Black News Channel Delays Launch

The Black News Channel had hoped to launch this month but has now pushed the date back until next year.

USA Today writes that the Black News Channel has pushed back its premiere to take advantage of fast-moving digital delivery platforms, the network announced Wednesday. Those carriers include wireless cellular services and streaming video services that offer live linear programming.

Being on smartphones will make it easier to attract millennials, 98% of whom have cellphones, which are the primary news device for more than two-thirds of them, said J.C. Watts, co-founder and BNC chairman. "Those devices on a day-by-day basis become more critically important," he said.

The network expects to reach agreements that would more than triple its audience size, beyond its originally estimated 33 million cable TV and satellite households in top African American TV markets, including New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

The planned launch date is now January 6th.

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