The entertainment industry is replete with a variety of news programs, all with different focuses and methods of operation. These progra...
The entertainment industry is replete with a variety of news programs, all with different focuses and methods of operation. These programs often rely on a small group of hosts of different specialties to get information to their audience. While this setup is the norm, there are, of course, exceptions to the rule. One such exception is the work of Ryan Seacrest. Through his radio broadcasts and television programs, he’s habitually been able to showcase a wide range of events both in the entertainment industry and outside of it. Let’s take a closer look at some of this work to more fully understand the unique career of the radio and television host.
Early background
One of the reasons Ryan Seacrest has been able to build his expertise in so many different directions is because of his humble beginnings from the earliest stages of his career. In many ways, that career began in childhood when the future radio host would parade around his house with a toy microphone in hand. His parents have recounted how he would endlessly entertain the family through his antics and even put on full-fledged radio “broadcasts” from the comfort of their living room.His career aspirations didn’t stay confined to his childhood home for long, though. As a teenager, the young radio professional got his first job in entertainment when he won an internship opportunity with a local radio station. While at the station, he was fortunate enough to receive his first chance to go on-air when a regular DJ called out sick. The teenager proved so adept at handling the reigns of a broadcast that he was given his own recurring time slot overnight on weekends. From that first opportunity, he hasn’t looked back.
After graduating from high school, the young radio broadcaster opted to move to Los Angeles to try his hand at breaking into the larger entertainment industry. His famous work ethic came to his aid during this time as he pushed himself to seek out new jobs and take advantage of every opportunity afforded to him. Early career work at the time came in the form of hosting a variety of television events such as sports shows, game shows, and film programming. When he eventually landed the job hosting American Idol, he became a household sensation. Since that time, his career has had a consistently upward trajectory with regular hosting opportunities in both radio and television.
That brief background synopsis helps to explain some of what we’ll be touching on in this piece — the work Ryan Seacrest does on a wide variety of topics. That skillset, built over the course of his life, stems, in part, from his varied background. From his early love of radio, to his first work opportunities at a local radio station, to his first endeavors in Hollywood, the radio and television host has always shown a remarkable ability to adapt. Let’s now take a look at how that plays out in practice by seeing some of the items he highlights in his daily radio and television appearances.
Coronavirus vaccines
It’s difficult these days to turn on a television set or radio without hearing news on the global pandemic that’s changed so much about life as we know it. With so much about present life geared towards stopping the virus’s spread, there’s been an understandable focus by many on when life might return back to some semblance of normalcy. While that’s a tough question to really answer with any sense of certainty, there is a major ongoing project that is likely to figure largely into this response — the search for a vaccine.
That search was a topic of a recent broadcast by the radio host when he turned his attention to interviewing a Pennsylvania mother of two who had volunteered as a participant in a trial for one vaccine under development. Stella Sexton signed up for the clinical trial for the DNA vaccine at Perlman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently came on the host’s show to discuss her experience.
Stella was injected twice during the trial — on June 8th and July 1st — and was then monitored to see what her reaction would be to the procedure. Researchers have assured trial participants that there’s no chance of contracting the virus from the injections as there are no living or dead virus particles in the vaccine. Instead, the vaccine uses DNA fragments that match the virus in an attempt to elicit an immune response that could protect the vaccine recipient from the virus. An electric shock is co-administered with the vaccine to get the recipient’s pores to open up and receive the DNA more readily. Researchers are hoping to engage in a total of 5 trials before the end of the year.
And what was Stella’s reaction to the vaccine? “I feel great,” she recounted on the radio broadcast. “I felt pretty much great the whole time. I maybe felt a tiny bit tired after my first dose, but, other than that, I feel totally normal.”
She went on to discuss her motivation for participating in the trial. “I just felt I was sitting at home like probably everybody was and feeling sort of helpless and powerless and really feeling for my friends who are healthcare workers and I was wondering if there was something I could do so when I saw this link for a vaccine trial study I knew I was healthy and it just felt like it was my duty to go and do it.”
This particular vaccine trial represents one of many efforts simultaneously being conducted around the world. Some of these efforts have now progressed into Phase III trials, the last phase before a vaccine would be able to come to market. Researches associated with the trials are cautiously optimistic and hope that their efforts will bear fruit soon. Depending on the kinds of vaccines that make it out of trials, there could be a wide range of effects that can be expected from their administration. It’s possible a vaccine may confer close to full immunity, although it is also possible that a working vaccine may just serve to reduce the severity of symptoms should an individual contract the virus.
Supporting essential workers
Another story related to the pandemic comes from a co-host of On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, Sisanie. The story touches on a way that businesses are helping to give back to the people who are risking their own safety to help to educate children across the country — teachers. As schools are beginning to make decisions concerning reopening, teachers are finding that their skills are being called upon in numerous different ways to not only provide education but also to ensure a safe learning environment, to the best of their ability.In recognition of the hard work this entails, the well-known donut shop Krispy Kreme is offering teachers a free donut and a coffee. Dave Skena, Chief Marketing Officer for Krispy Kreme, commented on the giveaway and the motivation behind it:
“Education is going to be very different this school year and more challenging and important than ever... From teachers and tutors to parents and coaches we want to thank everyone who is helping our kids to keep learning in these tough times no matter where the ‘classroom’ is.”
Businesses reaching out
Another fun story coming out of the radio show’s website highlights the efforts of the country’s last Blockbuster video rental store and how it’s offering customers a unique opportunity. The store just announced that, in conjunction with Airbnb, it’s providing customers with a chance to experience a sleepover in the store itself.If the concept is conjuring up images of days gone by and slumber parties where a trip to Blockbuster was an integral part of the experience, well, that’s kind of the point. In fact, the store is leaning into the nostalgia of its proposition by creating a 90’s themed experience throughout the store as a backdrop to the sleepovers. Sleeping arrangements will be communal and will include a pull-out couch, a bean bag chair, and plenty of other slumber party accouterments. And of course, you’ll have the chance to select the evening’s viewing entertainment from the store’s catalog.
The store is offering the promotion for one of three nights in September and will be allowing local customers a chance to sign up for a spot in-person in the Oregon-based store. Each spot can accommodate up to four people and will be distributed on a first come first served basis. If you’re a child of the 90’s who has fond memories of Blockbusters and slumber parties, this is likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The work of a music producer
Of course, quite a few of the topics on which Ryan Seacrest reports are relevant to the entertainment industry. Sometimes described as “the ultimate Hollywood insider”, the radio host has a unique connection to many of the big names that show up in music, radio, and television. This level of access allows him to pass interesting information along to his own fans about the many entertainment professionals that they have grown to love and the manner in which those professionals engage in their respective industries.An example of this came from a recent on-air interview the host conducted with David Foster, the Grammy-winning music producer. Though the far-reaching conversation touched on many interesting aspects of the producer’s life, it eventually turned to an interesting question — what exactly does he do? It turns out that, while producers are ubiquitous in the entertainment industry, many music listeners were at a loss when asked to describe what exactly the job entails.
To clear up the misunderstanding, the radio host posed the question to Foster during the interview. "It’s kinda analogous to the director of a movie, only on a smaller scale,” replied Foster. “So the buck kind of stops here. And, you know, making records is not a democracy. You may want the note to go up, I may want it to go down. It’ll do one of those two things but it will not go in the middle.”
The conversation came amidst discussion of a new Netflix documentary about the producer’s life and career titled David Foster: Off The Record. The documentary is composed of rare footage and interviews with Foster and his collaborators, curated by the producer himself. It chronicles his rise from child prodigy to one of the most notable names in the music industry.
Cameron Diaz on her new venture
Another celebrity project highlighted by the radio host comes from someone who’s opted to step away from the entertainment industry — Cameron Diaz. After officially announcing her retirement in 2018, Diaz has been focusing her efforts on an altogether new venture, making wine. The star’s new “clean wine” brand, Avaline, was the topic of a recent Rolling Stone interview that radio host featured on his broadcast. In that interview, she mentioned her desire to immerse herself in the process rather than just lend her name to the venture, noting that she’s never “slapped [her] name on anything” and instead has always “done the work.”“Two years ago, we put our heads down and really went to work learning about the winemaking process,” she recounted on the subject. “Even though it’s never felt like work because I only pursue things that I am passionate about. I can fully admit that being a ‘celebrity’ opened doors for us. I did make movies for 20-plus years so I guess it’s finally paying off.”
As the brand’s website recounts, the endeavor came about after a simple realization — many health-conscious individuals know the contents of what goes into and onto their bodies, so why not have that depth of information about the wine they drink? That question led to the creation of “a range of clean wines that are full of natural goodness and free from dozens of unwanted and undisclosed extras.”
Entertainment news
Another part of the work conducted by Ryan Seacrest is to bring information to fans about upcoming television shows and films. Such was the case when he conducted an interview with actress Kate del Castillo of the hit telenovela La Reina del Sur. The actress recently “sat down” (virtually) with the radio host to discuss her recent activities and what’s next on the horizon for her and the show.One thing she touched upon were her activities during quarantine, which have been not all that different than the low-key lifestyles adopted by many during stay at home recommendations. The actress noted that the transition to a life of lower activity actually hasn’t been a bad thing for her, given her usual fast-paced life. However, considerations around the pandemic are complicating things for the filming of the show’s upcoming season.
"With the third [season] it's going to be a little challenging because I don’t want to sacrifice in any way the story or the production having to travel everywhere with the pandemic so we’re going to have to wait so we can travel in a healthy way for all the crew," the actress noted.
Going further into the show’s typical production process, it’s apparent the obstacles that may pop up when it resumes its busy shooting schedule. “The first [season] we were based in Colombia and we traveled a little bit,” recounted the actress. “But the second one we were based in Colombia… and we went to eight countries. Russia, Romania, Spain, Italy, Mexico… we were all over the place and it was amazing.”
With that level of traveling necessary, it may be some time still before a typical production can resume. In the meantime, fans can watch the show on Netflix and wait in anticipation for what may come next.
Live with Kelly and Ryan
Speaking of new seasons, Live with Kelly and Ryan, one of the host’s regular television shows has just announced its own next season. The announcement, made through an innovative short video that featured a split-screen of Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest going about their morning routines, has already garnered excitement on social media. Many fans are taking it as one more indication that life may slowly be returning to a semblance of normalcy.In anticipation of the new season, both cohosts have been taking a bit of time off and have been replaced by temporary hosts to cover in their absence. One of these guest hosts represents somewhat of a crossover from Seacrest’s radio broadcast — the aforementioned Sisanie. She came on the show recently to take over hosting duties and interview Joe Manganiello about his new Netflix movie, The Sleepover. The recent appearance helps to showcase how some hosts are able to make the crossover from radio to television that has been a hallmark of the career of Ryan Seacrest. And as we’ve seen above, that’s quite the high watermark to shoot for.
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