PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The nation’s first free broadcast network aimed at African-American audiences is now on the air in Philadelphia, the nation’s fourth-largest media market.
Atlanta-based Bounce TV is an over-the-air free channel supported by sponsors and geared toward black viewers ages 25 to 54. Unlike cable channels, Bounce is carried on the broadcast digital signals of local television stations.
It went live Thursday on Lenfest Broadcasting’s WMCN-TV in Philadelphia
Bounce TV executives include Martin Luther King III and former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young. They say the new network’s targeted demographic is vastly underserved and hungers for positive programming that speaks to them.
Since launching in a handful of markets Sept. 26, the network has made deals with broadcasters in more than two dozen cities.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.