NBC News will re-air an edition of “Meet the Press” from August 25, 1963, 50 years to the day after it aired originally. The episode featured an interview with Martin Luther King Jr., and aired just three days before his “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
NBC will air “Meet the Press’ Special Edition: Remembering the Dream” on its 10 owned & operated stations and on New England Cable News, and is offering it to affiliates, who may air it immediately before or immediately after Sunday’s new edition of the program.
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“Dr. King’s message resonates as strongly today as it did fifty years ago,” said David Gregory, moderator of “Meet the Press,” in a statement. “This Sunday, we will relive this powerful moment in our nation’s history through the lens of the ‘Meet the Press’ archives as we reflect on the state of the American dream.”
More information, below.
NBC NEWS TO RE-BROADCAST AUGUST 25, 1963 EDITION OF “MEET THE PRESS” FEATURING MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
“‘MEET THE PRESS’ SPECIAL EDITION: REMEMBERING THE DREAM” AIRS THIS SUNDAY IN ADDITION TO REGULARLY-SCHEDULED “MEET THE PRESS”
AUGUST 21, 2013 — In honor of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, NBC News will make available the August 25, 1963 edition of “Meet the Press,” featuring interviews with Martin Luther King, Jr. and NAACP executive secretary Roy Wilkins.
Just three days before delivering his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, King joined “Meet the Press” to discuss the march’s call for civil rights legislation, jobs, freedom, and social equality. “‘Meet the Press’ Special Edition: Remembering the Dream” will offer the original interview with King and Wilkins unedited and in its entirety beginning this Sunday – fifty years later to the day – in conjunction with a full hour of “Meet the Press” dedicated to the anniversary.
“Dr. King’s message resonates as strongly today as it did fifty years ago,” said David Gregory, moderator of “Meet the Press.” “This Sunday, we will relive this powerful moment in our nation’s history through the lens of the ‘Meet the Press’ archives as we reflect on the state of the American dream.”
“For over sixty-five years, ‘Meet the Press’ has been a key part of the conversation during moments of national importance,“ said Rob Yarin, executive producer of “Meet the Press.” “Our distinguished history allows us to draw from the past to inform and enrich our audience today. We look forward to sharing this meaningful broadcast with our viewers again.”
“‘Meet the Press’ Special Edition: Remembering the Dream” will air on NBC’s 10 Owned Television Stations, New England Cable News, and numerous NBC affiliates. In most markets, this 30-minute program will air either immediately before or after the regularly-scheduled broadcast of “Meet the Press.” Please check local listings for exact times.
“We are proud to offer viewers from across all of our markets this very special episode of ‘Meet the Press.’ This program is such a unique glance into history unfolding just days before the 1963 March on Washington and the now famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech,” said Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “To see an interview with Dr. Martin Luther King is a rare opportunity that I know our viewers will greatly appreciate and want to share with their families. Through its longevity and ability to reach back through the years and show us our country as it was, ‘Meet The Press’ is unique among television shows.”
A preview clip is available online here: http://nbcnews.to/16HGe1T. The full broadcast will be available online at www.MeetThePressNBC.com following the television airing.