content, wrong delivery." The Tech Bullion article has since been deleted. On February 23, 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that multiple Ozy executives had been charged with fraud. Samir Rao pleaded guilty to fraud charges in
4067-653: The final three seasons of the Blair Brown –starring dramedy The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd from NBC after the network canceled it. The network also showed movies from the portfolios of its owners, Hearst, ABC, and Viacom. In 1991, reporter Joshua Hammer stated, "Considered one of cable TV's backwaters, [...] Lifetime network was replete with annoying gabfests for housewives and recycled, long-forgotten network television series, such as Partners in Crime and MacGruder and Loud . [...] Under Fili's direction, Lifetime has gone
4150-436: The first three years of her tenure, she changed 60 percent of Lifetime's programming, by her own estimate. In addition to overhauling Lifetime's signature talk show, Attitudes , by hiring a new producer and refocusing it on current women's issues, Fili acquired the rights to syndicated network hits like Moonlighting and L.A. Law . She also oversaw the production of the first Lifetime movies ever made, along with carrying
4233-430: The highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families." In the past, Lifetime used to air several game shows in daytime and early evenings, including Supermarket Sweep , Shop 'til You Drop , Rodeo Drive , Born Lucky , and Debt . Lifetime also produced one original game show ( Who Knows You Best? , starring Gina St. John), with
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#17331142679534316-559: The horizon" appearing in OZY articles. In 2014, the company announced a content syndication partnership with National Geographic . In 2015, Ozy had a newsletter partnership with The New York Times and Wired . Ozy claimed that these partnerships helped the company secure a number of new newsletter subscribers. However, Ozy employees allege that the company lied about the nature and success of these partnerships, stole email contacts from these partners, and violated data privacy laws throughout
4399-762: The launch of a Latin American version of the network, which launched on July 1, 2014, in association with Sony Pictures Television Latin America . It supplanted the now-defunct Sony Spin channel (formerly known as Locomotion from 1996 to 2005 and Animax from 2005 to 2011) on the Amazonas satellite serving South America. Lifetime Latin America is currently distributed by Ole Distribution , currently based in Bogotá , Colombia, under license from A+E Networks Latin America and Sony Pictures Television Latin America . In Brazil , its programming
4482-639: The legitimacy of these claims, and investors subsequently sued, alleging fraud and concealment. The company also said that it had received acquisition offers from unnamed media companies. In March 2021, Ozy and Dentsu announced a multi-year partnership as part of Dentsu's investment in "meaningful media" focused on millennial and Gen Z consumers. In October 2021, Variety announced that such media-buying agencies were no longer willing to do business with Ozy in light of its duplicitous and alleged illegal behavior. WPP's GroupM , which makes buying decisions for advertisers including Ford Motor, Unilever and IBM, wrote in
4565-528: The lives of WNBA players. The network stated that it wanted to focus on "stories" rather than event coverage; the program package would move to ESPN2 . As part of an arrangement with Raycom Sports , the network also broadcast the LPGA 's Tournament of Champions in 1998. In February 2017, A&E Networks acquired an equity stake in the National Women's Soccer League , and announced that Lifetime would broadcast
4648-481: The main Lifetime network, and formerly imported series with rights held by Lifetime but no carriage due to the main network's current format. LRW also features no original series or films, deferring from Lifetime and LMN , though it did burn off the 2011 Lifetime reality series Love Handles: Couples in Crisis , which only aired twice on the main network. DirecTV carried the network until July 2007. Orby TV also carried
4731-538: The network for the last year of that service's existence. Overall carriage has declined as providers choose instead to carry high definition networks rather than standard definition-only channels such as LRW without original programming, and Lifetime itself promoting on-demand access to past series. Its programming has further been thinned out with the launch of Defy TV , a Scripps -owned digital broadcast network which draws from Lifetime's program archive for its own schedule, with Tegna 's own network Twist (wound down at
4814-404: The network in the evenings with their wives. This was done by making the male characters in Lifetime's original programming – such as the film series Spencer for Hire – more appealing to men by making them more masculine. These roles were more stereotypical than previous Lifetime movies, which usually featured women protagonists on their own. This helped Lifetime take advantage of a known bias in
4897-511: The new network was formed with equal representation from Hearst, ABC, and Viacom, and the board elected Thomas Burchill as the new network's first CEO. It was not an initial success, reportedly losing $ 36 million in its first two years of operation, and did not become profitable until 1986. The channel suffered from low viewership, with a poll reportedly finding that some TV viewers erroneously believed it carried religious content. In 1985, Lifetime started branding itself as "Talk Television", with
4980-472: The number of homes that would lose Lifetime to approximately 300,000. Still, women's groups and politicians rallied behind Lifetime. Colorado representative Patricia Schroeder called TCI's decision a "power play" between TCI chief executive John Malone and Fox executive Rupert Murdoch , and said, "Women kind of feel like they're being rolled over so that the guys who run these companies can make more money." Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank said that
5063-509: The number of titles announced under the partnership had grown to five, including two scripted shows, a dating show, and a re-editing of the company's first TV show, The Contenders , updated for the 2020 election. In July 2020, Ozy announced The Carlos Watson Show , a new daily talk show focused on long-form interviews, which would be distributed on YouTube. Brad Bessey, executive producer of The Carlos Watson Show , told The New York Times in September 2021 that he had been misled to believe that
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#17331142679535146-504: The prosecution. Ozy was launched as a digital magazine and daily newsletter in September 2013. The company raised a $ 5.3 million seed round of funding in December 2013 backed by Laurene Powell Jobs , founder of Emerson Collective . Additional early investors included Louise Rogers and Ron Conway . Powell Jobs became a board member. In October 2014, Ozy announced that German media giant Axel Springer had invested $ 20 million in
5229-711: The publication of some articles focused on issues of very narrow interest. In 2017, Ozy reporters visited all 50 U.S. states for a project called "States of the Nation." The year after that, Ozy produced a series called "Around the World" in which they committed to report on three stories in every country. CNN reported that both series were largely delivered as promised, although the latter grouped some smaller countries together. In 2016, Ozy's first television series, The Contenders: 16 for '16 , aired on PBS. It later produced three additional series for PBS. The four-part show Black Women OWN
5312-481: The reaction was "laughably out of scale," based on the fact that less than 10 percent of Lifetime's audience would be affected. TCI executives chalked the politicians' reactions up to lobbying by Lifetime (it being an election year), and suggested to the Times that in retaliation, Disney, one of Lifetime's parent companies, might have trouble launching a new network on TCI. In 1997, it was reported that Lifetime had 67.7 million subscribers. On August 27, 2009, Lifetime
5395-404: The rights to the existing 26 episodes of The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd from its original broadcaster NBC , and produced 39 additional episodes of the series. Lifetime did not renew the show reportedly because of low ratings and the high cost to produce the program. In late 2011, the network began to air new episodes of America's Most Wanted , a program canceled in series form by Fox at
5478-529: The same day. On July 16, 2024, a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York convicted Ozy Media and Ozy founder Carlos Watson of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Watson faces up to 37 years in prison. Two other Ozy executives, co-founder Samir Rao and chief of staff Suzee Han, had pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution at trial. The 2021 meeting with potential investors, where Rao had impersonated
5561-402: The shares it had acquired in Ozy in 2012. A&E canceled the broadcast of a documentary it had produced with Ozy. The company's chairman Marc Lasry resigned after three weeks on the job and said in a statement, "I believe that going forward Ozy requires experience in areas like crisis management and investigations, where I do not have particular expertise." Shortly after the Times article
5644-605: The show would air in prime time on A&E when he was hired. Talent bookers provided similarly misleading statements to guests on the show. Bessey resigned after learning that the show would instead be produced by the company for YouTube distribution. In his farewell email to Watson and Ozy COO Samir Rao, Bessey wrote, "You are playing a dangerous game with the truth. The consequences of offering an A&E show to guests when we don't have one to offer are catastrophic for Ozy and for me." Ozy produced several podcasts, beginning with history podcast The Thread in 2017, an episode of which
5727-403: The transition, no acquisition discussions or nine-figure offers were made. Watson testified in his own defense during the trial. On July 16, 2024, a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York convicted Watson, as well as Ozy Media, of fraud. Watson faces up to 37 years in prison when his sentence is handed down. Lifetime (TV network) Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that
5810-451: The wake of allegations that he committed fraud in his role as CEO of Ozy Media, Watson resigned from the NPR board on October 1. Watson was an executive producer for Black Women OWN the Conversation for the Oprah Winfrey Network . The episode "Motherhood" won the Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis award at the 41st News & Documentary Emmy Awards in 2020. He had been booked to present
5893-577: Was acquired by A&E Networks ; the company was already owned by Lifetime's shareholders Hearst and Disney, but with additional shares owned by NBC Universal . NBCUniversal divested its stake in A&;E Networks in 2012, once again leaving the network as a Disney/Hearst joint venture. Lifetime, best known for its “women in peril” original movies Lifetime's original content is currently composed of made-for-TV films and reality series, such as Dance Moms . The network states that it "is committed to offering
5976-595: Was an editor of the Stanford Law Review and president of the Stanford Law School Student Government. After graduating from Stanford Law School in 1995, Watson began work at McKinsey & Company . After two years at McKinsey, Watson left to co-found Achieva College Prep Service based in San Mateo , California . Watson sold Achieva in 2002 to competitor Kaplan, Inc. He later worked as
6059-539: Was arrested on fraud charges. The arrest occurred shortly after Samir Rao, the co-founder and ex-chief operating officer of Ozy Media, pled guilty to fraud charges. In a court document dated February 22, prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York said that Watson had "engaged in a scheme to defraud Ozy's potential investors, potential acquirers, lenders and potential lenders" by misreporting Ozy's financial results and audience metrics. Watson pleaded not guilty to
6142-562: Was born and raised in Miami, Florida , one of four siblings born to Jamaican parents. He was asked to leave kindergarten in 1974, but entered first grade the next year. Watson graduated from Harvard University . He worked as Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager for Florida Representative Daryl Jones , and managed Bill Clinton 's 1992 Election Day effort in Miami-Dade County, Florida . He subsequently attended Stanford Law School , where he
6225-493: Was canceled, which was blamed on a heat wave . It later emerged that Ozy had been grossly inflating crowd projections and was ill-prepared for the event itself, with one employee saying "It was going to be Fyre Fest ." In 2021, Ozy Fest aired a two-day virtual event to raise funds for the United Negro College Fund . Ozy has hosted an irregular scholarship program since 2015, awarding 10 college-aged applicants with
6308-627: Was featured as one of the 25 best podcasts of 2017 by The Guardian . The company also produced a science and technology podcast The Future of X , and Ozy Confidential, an interview podcast. In 2016 an event dubbed "Ozy Fest" was launched, which until 2018 was held in Rumsey Playfield at Central Park in New York City. The name of Ozy Fest sparked a lawsuit from Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest in 2017. The festival featured appearances from Wyclef Jean , Issa Rae , Katie Couric , and others. Laurene Powell Jobs interviewed Hillary Clinton. Ozy Fest 2019
6391-407: Was launched in August 2001, mainly as a response to Lifetime's challenges from the then-launching WE tv and Oxygen networks for the women's network market. LRW is available in over 10 million homes via some cable providers, Verizon FiOS , and AT&T U-verse . The network has a mixture of comedies , dramas, how-to, game shows and reality programming that had once aired or is currently airing on
6474-580: Was launched in March 1982 by Hearst-ABC Video Services . The cable service operated four hours per day on weekdays. The service was focused on alternative women's programming. The following year, the Cable Health Network was launched as a full-time channel in June 1982 with a range of health-related programming. Lifetime was established on February 1, 1984, as the result of a merger of Hearst/ABC's Daytime and Viacom 's Cable Health Network. A board for
6557-577: Was published, Sharon Osbourne responded to a request by CNBC to verify a statement Ozy CEO Watson had made in a 2019 interview with them that Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne , after having sued Ozy over infringement on their Ozzfest brand, "decided to be friends and now they're investors in Ozy." Osbourne denied that she or her husband had been investors, saying, "This guy is the biggest shyster I have ever seen in my life", adding that during their legal battle she had declined shares in Ozy that Watson offered her. On October 4, 2021, Watson said that he had described
6640-548: Was reported that the Justice Department and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had opened investigations into the company. Watson confirmed that he had heard from the SEC. In February 2022, Watson tweeted a link to an article that quoted him at length and that described the future vision of "Ozy 2.0" without mentioning any of the controversies that had led to the original Ozy's closure. Vice World News observed that
6723-517: Was scheduled to launch a version of Lifetime for the Middle East & Northern Africa region. A&E Television Networks launched a version of Lifetime Movie Network for Australia on September 1, 2020, as a joint venture with the Foxtel network. LRW , or Lifetime Real Women , is an American pay television channel which is intended as a complementary service to the main Lifetime network. It
6806-413: Was shutting the company down. Watson, in an October 4 interview on Today , said that Ozy would remain in operation. On February 23, 2023, Watson was arrested on fraud charges. Ozy shut down on March 1, 2023, as a result of charges against Watson and other executives. On July 16, 2024, Watson was convicted in New York of repeatedly lying to investors about the financial health of Ozy Media. Watson
6889-409: Was the host of The Carlos Watson Show , a daily interview show on YouTube . In September 2021, Watson attracted public controversy in the wake of a New York Times article by Ben Smith alleging that Ozy had made significant misrepresentations to investors. Following the incident, Watson resigned from the board of NPR on October 1, 2021. Later that day, Ozy's board of directors announced that it
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