Black News Channel Writes History with Long-Awaited Launch

A new TV network targeting an African American viewing audience launched today. Black News Channel (BNC) is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida and co-founded by former Oklahoma Republican Congressman, J.C. Watts.

During a statue dedication in January, Watts said, “We’ve done a lot as African Americans. Think about what Rosa Parks contributed, Harriet Tubman’s sacrifice, Martin Luther King’s sacrifice, and Frederick Douglass. Their contribution was to raise the conscious level of American to say that you know, we are all human and, all created by the same God.”

BNC planned to roll out its programming in November and January before announcing the Channel would launch on February 10^th.

The Channel’s Vice-President of News & Programming, Gary Wordlaw, told The Baltimore Sun, “We’re going to give the nation a look at the black community that has not been seen on any other network. 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 people’s network.”

BNC will partner with the National Newspaper Publishing Association which represents more than 200 Black-owned community newspapers. The Channel will also work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). For more information about the cable, satellite, and other options available for viewing BNC, visit the networks website www.blacknewschannel.com.