Dan Abrams

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Dan Abrams
Born
Daniel Abrams

(1966-05-20) May 20, 1966 (age 55)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
EducationDuke University (BA)
Columbia University (JD)
OccupationTelevision presenter, entrepreneur
TitleCEO of Abrams Media
Children1
Parent(s)Floyd Abrams
RelativesRonnie Abrams (sister)

Dan Abrams (born May 20, 1966)[1] is an American media entrepreneur,[2] television host,[3] commentator,[4] and author.[5][6][7] He is currently the ABC News chief legal correspondent[4] and is the host of The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets The Law[8] on SiriusXM's[9] P.O.T.U.S. channel. He was the host of Live PD on the A&E cable network. Abrams also created and hosts Court Cam, a Law&Crime production on A&E.[10] He is a legal commentator, author, and former anchor of Nightline. Abrams also worked as the chief legal correspondent and analyst for NBC News and general manager of MSNBC, and doubled as an anchor for the same network.[11] In 2021 Abrams purchased Laurel Lake Vineyards on Long Islands' North Fork,[12] which he plans to relaunch in Summer 2021 under a name inspired by his two children, Ev&Em Vineyards.[13][14] On July 19, 2021, Nexstar announced that Abrams will join NewsNation to host a nightly prime-time show Dan Abrams Live that will premiere on September 27, 2021 at 8 pm ET.[15]

Early life[]

Daniel Abrams was born in Manhattan, the son of Efrat and attorney Floyd Abrams. He is a 1984 graduate of Riverdale Country School. Abrams received his B.A. cum laude in political science from Duke University in 1988.[citation needed] While at Duke, he anchored newscasts on the student-run channel Cable 13 and was vice president of the student body. Abrams received a J.D. from Columbia Law School.[16][17]

Career[]

Television and broadcasting[]

Early career[]

Abrams worked as a reporter for Court TV from May 1994 to June 1997, where he covered the O. J. Simpson case,[18] the International War Crimes Tribunal from the Netherlands, and the assisted-suicide trials of Dr. Jack Kevorkian from Michigan.[19]

MSNBC and NBC News[]

After leaving Court TV, Abrams was a general assignment correspondent for NBC News from 1997 to 1999 at which time he was named Chief Legal Correspondent.[20] Abrams then began hosting his own show at MSNBC, and The Abrams Report began in 2001.[21][22] Abrams hosted The Abrams Report until he accepted the lead managerial position at MSNBC.[23] Abrams held the position of General Manager of MSNBC from June 12, 2006 until October 2007.[24] Abrams left to concentrate on his 9pm show Live with Dan Abrams, which replaced Scarborough Country due to Joe Scarborough's move to mornings. This show would eventually be revamped and renamed Verdict with Dan Abrams,[25] which aired until August 21, 2008. MSNBC announced on August 19, 2008 that Air America Radio host Rachel Maddow would take over that 9 p.m. time slot beginning September 8, 2008.[26] At that time, Abrams took on additional duties with NBC News including substituting as an anchor on the Today show.

ABC[]

In March 2011, Abrams left NBC to become the Chief Legal Analyst for ABC News and a substitute anchor on Good Morning America.[16] ABC announced in June 2013 that Abrams would become the network's Chief Legal Affairs Anchor, as well as an anchor of Nightline.[27] He stepped down from his full time role as Nightline anchor in December 2014 to focus on his expanding media businesses and returned to his freelance role as the network's Chief Legal Analyst.[28] In 2020, The Poynter Report described Abrams as the "go-to analyst on legal affairs."[29]

A&E[]

From October 2016 to June 2020, Abrams hosted the A&E show Live PD, which followed police officers live across the United States as they patrol their communities. Using dash-cam footage, handheld low-light-capable cameras, and fixed-camera rigs, Abrams analyzed each incident with analysts Tom Morris Jr. and Sean "Sticks" Larkin as the police work occurs. He was also co-host of Grace vs. Abrams, in which Abrams and legal commentator Nancy Grace debated high-profile crime cases.[30] In 2019, Abrams signed on to produce and host Court Cam, a new show that takes viewers inside America's craziest courtroom moments.[31] Live PD was canceled on June 10, 2020.

Abrams Media[]

Mediaite[]

Main article: Mediaite

In July 2009, Abrams launched Mediaite, a news site he described as "appreciating the celebrity of the media." The site combines editorial content with analytic rankings of media personalities. In mid-2015, it had over 7 million unique visitors per month.[32]

Law & Crime[]

In 2016, Abrams launched LawNewz, a legal news website which also live streams trials as part of its online network.[33] The new live trial network, slated as the new Court TV, launched on February 24, 2017, with A&E Networks taking a stake in the site.[34][35] On November 13, 2017, LawNewz was rebranded to Law & Crime and is available on most OTT platforms and many cable systems in the United States.[36][37][38]

The Mary Sue[]

In 2011, Abrams Media launched The Mary Sue, a sister site to Geekosystem with the goal of "highlighting women in the geek world, and providing a prominent place for the voices of geek women." Based on its rapid growth and high engagement, in 2014, Abrams folded Geekosystem into The Mary Sue.[39][non-primary source needed]

Ambo TV[]

On October 15, 2018, Abrams launched his new media service,[40] Ambo TV, a Christian TV streaming service[41] "dedicated to broadcasting Christian sermons with an in-studio discussion." It was announced that the service would be available to the public in November 2018. The station will be located at new studios built especially for Ambo TV at Abrams Media studios in Herald Square in New York City and will feature live programming on the weekends.

Whiskey Raiders[]

In December 2020, Abrams launched Whiskey Raiders, a site that uses a proprietary algorithm to rate whiskeys on a scale from 50-100.[42] Abrams purchased Jay West's spirit review site, t8ke.review, as part of the launch.

Gossip Cop[]

Main article: Gossip Cop

In 2009, Abrams and Michael Lewittes launched Gossip Cop, a media watchdog site that patrols the celebrity gossip universe. The site has been described by its designer, Rex Sorgatz, as "TMZ meets Smoking Gun". The site rates gossip rumors on a 0–10 scale.[43] For the month of May 2013, the site reported over 8 million unique visitors.[44] In 2019 Gossip Cop was acquired by Gateway Blend.[45]

Geekosystem[]

The first official "offspring" of flagship site Mediaite, Geekosystem was launched on January 25, 2010. Geekosystem covered "geek" culture, following developments in science, technology, as well as internet memes and Internet culture. Abrams described the site upon launch as "a broader interest site that will celebrate and cover everything from technology and science fiction to video games and comics."[46]

Styleite[]

Abrams's foray into fashion, Styleite, was launched on March 25, 2010.[47] Functioning for fashion the way Mediaite does for journalism, Styleite launched with both news and opinion content as well as a fashion version of the "Power Grid," which ranks designers, models, writers, and others in the style business based on influence and following. Abrams rebranded Styleite as Runway Riot in 2015, appointing model Iskra Lawrence as managing editor.[48] RunwayRiot.com is marketed as a fashion site for "plus-sized women."[49]

SportsGrid[]

Launched in May 2010, SportsGrid offers a mix of sports news, video clips and other media tracking both sports and the media world surrounding it. Like the other Abrams Media properties, the site features a Power Grid "tabulated by using a specially developed algorithm that pools a variety of metrics, including TV ratings; Web traffic and circulation counts; attendance; number of Twitter followers; on-field performance for players and coaches; and franchise values."[50] In 2013, SportsGrid was acquired by Anthem Media Group in a stock and cash deal.[51]

The Braiser[]

In May 2012, Abrams launched a site focused on the personalities and lifestyles of chefs. Rather than recipes or techniques, The Braiser's topics consist of chefs who "have gone from being food icons to becoming mainstream celebrities," according to an interview Abrams gave to The New York Times in late April.[52] It was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in 2014.[53] By 2015, The Braiser had gone on "a short hiatus" with plans for a relaunch,[54] but saw no further activity as of 2019.[55]

Writing[]

Abrams has published articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today magazine, The American Lawyer, and the Yale Law and Policy Review. He has also written for online magazines such as The Huffington Post, Daily Beast, and Mediaite.[citation needed]

In March 2010, Abrams published the book Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers and Just About Everything Else.[56] The book was #10 on The Washington Post best seller list of July 17, 2011,[57] and has been translated into Russian, Indonesian, Croatian, Swedish and Hebrew, among other languages.

Abrams' second book, Lincoln's Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency, tells the true story of Abraham Lincoln's last murder trial. The book was released in June 2018, and spent five weeks in the top ten New York Times Bestseller list, hardcover non-fiction. Mental Floss rated the book #1 on their list "56 Best Books of 2018."[58]

His book Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense: The Courtroom Battle to Save His Legacy, released on May 21, 2019, is a New York Times bestseller.[59] Theodore Roosevelt accused his former friend and ally, now turned rival, Republican Party leader William Barnes Jr. of political corruption. Barnes responded by suing Roosevelt for an enormous sum that could have financially devastated him.

Abrams' latest book John Adams Under Fire: The Founding Father's Fight for Justice in the Boston Massacre Murder Trial, published on March 3, 2020, was a New York Times top ten bestseller.[60] In 1770, British soldiers shot and killed five civilians. As John Adams would later remember, "On that night the formation of American independence was born". Yet when the British soldiers faced trial, the young lawyer Adams was determined that they receive a fair one. He volunteered to represent them, keeping the peace in a powder keg of a colony, and in the process created some of the foundations of what would become United States law.

Abrams has made other on-air appearances covering law, politics, and to promote his books, including on all three late night talk shows. He has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live,[61] The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS[62] and the Tonight Show on NBC.[63]

Personal life[]

In June 2012, Abrams had his first child with then-girlfriend Florinka Pesenti,[64] who was part of the winning team on The Amazing Race 3.[65]

Abrams was a co-owner (with David Zinczenko) of the restaurant The Lion in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood.[66] The Lion closed in 2015.

Abrams's sister, Ronnie Abrams, was nominated for a federal judgeship by Barack Obama in 2011.[67] She received her commission on March 23, 2012.[68]

References[]

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  2. ^ "The Five Spot: Dan Abrams". Broadcasting Cable. 17 February 2020. Retrieved Jan 8, 2021.
  3. ^ Petski, Denise (Oct 24, 2019). "Dan Abrams To Host & Executive Produce New Courtroom Series For A&E Network". Retrieved Jan 8, 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b A. B. C. News. "Dan Abrams News Stories and Articles". ABC News. Retrieved Jan 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - March 29, 2020". The New York Times. Retrieved Jan 8, 2021.
  6. ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - July 22, 2018 - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved Jan 8, 2021.
  7. ^ "Dan Abrams Books". Retrieved Jan 8, 2021.
  8. ^ "Dan Abrams Launching SiriusXM Show". October 25, 2018.
  9. ^ "Law&Crime Founder Dan Abrams to Host New Show 'Where Politics Meets the Law' on SiriusXM". LawAndCrime.com. 25 October 2018.
  10. ^ O'Connell, Michael (October 24, 2019). "Dan Abrams Gets Another A&E Series, 'Court Cam'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  11. ^ "Running from Cops". Topic. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
  12. ^ "Laurel Lake winery to be sold to Dan Abrams of ABC News". 9 February 2021.
  13. ^ "New owner rebrands Laurel Lake Vineyards".
  14. ^ "Dan Abrams Renames North Fork Winery After His Children". 23 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Dan Abrams to Host NewsNation Live Show; Adrienne Bankert to Anchor 'Morning in America'". 19 July 2021.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b "Dan Abrams' Biography". ABC News. June 2, 2011. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  17. ^ Cohan, William D. (8 April 2014). The price of silence : the Duke lacrosse scandal, the power of the elite, and the corruption of our great universities (First Scribner hardcover ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1-4516-8179-6. OCLC 852226555.
  18. ^ "A conversation about the O. J. Simpson case". Charlie Rose. 1997-01-26. Archived from the original on 2013-03-29.
  19. ^ Schneider, Keith (June 3, 2011). "Dr. Jack Kevorkian Dies at 83; Backed Assisted Suicide". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  20. ^ Unattributed. "America's Top 50 Bachelors : People.com". www.people.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  21. ^ Cox, Ted (2000-12-14). "CNN, cable are the big winners in election coverage". Chicago Daily Herald. p. 4.
  22. ^ Poniewozik, James (2000-12-25). "Down By Law". Time.
  23. ^ Abrams, Dan (June 20, 2006). "Farewell, but not goodbye". NBC News.
  24. ^ Johnson, Peter (June 19, 2006). "Dan Abrams goes from legal anchor to head of MSNBC". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  25. ^ Kurtz, Howard (September 24, 2007). "MSNBC's Abrams Quits His Day Job". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  26. ^ Carter, Bill (August 19, 2008). "Rachel Maddow to Replace Dan Abrams on MSNBC". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  27. ^ "Dan Abrams Named Nightline Anchor and Chief Legal Affairs Anchor for ABC News". ABC News. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  28. ^ Barr, Jeremy. "ABC's Dan Abrams stepping aside as 'Nightline' co-anchor". POLITICO Media. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  29. ^ http://go.pardot.com/webmail/273262/743449293/dbe0fd297b261a582c75a53d9a29731b49aeb246296eb930873b09a565981e47
  30. ^ Rodney Ho, Radio and TV Talk. "Nancy Grace/Dan Abrams square off on new A&E show starting March 29". ajc. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  31. ^ "Court Cam: A&E Launching New TV Show with Dan Abrams (Live PD)". 28 October 2019.
  32. ^ Abrams, Dan (July 1, 2015). "The MarySue.com and Mediaite.com Welcome Record Number of Visitors In May and June". Mediaite.com. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  33. ^ Kludt, Tom (January 19, 2016). "Dan Abrams launches LawNewz website". CNN. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  34. ^ Alpert, Lukas I. (13 November 2017). "A+E Networks Takes Stake in Dan Abrams's Live Trial Website". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2019-03-03 – via www.wsj.com.
  35. ^ "Court TV is basically being resurrected online". Mashable. February 24, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  36. ^ Nakamura, Reid (13 November 2017). "A+E Networks Partners With Dan Abrams to Rebrand LawNewz as Law&Crime Network". Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  37. ^ "LawNewz Relaunches as Law & Crime With A+E Networks Investment". Law & Crime. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
  38. ^ "Law & Crime Expands Reach With Launch On TuneIn". lawandcrime.com. 20 December 2018.
  39. ^ "Tomorrow Geekosystem Joins Forces with The Mary Sue for a Better Tomorrow". themarysue.com. June 11, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  40. ^ Abrams, Dan. "Very excited to announce my latest media project via @thehill!". Twitter. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  41. ^ Swanson, Ian (15 October 2018). "Mediaite founder Dan Abrams to launch Christian sermon streaming network". TheHill. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  42. ^ "Abrams Media Gains Taste for Bourbon with New 'Whiskey Raiders' Site". 7 December 2020.
  43. ^ Carr, David (July 29, 2009). "Gossip Cop Patrols Celebrity 'News'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  44. ^ "Gossip Cop Thanks Readers For Making May 2013 Our BIGGEST Month". gossipcop.com. June 3, 2013. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  45. ^ "At Gateway Blend, Kasey Grelle digs in to acquisitions". 13 February 2020.
  46. ^ Shea, Danny (January 20, 2010). "Geekosystem, Dan Abrams' New Geek Site, Set To Launch". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  47. ^ "Dan Abrams Launched His Fashion Website". New York. March 15, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  48. ^ Steigrad, Alexandra (October 5, 2015). "Styleite to Re-brand as RunwayRiot, a Plus-Size Site With E-Commerce". Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  49. ^ Gilbert, Kylie. "Model Iskra Lawrence Wants You to Stop Calling her 'Plus-Size'". Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  50. ^ Fisher, Eric (March 29, 2010). "Website to Provide Sports Power Rankings". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  51. ^ "Anthem Media Group Acquires Rotoexperts and Sportsgrid to Boost Fantasy Sports Television Launch". Sportsgrid.com. August 1, 2013. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  52. ^ Stelter, Brian (April 30, 2012). "From Mediaite's Founder, a Site for Blanket Coverage of Celebrity Chefs". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  53. ^ "The Complete 2014 JBF Award Nominees". Jamesbeard.org. March 18, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  54. ^ "Now Hiring Associate Editor for The Braiser". Mediaite. 2015-08-19. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  55. ^ "The Braiser | Mediaite". Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  56. ^ "Book World Bestsellers — July 17, 2011". The Washington Post. August 5, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  57. ^ "BOOK WORLD Bestsellers — July 17, 2011".
  58. ^ "Mental Floss's 56 Best Books of 2018". mentalfloss.com. 2018-12-05. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  59. ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - June 8, 2019 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  60. ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - March 22, 2020 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  61. ^ "Elisabeth Moss, Dan Abrams, Dustin Lynch". TVMaze. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  62. ^ Katz, AJ (17 June 2019). "Dan Abrams Addresses His Move From MSNBC Host to General Manager…and Back Again". AdWeek. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  63. ^ "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  64. ^ Green, Michelle (July 15, 2015). "The Doting Dad Side of Dan Abrams". The New York Times.
  65. ^ Griffith, Carson; Caparell, Adam (June 21, 2012). "French star Omar Sy could be a big hit in the U.S.A." Daily News. New York City. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  66. ^ Stevenson, Peter (2010-12-10). "Dan Abrams and Dave Zinczenko, Friends and Partners". The New York Times.
  67. ^ Kolker, Carlyn (July 28, 2011). "Abrams, Gillibrand's first judicial pick, nominated to bench". Reuters. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  68. ^ "Biographical Directory of Federal Judges". Fjc.gov. Retrieved March 14, 2014.

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