The Young Turks is a progressive Internet news and political commentary program via live web stream and YouTube, as well as a weeknight news and political commentary program airing on Current TV. It was Sirius Satellite Radio's first original talk programming.^[1] The Young Turks claims to be the first Internet TV news show^[2] and the world's largest online news show. Video of the show is streamed daily on their website and available as a podcast.^[3][4] The show offers Internet-only video content via their YouTube channel, which in the month of April 2012 averaged 250,000 views a day, and almost 700 million views since December 2005. The Young Turks offers a paid members-only Postgame Show, an Internet only wrap-up show.

On December 5, 2011, an hour-long weeknight television version of The Young Turks premiered on Current TV.^[5][6] To differentiate itself with the web series, the TV series is billed as The Young Turks with Cenk Uygur.

History[link]

Cenk Uygur was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and at the age of 8 his family moved to New Jersey, in the United States.^[7] He began a talk show in the mold of a public-access television cable TV show he had done previously called The Young Turk. With the help of friend Ben Mankiewicz, with whom he had previously worked, his childhood friend Dave Koller, and Jill Pike they began The Young Turks.

The show is named after a definition of "Young Turk" meaning a "young progressive or insurgent member of an institution, movement, or political party" or a "young person who rebels against authority". The show's name is not related to Turkey.^[8]

In 2005, the show received attention for its 99 hour "Live On Air Filibuster" conducted during the Samuel Alito Supreme Court nomination. Hosts including Thom Hartmann and John Amato filled in so that the show's regulars could rest or have breaks.^[9]

It was announced on August 20, 2007, that Mankiewicz would leave the show and move to a new television show for TMZ.^[10] In September 2008, Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons replaced Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper as hosts of At the Movies. At roughly the same time, Pike left to pursue a job in Washington, D.C., at which point then-intern Ana Kasparian was hired to do pop-culture segments.

During the 2008 elections, the show developed close ties to Brave New Films, often airing their ads and featuring personalities such as Robert Greenwald and Jonathan Kim.

Satellite radio[link]

Prior to signing with Air America, the show was broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio, on Sirius Left 143 and later 146, weekdays from 6-9PM ET, and re-aired on Sirius Talk Central 148 from 12-2PM ET. The Young Turks was the first show exclusively for Sirius Left to air not part of a syndication network.^{[citation needed]} The show was exclusive to Sirius for several years. TYT was also carried by KFH (1330 AM/98.7 FM) in Wichita, Kansas from 7-9PM CT and webcast by RadioPower.org.

On February 2, 2009, TYT was removed from the broadcast schedule on XM/Sirius Channel 167, America Left, and their program was filled by an extra hour of Bill Press. The show returned to XM/Sirius on March 16, 2009. However in late 2010, TYT announced they would leave XM/Sirius radio through their Facebook page, their last show on XM/Sirius was on November 19, 2010.

Segments[link]

Regular segments during the online show as well as the television show include:

• TYT Supreme Court: Critical examination of parties involved in a news story; judgment is decided usually amongst Uygur, Ana Kasparian, Jayar Jackson, and Jesus Godoy (who serves as "Chief Justice").
• Dave Koller's America
• Turk of the Week (during the 2008–2009 seasons)

Weeknight program on Current TV[link]

On September 20, 2011, Current TV announced that TYT would launch a weeknight TV edition of the show at 7 pm EST on the network beginning sometime in the 4th quarter of 2011. The show joined Countdown with Keith Olbermann as the second news and opinion program on Current as the network continues to develop a new lineup of programming followed by The War Room with Jennifer Granholm in January. According to the show's website, the show is introduced as The Young Turks with Cenk Uygur to differentiate itself from the popular web series.^[11]

Co-hosts[link]

The show is primarily hosted by Cenk Uygur and often includes a co-host.^[12] Ana Kasparian serves as co-host during the second hour which focuses on pop culture instead of politics. Some other co-hosts are Ben Mankiewicz, Brian Unger, Jimmy Dore, Wes Clark Jr, Michael Shure, Teresa Strasser, RJ Eskow, and Gina Grad. Cenk has regular bits and on-air interaction with those who help run the show: Jesús Godoy, Ana Kasparian, Cliff Schecter, Dave Koller, Jayar Jackson, Tom Hanc, Steve Oh and Andrew Napier.

Spin-off series[link]

• In February 2010, What the Flick?! began airing on the show's website, featuring movie reviews by Cenk Uygur, Ben Mankiewicz, and regular guests Matt Atchity of Rotten Tomatoes and Christy Lemire of the Associated Press. What The Flick?! is produced by Andrew Napier, Ana Kasparian, and Cenk Uygur, and directed by Andrew Napier.
• In June 2010, TYT helped launch thetopvlog on YouTube, a vlog channel featuring a variety of liberal political vloggers posted irregularly online.
• In September 2010, TYTSports was launched, featuring Cenk Uygur, Jayar Jackson, and Ben Mankiewicz.
• In March 2011, TYTUniversity, a weekly segment featuring Ana Kasparian and Jayar Jackson, and more recently John Iadarola, was launched. This segment is based on user-submitted videos relating to college.
• In October 2011, twenTYTwelve, a spin-off show of The Young Turks was created to focus specifically on the upcoming 2012 elections. This show is hosted by Michael Shure and is designed to focus not only on the 2012 Presidential election, but rather various elections throughout the country.
• TYT Now, a TYT spinoff hosted by columnist Tina Dupuy and Tim Mihalsky, ran from May to August 2011.
• WMB, a spinoff hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, Michael Shure and Wes Clark Jr., ran from May to June 2011.
• The Point, a political panel discussion series hosted by Uygur, began in November 2011. It also involves video submitted by bloggers and personalities.
• Reality Bites Back, a reality-television-focused review series hosted by Jacki Bray and Misty Kingma, ran from May to July 2011.

Wolf-PAC[link]

In late 2011, after seeing the momentum of Occupy Wall Street, Uygur decided to launch a long term project of his, a political action committee named Wolf-PAC. Wolf-PAC aims to lobby state legislators to pass resolutions calling for a constitutional convention. If this convention is formed the aim is then to pass an amendment to the United States Constitution which would end corporate person-hood (also reversing Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission), limit private funding of elections, end super-PACs and blocking the ability of lobbying firms to hire politicians after they leave office, potentially in return for voting and political favors, four issues which Uygur calls "legalized bribery".^[13]

Awards and nominations[link]

The Young Turks has won the 2009 Podcast Award in the Political category,^[14] as well as the 2009 Mashable Open Web Award for the Best Political News Site.^[15] In March 2011, the show won a Shorty award.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• The Young Turks web series website
• The Young Turks Current TV website
• Main YouTube channel
• TYT Interviews YouTube channel