Black News Channel shutters two years after launch
Black News Channel has shut down, two years after its launch, reports TheWrap.
Multiple employees told TheWrap they were notified individually that Friday, March 25, 2022, would be the last day of live programming for the Tallahassee, Florida-based network. The channel was launched in February 2020 by former GOP congressman J.C. Watts and broadcast executive Bob Brillante to target Black audiences they felt were underserved by other news outlets.
According to Wikipedia,The Black News Channel (BNC) was an American pay television news channel, targeting the African American demographic. Charter Spectrum, Comcast Xfinity, DirecTV and Verizon Fios carried the channel’s linear feed, while Dish Network only carries it as a video-on-demand service. As of March 2021, BNC was available in 52 million homes, compared to over 83 million for the major cable news outlets and 75 million for conservative news network Newsmax TV.
Del Walters, left in photo, was Washington Bureau Chief at Black Television News Network. In addition, Walters is a news anchor at WTOP and, for 24 years, was a news anchor and Senior Investigative Reporter for WJLA TV, in Washington, D.C. Walters was awarded more than 20 Emmys for his work.
Photo: Black News Channel host Del Walters, CEO Princell Hair and “BNC Prime” host Charles Blow
