(NEW YORK, NY, September 28, 2017)—Time Inc.’s (NYSE: TIME) ESSENCE and the company’s television and video production unit, TIME INC. PRODUCTIONS, have formed a multi-platform partnership with Charles D. King’s MACRO to develop and produce a television documentary and video project aimed at the multicultural audience. The partnership was announced today by Bruce Gersh, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for Time Inc. and King, Founder and CEO of MACRO.

On the heels of TIME INC. PRODUCTIONS’ recent success with the four-hour, two-night documentary special “The Story of Diana” that aired on ABC at No. 1 in viewers in its time period, TIME INC. and MACRO are developing a two-hour television documentary special that will examine and shed new light on the impact of some of the unheralded women behind the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Discussions with potential distribution partners on this unconventional celebration of icons—and the next generation they inspired—are currently in progress.

“As Time Inc. continues to expand each of its brands into television and digital video, joining forces with MACRO and a veteran like Charles is a perfect match,” commented Gersh. “ESSENCE and MACRO are creatively aligned to deliver compelling and premium storytelling.”

“Growing up, I remember ESSENCE magazines being displayed prominently throughout my home, and I realized its uniqueness in not only showing but celebrating black womanhood,” noted King. “To say that I’m proud to partner with this iconic brand is an understatement. MACRO is thrilled to develop these incredible projects with ESSENCE and to further build on the company's magnificent legacy.”

The first project of the new partnership, “I Turn My Camera On,” the 10-part digital video series from MACRO Digital Studio sponsored by L Studio, is slated for an October 4, 2017, premiere on multiple platforms including ESSENCE.com and PEOPLE TV, and will be extended to Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. “I Turn My Camera On” takes viewers into the studio and life of beloved actor and photographer Lance Gross and features guests such as Michael B. Jordan, Kelly Rowland, Keke Palmer, Omari Hardwick and many more.

TIME INC. PRODUCTIONS creates premium Emmy-nominated long-form television for distribution partners including ABC, Netflix, A&E, PBS, Investigation Discovery and Animal Planet. MACRO has produced and co-financed Academy Award® winning and critically acclaimed projects including Fences and the upcoming films Mudbound and Roman J. Israel, Esq.

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ABOUT TIME INC. 
Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is a leading multi-platform consumer media company that engages over 170 million consumers globally every month. The company's influential brands include PEOPLE, TIME, FORTUNE, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, INSTYLE, REAL SIMPLE, SOUTHERN LIVING and TRAVEL + LEISURE, as well as approximately 60 diverse international brands. Time Inc. offers marketers a differentiated proposition in the marketplace by combining its powerful brands, trusted content, audience scale, direct relationships with consumers and unique first-party data. The company is home to growing media and platforms, including digital video, OTT, television, licensing, paid products and services and celebrated live events, such as the TIME 100, FORTUNE Most Powerful Women, PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’s Sportsperson of the Year, the ESSENCE Festival and the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. 

 

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS INC. 
ESSENCE Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media company dedicated to African-American women, with a brand reach of 21.2 million. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events and online, ECI comprises ESSENCE magazine, the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; the ESSENCE Festival; Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music events; Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series; ESSENCE.com; and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). 

 

ABOUT MACRO 
Launched in January 2015 by former William Morris Endeavor partner/agent Charles D. King, MACRO is a leading authoritative media brand representing the voice and perspectives of persons of color (POC). Bridging the intersection of content, technology and brand curation, the company is perfectly positioned to capitalize on the explosive growth in media consumption by the new majority multicultural market. The company creates and invests in theatrical features, premium television, digital content and innovations which are driven by POC consumers and encompass universal themes to which all people can relate and connect. MACRO’s mission is to shape culture and economically empower people of color on a global level by introducing new images, ideas and paradigms that reflect the dynamic world in which we live. For more information, visit www.staymacro.com.