Yes News Hit This Week Ryan Seacrest Will Be The New Host of Wheel Of Fortune But Did You Know He Builds Broadcast Media Centers named ‘Seacrest Studios’ in Pediatric Hospitals To Provide A Positive Distraction To Hospitalized Kids?
Yes he does! And Genna Rosenberg, an impact-driven toy and licensing industry leader saw a partnership opportunity for her client ‘Singing Machine Company’, the world leader in karaoke products to collaborate with him on something meaningful.
Now the new CARE-eoke By Singing Machine initiative and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation are on a joint mission to bring the joy of music to children’s hospitals nationwide.
Genna checked in on the show live from Italy where she and her husband are both celebrating ‘big’ birthdays with their kids. We planned on doing this show before word spread just before we went live about Ryan Seacrest taking over Wheel of Fortune from Pat Sajak, who’s retiring after the shows 41st season launches in September. The timeliness of the news that put his name out there everywhere and made us both smile, as timing is everything when you want to get people’s attention for sharing important information. Oddly the name Ryan was everywhere that day as Genna mentioned she and her hubby were just about to board Ryanair! LOL
The Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to inspiring today’s youth through entertainment and education-focused initiatives. RSF’s primary initiative is to build broadcast media centers — Seacrest Studios — within pediatric hospitals for patients to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media.
Currently there are Seacrest Studios at hospitals in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Orange County, Philadelphia and Washington D.C, Nashville, Orlando and Memphis. Two new studios are scheduled to open this year in Queens, NY at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Salt Lake City, UT at Primary Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit ryanseacrestfoundation.org
Genna Rosenberg’s’ PR and marketing agency is called GennComm and her Licensing ThinkTank GennComm ImaGENNation has created an entire division around social innovation this year, called GoodWorks X GennComm, to serve the industry she’s loved for 30 years
Here’s The Transcript if you’d rather read the story.
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It’s time for the Debbie Nigro Show with Debbie Nigro, who says she’s still a babe, or at least she thinks she still is. That’s right, attitude is everything, and Debbie’s delusionally young. No one sees the glass of Cabernet half full like Debbie. She’s fresh air with a magnetic flair. Some day has arrived, and as far as she’s concerned, it’s time to roll.
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It’s a beautiful morning. It’s always a beautiful morning when you’re here to see it.
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Ain’t that the truth?
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Hi, everybody. I’m Debbie Nigro. Great to be with you once again.
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0:00:32
We’re going to go straight to Italy this morning because I got a girl, you know, I always got a guy or I got a girl. Well, this gal is quite interesting, and it all plays into the unforeseen news that Ryan Seacrest will be the new host of Wheel of Fortune. I didn’t see that coming when I asked my guest to join me. Genna Rosenberg is going to be with us in just a second because she did something really innovative in tandem with Ryan Seacrest Foundation. Bet you didn’t know Ryan Seacrest builds broadcast media centers in pediatric hospitals. Amazing, okay. They’re called Seacrest Studios. And Genna Rosenberg, who’s an impact-driven toy and licensing, excuse me, industry leader, saw an opportunity with him for her client, Singing Machine Company, which is the world leader in karaoke products, right? So now they’re collaborating on something really incredible. It’s the new Karaoke by Singing Machine Initiative and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. They’re both on a joint mission to bring the joy of music to children’s hospitals around the country. Hey Jenna! Debbie, hi! How are you? I’m so happy to be with you and your listeners today. Yeah, I’m proud of you because I understand the mentality of a gal who’s as bright as you, who uses her big brain to figure out how to make a win with a collaborative effort in a meaningful way. This is a big story and I want to congratulate you.
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0:02:16
Oh, thank you so much. I really, I’m empowered by the people that I know, my network, I’m so happy for you to help share the message today. And yeah, it’s really fun when a plan comes together.
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0:02:33
So I was reading that Ryan Seacrest, who is an amazing, obviously, talent and businessperson, right, is also an amazing philanthropist. He was inspired, from what I understand, by traveling over the years to visit kids in hospitals and was really taken by their courage and their parents and just the bravery, right? He wanted to do something. What he knows best is radio and TV, and so he started building these secret studios in a lot of hospitals. You have a client that is well-known around the world who makes karaoke machines. Had he even thought of that before you guys connected?
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0:03:11
So the funny thing is when we started talking with the incredible team at the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, they told us, wow, we love karaoke and it is using music therapy including singing karaoke in the Seacrest Studios is a part of what we already do but we don’t have separate dedicated equipment, we haven’t created a formalized program around it and boy, we would love, love, love to partner with you because it is the perfect partnership. I actually have a son who had a health issue. We spent some time in Boston Children’s Hospital where there was a secret studio and we saw firsthand how their amazing programming; it really makes a difference in the lives of these children and families who are in a crisis. Well, you know the happy parts of being in the hospital is truly the only thing that my son remembers from what for the parents was kind of a harrowing experience.
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0:04:13
Oh yeah, I’m sorry you had to go through that and I’m hoping that your son’s okay.
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0:04:16
Yeah, he’s doing great. Thank you. But you know basically when we started when you know the machine said yes we let’s use the power of karaoke to really position it as a health technology that’s going to make people’s lives better because it’s true that singing really does improve longevity, it increases serotonin, it increases the gray matter in your brain, like it does all these incredible health benefits and let’s form
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0:05:06
strategic partnerships to really
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0:04:51
And so they said yes, and literally the first phone call that we made was to Seacrest Studios and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation because we knew that they are doing incredible work in children’s hospitals nationwide.
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0:05:05
Music really brings people to life. I see it in children everywhere I go. It’s a natural instinct for them to want to get up and dance or smile or just feel the music. And you can see it change them. So I’m very clear on how this is making an impact on kids who are in a difficult place and for their families who must be struggling along with them in the biggest of ways. So okay, so you…
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0:05:30
Yeah, and I think he is absolutely the perfect fit to carry this incredible franchise into its next iteration. I’m thrilled for him.
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0:05:51
Me too. It’s so amazing how many things one person can be good at or has figured out how to be good at. He started in radio, right, if I’m not mistaken, or maybe he didn’t, but that was his thing. He was known for his radio and then all of a sudden You see he’s producing everything so he got on the business side of things and started producing which I think he’s going to be producing From what we were talking about this morning in the studio will a fortune to so he’s not only hosting but producing hello
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0:06:16
That’s where that’s great Legendary on American Idol and he did such a great job with live with you know Kelly and Ryan And they know that it’s a really a perfect mix-up for him
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0:06:33
I’ll tell you when I asked you to do this having read the press release about karaoke by singing machine and Ryan Seacrest foundation partner To bring this amazing karaoke joy through music to children’s hospitals around the country I had no idea he was going to be in the news today. Okay, so I was laughing to myself because you’re away in Italy and I contacted you and you’re like, yeah sure I’m on vacation with my husband for a special birthday with our family but I’ll call you from Italy and then of course the news hit and his name is everywhere and then you sent me a really funny picture because we were talking about the coincidence of you and your husband getting on Ryanair.
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0:07:10
That’s right, I don’t think he owns Ryanair. Are you sure? How perfect was that? We flew last night on Ryanair.
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0:07:18
Really perfect. So what part of Italy are you in right now?
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0:07:24
We just got to the most beautiful place. It’s the heel of the boot and the region is called Puglia. Oh sure. Puglia or Apulia. Apulia. It’s really so fabulous. We just arrived today and we’re getting all settled in but was happy to talk to you. With this karaoke program, you’re right. There is so much joy that we’re bringing to young children through music but we have our sights set much higher than just reaching children.
Certainly hospitals do really want to make an impact but we’re thinking about the impact of singing and karaoke on mental health you know in the workplace and for seniors and for teens and on people you know we did an incredible program with some students on the autism spectrum and if I tell you some of these students literally are nonverbal, they also incorporate music therapy into their educational curriculum there. And we just got a letter actually from the director of the school saying you have no idea the impact that having these regular karaoke sessions is making not only on their joy and their ability to be brave and try new things. And it’s really been incredible for them.
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0:09:21
That’s right. My wheelhouse, my thing is risk it or regret it. So if everybody’s doing that, I’m with you. I am with you. All right. That’s our time for today. Jenna, go enjoy your vacation. For those of you just tuning in, Jenna Rosenberg is behind a really great partnership between Karaoke by Singing Machine and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation to bring karaoke and joy through music to kids’ hospitals nationwide. And she has her own company, PR and marketing agency GenCom, and licensing think tank GenCom Imagination, having created a whole division around social innovation this year called Good Works X GenCom. And she’s a terrific girl.
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0:09:55
Thank you so much.
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You can find her on Facebook at GenCom. That’s two N’s and two M’s. Have a great rest of your trip, Genna.
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Thank you so much. I’ll talk to you soon. Okay.
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0:10:08
I’ll talk to you again soon. I’ll talk to you again soon.
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Ciao.
