A former Oklahoma Republican congressman launched the first black 24-hour news channel “by black people, for black people.”
Former Rep. J.C. Watts launched the Black News Channel on Monday, which employs 60 people and is based in Tallahassee, Florida. The channel will reach 33 million homes, from Atlanta, Georgia, to Los Angeles, California, in primarily African American markets.
“I think there needs to be a more comprehensive story told about the African American community, and we’ll have a venue to do that,” Watts said during a Sunday interview with NPR. “We’re not looking to be liberal or conservative.”
Watts explained the channel is intended to cover issues in a nonpartisan way from a black perspective, saying, “We want to provide a venue for African Americans to have a voice, to be a part of the dialogue that’s going on in the country, be it incarceration reform or impeachment.”
The channel will feature all black talent on screen, including conservative commentator Larry Elder, former Fox News anchor Kelly Wright, former CNN host Fred Hickman, and former CBS reporter Lauren McGee.
The new network is receiving bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans, including from California Rep. Karen Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus and a Democrat.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am that there is going to be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week Black News Channel,” she excitedly endorsed the news channel at a launch event. “I was thrilled from Day One.”
Democratic New York Rep. Yvette D. Clarke also lauded the network, saying: “For far too long, our media didn’t speak to that and today still doesn’t speak to that diversity. The Black News Channel will fill a void in many spaces.”
“Today, information is so targeted to groups,” Watts said about the current state of the news media. “Every demographic out there has a venue that they can access for news information, culture, wellness, etc. Except for the African American community.”
The network is partnering with the National Newspaper Publisher Association, a trade organization that consists of more than 200 black-owned local newspapers across the country. It is currently available on Spectrum, Xfinity X-1, and Dish Network and will eventually be watchable using Sling and Roku.
