02.10.20 - This week is set to mark the launch of the first news channel directed specifically at the African American community. The Black News Channel is set to offer original content and programming “created by people of color for people of color” their website states.
J.C. Watts, a former congressman from Oklahoma, is the brain trust behind the project. The news channel has been in the works for over a decade now, experiencing several setbacks and delays in its pursuit to launch. Now, however, BNC (Black News Channel) is ready to reach viewers through Dish, Spectrum, and Xfinity X1 - With Sling, Vizio Smart TV, and the Roku Channel expected to be added later. BNC says they expect to be able to reach more than 100 million homes.
"At 6 a.m. on February the 10th, we're going to give the nation a look at the black community that has not been seen on any other network," An official for the network stated. "Our mission is to illuminate and to tell the truth. We're not partisan. We're not political. We're journalists. And we want to give good stories from the peoples' perspective. We should be the peoples' network."
The programming schedule will include a weekly news show hosted by Byron Pitts (An ABC alum), a weekly talk show hosted by Watts himself, and sports broadcasting. The channel is also expected to include a regular spotlight on historically black institutions throughout the nation.
