Not many high school graduates can boast that Oprah Winfrey gave the commencement address at their graduation. But 35,000 seniors graduating from Chicago high schools will remember that Oprah was there, virtually anyway.
Not many high school graduates can boast that Oprah Winfrey gave the commencement address at their graduation. But 35,000 seniors graduating from Chicago high schools will remember that Oprah was there, virtually anyway.
WLS, ABC’s Chicago O&O, and ABC’s Localish digital network, will produce and broadcast Graduation 2020: For Chicago. By Chicago, a live 60-minute first-of-its kind, citywide virtual graduation ceremony to celebrate the city’s 35,000 graduating seniors.
The ceremony airs Sunday afternoon at 1, hosted by Chicago’s Hamilton star, Miguel Cervantes with the commencement keynote by Winfrey.
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The star-studded lineup will appear virtually to pay tribute and offer well-wishes to graduating seniors’ achievements.
Confirmed appearances include Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, The Voice’s Katie Kadan performing the national anthem, and an opening narrated by Chicago’s hometown, hip-hop recording artist, Common, the first rapper to win an Emmy, Grammy, and an Oscar, and many more special appearances.
The televised production captures inspiring citywide images of Chicago, its high schools and students through original and drone aerial footage, despite a pandemic and citywide protests.
“We are honored to not only produce this historic event for the city of Chicago’s graduating seniors, but we are pleased to be able to expand the virtual graduation past our broadcast on WLS and Localish, and offer it to all television and radio stations across the city of Chicago,” said John Idler, WLS general manager.
“We are living in an unprecedented time, but that didn’t stop the class of 2020. WLS wants to ensure that we produce and deliver an exciting, heartfelt send-off that can be felt by all graduating seniors and their families wherever they are throughout the city, and one that will not be forgotten.”
In addition to WLS, the virtual graduation ceremony will be broadcast on WGN-TV, WTTW, WCIU, WBBM, WMAQ, WFLD and WGBO; and will stream live on Localish Network in 14 million homes across the country, and on the Facebook page of WLS’s Windy City.
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