For Us By Us: 8 Things To Know About The Black News Channel – Vibe

The network will launch across over 30 million households Nov. 15.
By Desire Thompson
A network for us by us is heading to a television near you. The Black News Channel, a network dedicated to quality news and original content for African-Americans, will see the light of day next month.
BNC has been over a decade in the making thanks to J.C. Watts, the former Oklahoma congressman who wanted to create a platform similar to CNN with only news and insight by people of color. Networks like BET and TVOne have respectfully released similar programming in the past with BET Nightly News and News One Now hosted by Roland Martin, but this new network plans to run on a 24-hour news cycle while tying in programs that will benefit teens, women, and HBCUs.

It was recently announced that Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan made up a large part of the investment pool, with many wondering just how the network will be run. Khan has reportedly voted for President Donald Trump but has continuously slammed his tenure as commander-in-chief.
According to BNC’s website, their mission statement is “to provide intelligent programming that is informative, educational, inspiring and empowering to its African-American audience.” They also hope to “preserve a proud black American heritage” and inspire viewers with uplifting and spiritual content daily.

The network will launch across over 30 million households on Friday, Nov. 15. In the meantime, here’s everything you should know about the Black News Channel.
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Watts has worn many hats in his life with most of them existing in the business space. Some of his endeavors include a public affairs consulting company as well as director seats at companies like retail giant Dillard’s, CSX Corporation and ITC Holdings.
Before jumping into the business world, Watts played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and later, the Canadian Football League. After becoming a Baptist minister in the early ’90s, he ran for Congress and served four terms.

During that time, Watts worked alongside Capitol Hill with former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush. During the late ’90s, he was elected to the chair of the House Republican Conference. He also co-founded the Coalition for AIDS Relief in Africa and helped develop legislation with Congressman John Lewis to establish the Smithsonian Museum of African American history.
The idea for BNC came in 2004 with the intent to provide quality news and original programming to African-American households. “The Black news channel is culturally specific to the African-American community,” he told The Street earlier this month.
“You’ve got 200 plus stations on any cable system. We are the one location that you can come and find out about wellness culture, current affairs as it relates to African-American communities.” He also stressed the need to provide a safe space for black wellness earlier this year on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club.

Before setting up shop in Tallassee, Florida, Watts was interested in filming on the campus but decided against it. Instead, the network will work closely with Ann Kimbrough in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication at Florida A&M University and other Historical Black Colleges & Universities across the country.

BNC will operate as a 24/7 news channel and will launch to an estimated 33 million households. A reported 23 million are satellite owners while the other 10 million are from cable TV households in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. A studio was also built this year for the network in New Orleans.
In the early stages of the network, the company created “on-air programming trials” that served 8 million people. The project helped the company with the type of content they wanted to create and the content viewers wanted to see.
Under the site’s goals for the Black News Channel, the company notes how they’ve built strong relationships with African-American figures from the clergy, media, and politics. While it isn’t known just how faith will play into BNC’s ideology, there seems to be something there.

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan wants Black News Channel to reflect the views of African-Americans but critics aren’t thrilled about his political ties. Khan reportedly voted for Trump and donated $1 million to his inauguration. During an interview at Yahoo Finance’s All Markets Summit this month, Khan explained his appreciation for Trump’s economic retort but a distaste for his social policies around immigration, religion and civil rights.
Khan was one of the first NFL owners to famously lock arms with players in solidarity for Colin Kaepernick who was slammed for kneeling during the National Anthem. “Those were human causes that [the players] brought a lot of attention to,” he said.
“And since then, the league has done a lot. We’d need a special program with you to go through all the stuff. And the players have done a lot. That was the time for talk and symbolism; since then, it’s been time for action. And there’s been a lot of action. Local communities, prison reform, a lot of those things that impact not only minorities but other people.”

But when it comes to his investment in BNC, Khan wants to change the narrative in media about black lifestyles. “I believe there is an undeniable calling for everything the Black News Channel will deliver to African-American television audiences, who have historically been underserved, in an era where networks have otherwise successfully targeted news to specific demographic groups and interests,” Khan told WJCT, adding, “My decision to invest is an easy one, because we get to answer that call.”

An estimated 12 hours will be dedicated to the news while the rest will focus on content dedicated to women and teens. Other programs will also shed light on alternative sports like MMA, Muay Thai and the NBA on a global level.
Some standout program synopses include:
Being a Woman
This daily one-hour hosted talk show is dedicated to topics of interest to women of all ages. Show topics will range from childbirth to caring for elderly parents, business to politics, and entertainment to hair care. No topic is too big or too small for this woman-to-woman discussion. The show host will select distinguished women from the vast array of academic experts and alumnae professionals associated with our Historical Black Colleges & Universities to co-host each day’s program.
Getting Ready With Jane: Today’s Teen
In this show, family therapist Jane Marks gets real with teens and speaks a language they can understand. With more than forty years of experience helping families and young people in crisis, Marks offers helpful and timely advice to young African Americans about coping in today’s world. This one-hour weekly program is family-friendly and offers a message of hope. Today’s Teen Talk series is definitely “must see TV.”
My Money
This daily half-hour business show will examine best practices for wisely making and managing your money, as well as news and information about what is happening in the financial markets at home and around the world. This format will include a host and financial experts as studio guests.
BNC’s relationship with Historical Black Colleges & Universities will run deep. Not only will aspiring journalists have an opportunity to work at the network but they will also have exposure to media training and state of the art production.
The series Living Social at HBCUs will also explore life on HBCU campuses and the intersection of education and cultural development.

Everyone loves a wildcard and BNC has found one in Larry Elder. The radio staple and attorney has over 25 years in the industry from news programs on NBC and ABC News & Talk. He also starred as a judge on Moral Court, an early production by TMZ creator Harvey Levin in 2001.
Elder’s views have been seen as conservative but he reportedly identifies as a Libertarian. After walking away from the news show sector, Elder made his way to digital radio and podcasting where he’s led conversations on topics like “Unwed Fathers” in the NBA, education, and criticism of the early presidential candidates of the 2020 election. He’s also a frequent user of the #HillaryUnhinged hashtag that criticizes the former presidential candidate.
Larry Elder NEW Video: Why Won't The 'Woke' @NBA Take On The 800lb Elephant On The Court–UNWED FATHERS?!?https://t.co/Tbtqmcz25c #FathersMatter pic.twitter.com/I8oOAOcKIx
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) October 21, 2019

School Choice, Pt. 2
Larry Elder VIDEO: Black and Hispanic Democrats WANT Choice in Education–White Democrats DO NOT!https://t.co/ghQQMNS4iV #SchoolVouchers
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) October 20, 2019

A program hasn’t been shared on BNC’s website but Elder is listed as a “Show Host/Commentator.” We’re sure many will tune in to hear about today’s culture from his perspective.
Learn more about the Black News Channel here.
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