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Upfront and Personal: A+E Networks highlights women's storytelling

With Nancy Dubuc announcing her departure earlier in the week to become CEO at VICE Media LLC, Abbe Raven, a 34-year company veteran, has returned as acting chairman to help lead a search for a new executive to head A+E Networks.

Raven, who retired from A+E Networks in 2015 and had been serving as chairman emeritus, also greeted media buyers and planners at the company’s March 15 upfront presentation at the main branch of the New York Public Library. Addressing Dan Abrams, the host of A&E series "Live PD," Raven said: "We're so excited for your upcoming series with Nancy … Grace," a pause that elicited plenty of laughter from the crowd.

She then proceeded to set the stage for the theme of the company's presentation: distaff storytelling at its various networks, as the programmer has empowered women in front of and behind the camera.

Raven, who began her career at A&E as a production assistant before rising through the ranks to become chairman and CEO, said her first job at age 17 was "upstairs in the [library's] periodicals room. It was here sorting through the hundreds of journals, magazines and newspapers where I began to experience the incredible power of storytelling."

The presentation was an homage of sorts to the #MeToo and #TimesUp empowerment movements by the creative community, as all of the presenters were women. Grammy winner Toni Braxton, who starred in Lifetime Television (US) telefilm "Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story," alluded to both during her remarks, which concluded with "I'm proud to be a woman and I'm proud to be on Lifetime."

Earlier, a number of notables appeared on stage. They relayed stories of growing up and what inspired their passions to proceed in their professional endeavors, and to engage in their projects with the programmers.

Upcoming projects include a run of 14 holiday movies in November and December under the "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" banner, one of which will feature Braxton. Queen Latifah has a pair of Lifetime music specials on tap: "U.N.I.T.Y.," following the remaking of her hit single from 1993, and "Where Did the Women of Hip Go?" She will executive-produce the latter, a look at the pioneering women of a genre dominated by men.

As part of "History 100," a group of films highlighting many key events of the past 100 years, the network will air "Meeting Gorbachev," a series of one-on-one interviews by director Werner Herzog with the former Soviet leader who ended the Cold War. History, which will steer its second annual "Car Week," has scheduled a three-hour live special on July 8 in in which motorsports star Travis Pastrana will attempt three of daredevil Evel Knievel's most dangerous jumps.

A&E is adding docuseries "The Accused," which examines what happens to defendants accused of a crime they maintain they did not commit, and "The Many Sides of Jane," about a single mother with dissociative identity order and her nine personalities.

Peter Olsen, executive vice president of ad sales at A+E Networks, closed the presentation, which until that point had largely eschewed such upfront trappings as mentions of demos and brand safety, emphasizing that "premium storytelling is at the core of what we do. It is how we create solutions for you, our advertising and marketing partners."

He then noted that A&E, History and Viceland all registered year-over-year growth, that the company’s digital traffic was up 58%, and it had doubled its social views.

Olsen also said that the company is bringing a new attribution model to market, powered by Data Plus Math. "We finally have a way to give TV its proper due in regard to purchase behavior," he said.