Wednesday, August 03, 2005
24-Hour News Channel Aimed at Black Americans Planned By Attorney
Source:Scripps Howard Florida attorney Willie Gary is expanding his cable television portfolio by creating the nation's first 24-hour news channel geared specifically toward black Americans.
The administrative offices of MBC News: The Urban Voice, as the network will be called, will be based in Fort Pierce, Fla., Gary said this week.
Gary said MBC News is expected to debut by the end of the year in 10 million households. It is expected to cost about $25 million to launch and initially will employ about 75 people.
"This is a major breakthrough in television news," Gary said.
"MBC News will have a tremendous impact by broadcasting the positive aspects of African-American culture, which are too often ignored by other networks," he said.
"We see a lot of negative images of African-Americans on TV," he said. "Some of it is justified. News is news. If a black man is arrested or charged with murder, it should be reported. But I also want to balance the news by showing a black man graduating." MBC News will be Gary's second national TV operation.
He owns sister channel Major Broadcasting Cable Network, dubbed MBC, which bills itself as providing original, wholesome programming to African-American families and urban communities.
The lineup on MBC, which debuted in 1998, includes movies, sports, talk shows and specials. That network reaches about 25 million households in 48 states, Gary said.
"What we're trying to do is cover the news 24/7 from an urban perspective. We'll be patterned after CNN, with some of the bells and whistles, including magazine and issue-oriented shows," said Gary.
The administrative offices of MBC News: The Urban Voice, as the network will be called, will be based in Fort Pierce, Fla., Gary said this week.
Gary said MBC News is expected to debut by the end of the year in 10 million households. It is expected to cost about $25 million to launch and initially will employ about 75 people.
"This is a major breakthrough in television news," Gary said.
"MBC News will have a tremendous impact by broadcasting the positive aspects of African-American culture, which are too often ignored by other networks," he said.
"We see a lot of negative images of African-Americans on TV," he said. "Some of it is justified. News is news. If a black man is arrested or charged with murder, it should be reported. But I also want to balance the news by showing a black man graduating." MBC News will be Gary's second national TV operation.
He owns sister channel Major Broadcasting Cable Network, dubbed MBC, which bills itself as providing original, wholesome programming to African-American families and urban communities.
The lineup on MBC, which debuted in 1998, includes movies, sports, talk shows and specials. That network reaches about 25 million households in 48 states, Gary said.
"What we're trying to do is cover the news 24/7 from an urban perspective. We'll be patterned after CNN, with some of the bells and whistles, including magazine and issue-oriented shows," said Gary.
# posted by ATN @ 6:04 PM 
