Live! with Pete Finch is an American television variety talk show hosted by Pete Finch. The show has been in existence since 2002 when Finch first developed the idea as a member of the student television station UCTV at the University of Connecticut (UConn). In 2008, Live! with Pete Finch acquired video on demand distribution on Comcast, Time Warner and Dish Network.
History
From 2002 to 2004, Live! with Pete Finch aired every Tuesday night at 8pm on UCTV‐14. Finch showcased popular athletes, cultural groups, student leaders and organizations in an interactive, live, call in variety talk show. His first guests were fellow athletes, UConn basketball stars Diana Taurasi and Maria Conlon. Men's basketball standout Emeka Okafor, now with the NBA, would sometimes co-host the show with Finch or bring back footage of the behind-the-scenes action from the team's away games.
Currently, the show consists of interviews, skits, event coverage, music, fashion, technology, sports and current event segments, featuring some of the most popular entertainment icons. Live! with Pete Finch also focuses on the local arts scene in and around Finch's hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
In 2004, Finch created Hip Hop Journey Live! with Pete Finch and put it on DVD, showcasing his interviews with the likes of Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, Wyclef Jean and the Ying Yang Twins. In 2005, Finch secured international distribution for the Live! with Pete Finch DVD with Phoenix Entertainment Distribution, placing it in stores such as Target, FYE, Best Buy, and on Amazon.com.
Much of the footage from the Live! with Pete Finch show can be seen in Finch's full-length documentary My Hustle, which premiered for a private press and VIP screening at the SOHO House in New York City on June 1, 2010.