Watts says network will cover more issues
Via NewsOK
Watts says network will cover more issues
By Jim Stafford
Americans segregate themselves in white churches and black churches and listen to music that targets black listeners and music that targets white listeners, former Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts said.
So why, then, would a cable news network that targets black viewers be seen as anything but the norm, Watts said Friday in a telephone interview from Washington.
The Oklahoma native plans to launch the Black Television News Channel by mid-summer 2009.
He already has deals with both Comcast and Dish Network that will put the new channel in 20 million homes at launch.
Plan calls for change
“As far back as 2003, Nielsen and Arbitron indicated that the black community more than any other culture depends on subscription television,” Watts said. “In spite of that you see very little programming on television that appeals to the African American community. You have 70 Hispanic cable channels and three Hispanic news services.
“There are only two cable channels that offer entertainment to African Americans and no cable news networks.”
For Black Americans, there is very little reporting of political or social commentary but a lot of crime news, Watts said.
He plans to change that with the new cable endeavor.
‘What is news?’
“What is news?” he asked. “One could make the argument that what you see concerning the African American community is crimes and drugs,” he said. “If J.C. Watts goes and stabs Billy Sims, it is what it is. You have to report on that.
“But you don’t see economic reporting on the African American community. The African American community is not involved in the political discussion in the mainstream press and the social discussion in the mainstream press.”
Cost effective launch
However, the cost to launch and run a cable news operations is enormous, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting at Oklahoma State University said earlier this week when pondering the proposed new network.
“My question would be, can they sustain it financially and can they manage it correctly,” said OSU professor Marc Krein. “They are going to have to bring in some real quality people and obviously have deep pockets.”
An industry source was quoted in the New York Post this week saying that it would cost at least $100 million to start a cable news network.
Without identifying his financial partners, Watts countered that by saying that this is not the launch of CNN, and it’s not 1980.
“With Comcast and Dish Net stepping up to the plate with distribution is critical,” Watts said. “Technology today and content partnerships make it much more cost-effective in trying to launch a channel.”
‘Distribution is key’
“Distribution is key and I do agree with him that management is extremely important. It’s much more cost effective today than to try to launch a channel than it would be 15 to 20 years (ago),” Watts said.
The Black Television News Network will target viewers from 25 to 54 years of age and bring news of a scope that goes far beyond the usual crime reporting, he said.
“I have intentions of making the Black Television News Channel the single destination for reliable, credible news resources for the African American community,” Watts said. “I want people to know that we have a very diverse community and, it’s not just drugs and crime.”
>Earlier: Tips for J.C. Watts to Become The Black Ted Turner
I still have strong reservations about this channel. I just don’t see how they can come up with enough original and unique programming that will be specifically branded to the “black” audience. Are “black economics” different than “mainstream economics?” I suppose, we shall see what happens.
But here’s something I’ve noticed before when Watts talks about this, he makes a logically flawed argument:
“You have 70 Hispanic cable channels and three Hispanic news services.”
He suggests that like the Hispanic channels, there should be “black” channels. The difference is, however, there is a language barrier between the Hispanic market and the average-American market. There is no language barrier (or at least no common barrier, black’s speak a variety of different languages, but there is no “black language”), which there is for the Hispanic audience. Therefore, Hispanics are unable to watch mainstream American programming, because they don’t understand. That’s why there are so many Hispanic programs… not because it necessarily appeals to the needs or specifics of that culture, but because it is in THEIR language.
Watts speaks of the argument as though its culture that created these networks… it’s not… it’s language.
Comment by ImNotBlue — June 1, 2008 @ 4:51 pm