Media Alerts!

See TV One game show, Family Reunion, starting March 23, 2008. One family reunion will win $25000!

TV One's Family Reunion, hosted by George Willborn (winner of Who's Got Jokes? Season 1) is an eight-episode reality series set in the world of the Black family reunion. The show is part reality, part competition, part drama and all laughs. In each episode, we meet one amazing family preparing for its reunion. At the actual event, host George Willborn infiltrates the gathering in disguise, at times acting as a long lost relative and even as a park ranger there to shut down the event. After George spends some "quality" time with each group, he reveals that he is really the host of TV One's new reality series - Family Reunion - and that the family has been entered into a competition where they could win thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.

Throughout each episode, there are entertaining and compelling stories ranging from folklore to embarrassing situations, from family wounds and family healing, and from family disappointments and triumphs. Some stories evoke tears. Others evoke laughter. But, after all, isn't that the nature of all family reunions? As an element of surprise, the families compete in a competition called the TV One Challenge. The competition categories include: best family reunion fare; most talented; and the overall winner of sports and games. At the end of each episode, George selects the five family members who best represent the essence of that particular family. In the season finale, the top two families face off in a head-to-head competition to earn the title of "TV One's Greatest American Family" and a chance to win more than $25,000 in cash and prizes towards their family's next reunion.

The eight- episode reality series begins on Easter Sunday, March, 23@ 7PM &11PM EST, so tune in to find out which family will take home the title of "TV One's Greatest American Family"!
Thanks to Francia Malone, Flint, Michigan, whose Malone Family Reunion are contestants.

AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 2
A new four-part PBS series explores roots, race and identity through the ancestry of remarkable individuals.
Premiering February 6 and 13, 2008.
Featuring Maya Angelou, Bliss Broyard, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Peter Gomes, Kathleen Henderson, Linda Johnson Rice, Tom Joyner, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Chris Rock and Tina Turner.
"These stories of adversity, sacrifice, achievement, and empowerment transcend the realm of color with a universal resonance." - Henry Louis Gates, Jr., series host and participant

TV Series
We’ve learned from a TV production company that they are looking (now) for reunions to visit next summer for a series likely to start in fall 2008. If you are interested in being considered, send info about your reunion, include how many come, when and where it is (they have no geographic restrictions) and stories that would play well on TV. You might want to include one picture. They are looking for reunions with histories as well as brand spanking new reunions. Send to reunions@execpc.com or Reunions magazine, PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211.

Celebrate your Wild Roots!

RootsTube, Roots Television? is looking for your stories. Genealogists share sleuthing adventures, family reunion mishaps, cemetery explorations,  interviews with WWII vets, trips to the old country. All countries and languages welcome!

Submission requirements are: 30 seconds to 5 minutes, less than 100MB, cleared for copyright, in the following formats: 3GP, AVI, DV, H.264, MPEG2, MPEG4, QuickTime (MOV), Windows Media Video (WMV).

Submit online to http://rootstelevision.com/players/player_rootstube.php or
Roots Television, LLC, Wells Fargo Center, 86 N. University Ave., Suite 400, Provo, UT 84601.

Reunions in the limelight, on TV, in the news
  Year round, we encourage other media to feature reunions. As we learn about interview and appearance opportunities, we contact reunions for permission to refer them to interviewers. If your reunion is between now and the end of the year and, if your members are willing to be interviewed and/or photographed, we are interested in knowing more. Email (reunions@execpc.com) your answers to the following questions to help us make a referral.

  What is the name of your reunion?
  What are the exact dates/times you'll be meeting?
  Where will your reunion be taking place?
  What are contact phone numbers and email addresses before and during the reunion?
  How many do you expect to attend?
  How "old" is your reunion?  
  This is very important: add interesting, colorful stories/anecdotes/tidbits to help us "talk up" your reunion. Most referrals are based upon the stories we can tell about your reunion, its history (or not), why you're meeting, what everyone looks forward to and why they come.

Celebrate your reunion
    Reunions magazine and www.reunionsmag.com are reader driven. Our readers are our greatest source of inspiration and material. If you want to share your reunion story, some of what you do, how you do it, add details that will motivate others to do the same. Look at Reunions magazine or visit www.reunionsmag.com for examples of reunions who have contributed to a great body of reunion knowledge. Most importantly, we are looking for reports submitted with enthusiasm and sincerity about reunions that have great meaning to their participants.

We edit everything we receive, mainly because we have limited space to fill and want to fit lots. So write all the details, don’t worry about length. We do not include very large reports, instead use parts of many reunions in features about specific subjects.

Need help to write a report? Go to Help us write this magazine, answer the questions and you’ll have contributed some very useful information: everyone does! Also look at Writers Guidelines the institutional way to give writers direction.

Reunions magazine includes many features that require information from reunions. These are some of the topics we are working on … all the time. If you can relate to any of these ideas, have ideas not suggested or questions, email them to reunions@execpc.com.

How is your reunion governed?
    Is this one person’s party? One person in charge? Does one person take care of all the details? Or do you share the work? How? Do you have a committee? Or many committees?

Food
    All reunions must eat. How do you arrange that? Do you look for a hotel with a coffee shop and banquet room and stay there for your meals? Do you have a large, sumptuous pot luck that showcases everyone’s culinary talents? Do you have family favorites your grandmother was renowned for? We use recipes when they’re accompanied by a story about the recipe and the reunion. Do you just ignore meal planning and go for an all-inclusive arrangement where all meals are provided (resorts, cruises, ranches)? Or do you cook all your meals? have an elaborate schedule that gets everyone sharing in the cooking responsibilities where grandparents can teach grandchildren how to make family favorites or ethnic essentials? Or you have it all catered: great choice! How did you find/select your caterer?

How do you choose your reunion location?
    Do you always have your reunion at the same place? Why? Is it the family farm? the family home? a favorite resort? If not, how do you choose your reunion location? Does everyone stay at the same place? Or are you scattered? For example, a camp site, cabins and nearby hotels? Do you visit your reunion site before signing a contract? Do you rely on convention and visitors’ bureaus to get bids for your reunion and other reunion services? Do you have a dream reunion site? If so, what are you doing to go there? Do you camp? Go to a hotel? Resort? Cruising? A park? A theme park?

How do you pay for your reunion?
    Do you divide expenses equally? Or is yours a potluck picnic? Who makes the decisions and what goes into how you decide upon cost? Do you have a budget? Do you have a treasurer and regular financial reports? Do you solicit donations? memberships? Do you have reunion angels who pay for some or all of your reunion? [my dad did, but we are a tiny family]. Do you enjoy fundraisers at your reunions? Yes, enjoy: that’s what readers tell us. Auctions, raffles, car washes, flea market sales, bake sales, eBay sales, white elephants?

Heritage touring
    Has your reunion been touring family or historical sites? Who leads tours? Tells stories? Demonstrates family history? Have you visited the family farm? How do you celebrate your family’s ethnicity? Food, music, history, language? Has your family made trips to your family’s origins abroad? In the US?

How do include family history in your reunion program? Do you display a family tree? Tell family stories? Have workshops about family history? Do you visit cemeteries?

How do you entertain your reunion?
    Do you plan a program for your reunion? What games do you play? What sports tournaments and competition do you plan? Do you go touring? Gaming? Shopping?  Do you have awards and recognitions? A talent show? Fashion show? Do you picnic? What family history activities do you include in your program?

How do you entertain kids?
    A goal for kids is to avoid anyone whining that they’re bored. What do you plan for kids? Do you choose your venue with kids in mind? Do kids participate in planning? How?

These are just some of the questions we would like to answer in Reunions magazine. What can you reunion offer?

• OPEN CALL FOR REAL PEOPLE GOING TO REUNIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA!
    Pennsylvania Public Television Network (PPTN) Stations are immediately seeking families and couples to star in a new season of EXPLORE PA, a weekly travel series airing statewide. Of particular interest are people who are planning to hold or attending a reunion in Pennsylvania. The "stars" of the program will travel from their hometown to their reunion/gathering and reveal their findings as Pennsylvania "tourists," on camera. Along with reunion/gathering episodes, explorers will be chosen to visit The Pennsylvania Art Trail, Festivals and Fairs, and The Civil War and Underground Railroad.
    To be considered, couples of all ages, and families with children 5 years or older should send a photo of themselves and a description of why you would like to be a part of the production. We are not seeking actors, rather real people with a love of trying something new, who will be able to spend at least 3 to 4 days "on the road."
    E-mail short personal descriptions/reasons to be selected, travel preferences, photos, name, address and phone contact information to explorepa@witf.org. Or send non-returnable photos and applicable information to Explore PA, PO Box 2954, Harrisburg PA 17105.  

• Across Generations™
     First Flight Productions announces a general call for stories for Across Generations™, a television series of family histories and the connections from the past that tell us who we are today.
     The series’ stories are tales of genealogy quests, which somehow changed the lives of the searchers. Stories are about connections and revelations as people search for the answer to “Who am I?”  These are real stories about real people that viewers can relate to.
  Each Across Generations™ episode is an hour-long, magazine-style, narrated documentary with a host. It chronicles human adventure stories as people search for and discover their families' histories. They focus on telling stories, not on the mechanics of how the stories came to be.
     Each program has two to four segments grouped together by themes such as serendipity, reunions, secrets revealed, lessons learned. Viewers experience the guests’ journeys, draw their own parallels and can be inspired to discover ways to make their own journeys Across Generations™ Viewers are encouraged to conduct their own family history quests by contacting genealogical and historical societies.
     Think about your stories and their “wow factor.” If yours is chosen, you will participate in a video interview and be identified on camera. If Across Generations™ acquires rights to a story, compensation will be negotiated. To submit a family story visit
  www.firstflightproductions.com or contact First Flight Productions, LLC
  PO Box 75, Harrisonburg VA 22803; 540-564-0620; info@firstflightproductions.com.
  
  
  Family Associations
    Many families celebrate togetherness with reunions, and some move on to become family associations. If your family has formed an association, I have questions and I'm certain you'll have answers.
  I am writing an article about how and why family associations are formed, their purpose and goals (long and short term) and something about persons instrumental in it's formation.
   Requirements
    A fifteen minute telephone interview with a family member knowledgeable about the association and its formation, plus some discussion and sharing of documents, ie; by-laws to determine eligibility for membership, fee structure, current projects or those in the planning stage.
   Kindly contact me.
  Georgia Burnette
  291 Vine Lane
  Amherst, New York 14228
  (716) 691-8106
  gmburnette@adelphia.net

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