A call for diversity in media is finally being answered with the formation of Bounce TV. Unlike from BET and Africa Channel which are cable networks, Bounce TV will be the nation’s first free, over-the-air broadcast TV network designed exclusively for African American audiences and majority owned and operated by African Americans.
Based in Atlanta, the new network will launch in the fall with the specific goal of targeting African Americans between the ages of 25 and 54 with a wide range of content planned, including movies, stage plays, documentaries, sporting events, and original programming.
The network’s founders are former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, Martin Luther King III, and Andrew “Bo” Young III. Television execs Ryan Glover & Jonahan Katz, and filmmakers and co-founders of Rainforest Films Rob Hardy and Will Packer also hold executive positions on the network.
King told Broadcastingcable.com:
[sws_blockquote_endquote align=”” cite=”” quotestyle=”style03″]My father envisioned the day that African Americans would play major roles in entertainment within ownership, not just serve as entertainers on the stage or in front of the cameras. That’s what makes this even more exciting to me as we embark on this new endeavor of an independently owned and operated broadcast television network featuring African Americans.[/sws_blockquote_endquote]
Will you be watching?
It’s about time we had our own network in the USA. Bounce would hopefully lead they way into the future with lots of progressive programming. I would really suggest that they come up with an umbrella branch that can cater for the younger generation. We have to always keep in mind that the younger folk are the future. They are how we ensure that tomorrow becomes better. So we must at all cost invest everything in them. So, I think the founders of Bounce are a great crew and I only wish them the best no only in black media but everything in general.
This is good for Black television. Is about time. I agree with you Nkrumah about making sure we don’t lose sight of the important little ones. I think a separate station should be dedicated for that.
I really don’t know what Oprah’s OWN is all about. I know Oprah is not all that pretty but I think she could begin to look into programming for children.
Children def need attention. Cause all that Disney, Hannah Montana, Dora the Explorer television is not giving black children a role model to follow that looks like them. Hopefully Bounce takes off in the right direction so they next step can be looking at the youngins.
This is good for the African American community. The stuff on TV these days is full of nonsense. I barely understand how it has come to be that these tv programmers at the major station thing everybody is stupid and wants to be stupider. A real constructive network like this will go a long way to making it easier to address important issues on television.
This is indeed an important step towards total emancipation. Black everything! Kudos to the founders and should serve as an inspiration to all of us everywhere in the world that you cannot be truly free until you can think what you want to think and when you want to think it. Media is the key to unlocking that important path to freedom. I salute all.
Just be careful it doesn’t turn into BET.
They should more than anything be careful they don’t sell it and cash out like those stupid founders of BET did.
Can’t really knock them for that. They wanted to get rich and they thought television was the way to do it so they did! If they knew what they had they wouldn’t have sold. Again you can’t knock them… where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise.