One of the last sessions showcased on the fourth day of NATPE Miami 2021 was “Women in Global Media Power Profile,” hosted by Lifetime's Executive Vice President and Head of Programming Amy Winters, which honored broadcaster, journalist, and “Good Morning America'' Co-anchor Robin Roberts. Roberts explains how she decided to become a journalist and how her past career experiences led her to one of the US’s most prevalent news talk shows. “At NATPE we are proud of our history of honoring executive women in Global Entertainment and have expanded their leadership on our Board of Directors,” said JP Bommel, President, and CEO, NATPE. “We are thrilled to work with A+E Networks on their initiative during NAPTE. We are honored and privileged that Robin Roberts and Amy Winter have agreed to lend their voices to this important conversation.”
The session derived from a partnership between A+E Network’s “Women in Global Entertainment” initiative and NATPE. “A+E Networks’ is honored to partner with Robin Roberts and NATPE on the A+E Networks Women in Global Entertainment Power Profile,” said Melissa Madden, SVP, International Marketing, A+E Networks. “We are thrilled with the repeated success of our Women in Global Entertainment initiatives, which continue to earn respect as valuable forums to amplify and celebrate women in the entertainment industry around the world.”
During the presentation, Roberts explained that her journalistic career began in the ’80s with a role as a sports anchor, revealing challenges she faced as a woman of color in the media business. She highlighted some of her most memorable reporting events, which include an ABC broadcast of Hurricane Katrina at the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, during which she went out and searched for her family to ensure their wellbeing. Another memorable event for Roberts includes a story about an adoptee who was reunited with her family.
Her success led her to the popular news talk show “Good Morning America,” and most recently landed Roberts a role as an executive producer of Robin Roberts Presents movies and documentaries. She noted that her reasons for partnering with A+E include common objectives; to enlighten viewers through storytelling. The production company’s first production was that of Kamiyah Mobley’s abduction story, which debuted in January 2020, followed by “The Story of Mahalia,” which debuted during the Summer of 2020.