Charles R Winters
Encyclopedia
Charles Winters is an online journalist
, on-air personality
and media developer from East Tennessee
who resides in New York City
. He is currently the President
and Editorial Director
at Charles Winters Information Management (CWIM), the parent company for the websites he owns, operates and manages.
before he even completed his bachelor's degree
in Communications
from the University of Tennessee
in 1999.
Winters made his television news debut as a reporter in the Knoxville market (then ranked 64th) at the Fox
affiliate WTNZ
during the 1998 elections. He covered a controversial race for the Tennessee Senate
where Charlotte Burks
successfully filled a seat previously held by her husband, Tommy Burks
, who was assassinated by his opponent] earlier in the race.
Winters began working as a news anchor and reporter
in January 1999 for a news magazine show, then called Insights, that aired on the local NBC affiliate each Saturday at noon.
While attending the University of Tennessee, Winters was also a controversial figure in student politics
and on-campus broadcasting
. He not only co-founded the first student run television station on the Knoxville campus and served on the committee that reformatted and rebranded the university's radio station
from New Rock 90 to WUTK "The Rock"
, but he also served as the President Pro-temp/ Speaker of the student senate
and later as the president
of the United Residence Halls Council
where he unseated the incumbent in a tight run-off election.
Upon graduation Winters worked as a news anchor and reporter for BBB Communications, a small Cablevision station
providing local news
coverage for the suburbs north and west of Knoxville, Tennessee. He also did a brief stint at WWKZ
radio in Memphis as a promotions
on-air personality
before returning to Knoxville as a Television News Reporter
and Producer
at the local CBS
affiliate, WVLT-TV
. In 2001 he accepted a freelance position in New York City and relocated to Manhattan.
After witnessing the September 11th terrorist attacks, he provided news coverage for WVLT and several newspaper
s in East Tennessee.
During his time in Manhattan
, Winters earned the nickname "gay socialite" for his community and social involvement mainly by volunteering for various charities
such as LGBT advocacy groups, animal rescues and political organizations
including Hillary Clinton's United States Senate
and Presidential campaigns
, New York City Council
Speaker Christine Quinn's re-election to a third term in office and Sean Patrick Maloney's
attempt at New York attorney general
in addition to working in Manhattan's nightlife
scene hosting late night variety-style shows (in such historic venues as the Tunnel
, the Limelight
/ Avalon and Stonewall Inn
.)
During this same time, Winters also worked as an online entertainment correspondent for queerplanet, an Australian based media group for which he acquired the operations rights in 2011 and re-branded as queerplanet.net: powered by GaySocialites.com.
In 2006 Winters turned his nickname into a business when he co-founded GaySocialites.com, an online magazine dedicated to providing topics that appeal to gay men beyond LGBT
news coverage, with Anthony Lago
.
to Chief Executive Officer
at GaySocialites.com.
As the website celebrated its sixth year anniversary, Winters announced he would be moving into a new role as President and Editorial Director for all websites operated by his namesake organization - Charles Winters Information Management (CWIM).
After launching GaySocialites.com in October 2006 as a source to provide information, gossip and listings about New York nightclubs, Winters led the website to first earn credibility among colleagues and competitors with coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith
in early 2007.
In December 2010, Winters established himself as the sole proprietor of the website
and all entities of the GaySocialites brand
.
GaySocialites.com acquired queerplanet.net in June 2011 to form a larger organization called the GaySocialites Media Group, later known as Charles Winters Information Management.
setting, properly utilizing affirmations and preparing their personal operations plan using a workbook
and scheduling system that he personally devised.
Between 2003 and 2004, Winters studied Life Coaching with Fairchild-Brown in London
where he was taught the working of the subconscious
mind, affirmations, personal questioning and goal setting.
His clientele has ranged from struggling LGBT youth and housewives
to up-and-coming celebrities
and top business executives.
Winters is currently penning his debut publication intended to help individuals who with self development.
based on the Lou Reed
song. He also appeared in a syndicated automobile sales commercial as car owner giving their testimonial. Winters also worked as a still model appearing in stock photography currently available online.
, and singer Lily Allen.
He has also had several public disputes with Kim Zolciak
of Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta. In September 2009, gossip columnists reported that Winters was being paid to escort Zolciak around Manhattan to help create a buzz for her debut single, "Tardy for the Party". Then later that month, Winters reported that Zolciak's former publicist claimed she was homophobic and racist. Then in December 2009, Winters broke news that Zolciak was in a lesbian relationship with celebrity DJ Tracy Young after he says he caught the two women on a date at a Manhattan gay club before a performance by Zolciak which Winters highly criticized. In October 2010, all three parties (Winters, Zolciak and Young) were booked as a part of the "OUTinAC" weekend (a gay gathering in Atlantic City) and organizers scurried to keep Winters and Zolciak separated after news broke that weekend that she was pregnant.
His personal life has even been the topic of various gossip columns leading to a spoof
promotional campaign for GaySocialites.com featuring all negative
reviews about his reporting and personal life.
Online journalism
Online journalism is defined as the reporting of facts when produced and distributed via the Internet.As of 2009, audiences for online journalism continue to grow...
, on-air personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
and media developer from East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
who resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He is currently the President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and Editorial Director
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
at Charles Winters Information Management (CWIM), the parent company for the websites he owns, operates and manages.
Journalism prior to GaySocialites.com
Charles Winters began working in broadcast journalismBroadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
before he even completed his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Communications
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
from the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in 1999.
Winters made his television news debut as a reporter in the Knoxville market (then ranked 64th) at the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate WTNZ
WTNZ
WTNZ is the Fox-affiliated television station for Eastern Tennessee licensed to Knoxville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter on Sharp's Ridge in the city's Arlington section. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 11 and in high definition...
during the 1998 elections. He covered a controversial race for the Tennessee Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
where Charlotte Burks
Charlotte Burks
Charlotte Gentry Burks is a farmer and Democratic party politician in Tennessee who has represented the 15th District as State Senator since 1998....
successfully filled a seat previously held by her husband, Tommy Burks
Tommy Burks
Tommy Burks was a farmer and Democratic Party politician in Tennessee, United States. He served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1970 until 1978, and in the Tennessee State Senate from 1978 until his murder in 1998.-Biography:Born in Cookeville, Tennessee, Burks was one of the most...
, who was assassinated by his opponent] earlier in the race.
Winters began working as a news anchor and reporter
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
in January 1999 for a news magazine show, then called Insights, that aired on the local NBC affiliate each Saturday at noon.
While attending the University of Tennessee, Winters was also a controversial figure in student politics
Student activism
Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding...
and on-campus broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
. He not only co-founded the first student run television station on the Knoxville campus and served on the committee that reformatted and rebranded the university's radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
from New Rock 90 to WUTK "The Rock"
WUTK-FM
WUTK-FM is an independent, non-commercial college radio station owned by the University of Tennessee and operated by the UT Department of Journalism and Electronic Media in Knoxville, Tennessee. All music, news, and sports shows are volunteer or student-produced...
, but he also served as the President Pro-temp/ Speaker of the student senate
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
and later as the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the United Residence Halls Council
Residence hall association
In the United States, a Residence Hall Association is a student-run university residence hall governing body. It is usually the parent organization for individual hall governments. Their function is similar to a student government, except that most of their activities pertain to on-campus living...
where he unseated the incumbent in a tight run-off election.
Upon graduation Winters worked as a news anchor and reporter for BBB Communications, a small Cablevision station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
providing local news
Local news
In journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
coverage for the suburbs north and west of Knoxville, Tennessee. He also did a brief stint at WWKZ
WWKZ
WWKZ , known as "KZ103", is a Top 40 radio station licensed to Okolona, Mississippi and is owned by URBan Radio Broadcasting. WWKZ serves Tupelo and Northeast Mississippi with an ERP of 50,000 Watts at 103.9 FM.-History:...
radio in Memphis as a promotions
Radio promotion
Radio promotion is the division of a record company which is charged with placing songs on the radio. They maintain relationships with program directors at radio stations and attempt to persuade them to play singles to promote the sale of recordings, such as CDs, sold by the record company...
on-air personality
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
before returning to Knoxville as a Television News Reporter
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and Producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
at the local CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate, WVLT-TV
WVLT-TV
WVLT-TV is the CBS television network affiliate station serving Knoxville, Tennessee, the 58th DMA in America according to Nielsen Media Research...
. In 2001 he accepted a freelance position in New York City and relocated to Manhattan.
After witnessing the September 11th terrorist attacks, he provided news coverage for WVLT and several newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s in East Tennessee.
During his time in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, Winters earned the nickname "gay socialite" for his community and social involvement mainly by volunteering for various charities
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
such as LGBT advocacy groups, animal rescues and political organizations
Political organisation
A political organization is an organization that involves itself in the political process. In a broader sense, a political organization can also be viewed as a political system, as long as it includes the entire system and body of government...
including Hillary Clinton's United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and Presidential campaigns
Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008
New York junior Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton had expressed interest in the 2008 United States presidential election since at least October 2002, drawing media speculation on whether she would become a candidate. No woman has ever won the nomination of a major party in the...
, New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
Speaker Christine Quinn's re-election to a third term in office and Sean Patrick Maloney's
Sean Patrick Maloney
Sean Patrick Maloney is an American politician from New York State and, in 2006, was a Democratic candidate for state Attorney General. He is the former First Deputy Secretary to the Governor, which made him a senior adviser and Cabinet member of New York Gov. David Paterson. He also served as...
attempt at New York attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
in addition to working in Manhattan's nightlife
Nightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
scene hosting late night variety-style shows (in such historic venues as the Tunnel
Tunnel (New York nightclub)
Tunnel was a nightclub in New York City, located at 220 Twelfth Avenue, in the Chelsea district of Manhattan, New York City, in the Terminal Warehouse Company Central Stores Building, which is now part of the West Chelsea Historic District. Tunnel was opened in early 1987 by Peter Gatien, in a...
, the Limelight
The Limelight
The Limelight is the name of a chain of nightclubs that were owned and operated by Peter Gatien, located in Atlanta, Hollywood, Florida, and London, and formerly in New York City and Chicago.-History:...
/ Avalon and Stonewall Inn
Stonewall Inn
The Stonewall Inn, often shortened to Stonewall is an American bar in New York City and the site of the Stonewall riots of 1969, which are widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for gay and lesbian rights in the United...
.)
During this same time, Winters also worked as an online entertainment correspondent for queerplanet, an Australian based media group for which he acquired the operations rights in 2011 and re-branded as queerplanet.net: powered by GaySocialites.com.
In 2006 Winters turned his nickname into a business when he co-founded GaySocialites.com, an online magazine dedicated to providing topics that appeal to gay men beyond LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
news coverage, with Anthony Lago
Anthony Lago
DJ Anthony Lago is a mashup DJ and music producer living in New York City. He is noted for his work at some of New York City's top nightclubs such as Heaven, Penthouse, The Limelight/Avalon, Boysroom, Stonewall and Sessa...
.
GaySocialites.com and Charles Winters Information Management (CWIM)
From October 2005 until October 2011, Charles Winters maintained credits as the founding editor and held the top executive post with titles ranging from Managing EditorManaging editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
to Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
at GaySocialites.com.
As the website celebrated its sixth year anniversary, Winters announced he would be moving into a new role as President and Editorial Director for all websites operated by his namesake organization - Charles Winters Information Management (CWIM).
After launching GaySocialites.com in October 2006 as a source to provide information, gossip and listings about New York nightclubs, Winters led the website to first earn credibility among colleagues and competitors with coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith
In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...
in early 2007.
In December 2010, Winters established himself as the sole proprietor of the website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
and all entities of the GaySocialites brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
.
GaySocialites.com acquired queerplanet.net in June 2011 to form a larger organization called the GaySocialites Media Group, later known as Charles Winters Information Management.
Work as a Life Coach
Charles Winters is also a practicing life coach and self-help columnist offering clients assistance with goalGoal
A goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
setting, properly utilizing affirmations and preparing their personal operations plan using a workbook
Workbook
Workbook is the title of Bob Mould's first solo album after leaving Hüsker Dü. The album is primarily acoustic and has a strong folk influence - very different from much of his group's heavier music. The single "See a Little Light" was a hit on the US Modern Rock chart...
and scheduling system that he personally devised.
Between 2003 and 2004, Winters studied Life Coaching with Fairchild-Brown in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he was taught the working of the subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
mind, affirmations, personal questioning and goal setting.
His clientele has ranged from struggling LGBT youth and housewives
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
to up-and-coming celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and top business executives.
Winters is currently penning his debut publication intended to help individuals who with self development.
Acting Credits
In 2004, Winters studied acting, movement and diction at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. His credits include a starring role as “Charles” the vacuum cleaner salesperson in “Walk on the Wild Side”, a short film directed by Stephane SednaouiStéphane Sednaoui
Stéphane Sednaoui is a French-American photographer, director and producer whose work includes music videos, art projects, photographic essays, portrait photography, fashion photography and photojournalism....
based on the Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
song. He also appeared in a syndicated automobile sales commercial as car owner giving their testimonial. Winters also worked as a still model appearing in stock photography currently available online.
Controversies and Conflicts
Winters' has also made headlines for his controversial coverage igniting feuds with a variety of high profile personalities including Village Voice gossip columnist, Michael MustoMichael Musto
Michael Musto is an American columnist for the The Village Voice, where he writes La Dolce Musto. Musto was born in Brooklyn to an Italian American family. He attended Columbia University graduating in 1976. During his studies, he was a theater critic for the Columbia Spectator...
, and singer Lily Allen.
He has also had several public disputes with Kim Zolciak
Kim Zolciak
Kimberleigh Marie "Kim" Zolciak is an American reality television personality known for her participation on the Bravo series The Real Housewives of Atlanta.-Early life:...
of Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta. In September 2009, gossip columnists reported that Winters was being paid to escort Zolciak around Manhattan to help create a buzz for her debut single, "Tardy for the Party". Then later that month, Winters reported that Zolciak's former publicist claimed she was homophobic and racist. Then in December 2009, Winters broke news that Zolciak was in a lesbian relationship with celebrity DJ Tracy Young after he says he caught the two women on a date at a Manhattan gay club before a performance by Zolciak which Winters highly criticized. In October 2010, all three parties (Winters, Zolciak and Young) were booked as a part of the "OUTinAC" weekend (a gay gathering in Atlantic City) and organizers scurried to keep Winters and Zolciak separated after news broke that weekend that she was pregnant.
His personal life has even been the topic of various gossip columns leading to a spoof
Spoof
-General uses:* Parody by imitation* Satire, a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject* Forgery of goods or documents* Spoof , a guessing game...
promotional campaign for GaySocialites.com featuring all negative
Negative
- Science and mathematics :* Negative number* Negative mass* Negative energy * Electrical polarity* Negative result * Negative lenses, uses to describe diverging optics, see lens - Photography :...
reviews about his reporting and personal life.