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Black
Buying Power:
$656 Billion (2003)
Black U.S. Population:
38.3 million
Top Five Black Cities
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- Chicago
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Top Five Black Metros:
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- Los Angeles
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Top Five Expenditures:
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- Food 56.5 bil.
- Cars/Trucks 32.6 bil.
- Clothing 23.0 bil.
- Health Care 18.0 bil.
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'American Idol' sacks football playoffs to take top spot with 3.7 million households
(Jan 25, 2005) The return of "American Idol" was greeted by black households with even greater popularity than in previous seasons. The Fox show dominated the the top ten list of primetime programs, taking the number one and number three spots with a combined audience of over 6 million households for the third week of January.
The Steelers/Patriots AFC championship game attracted 3.4 million black homes to give CBS the number two position. The network had three other winners, for the most by any network. The total homes watching the top ten was 23.2 million, a whopping 58.8% increase over the previous week.
The sophomore season of BET's reality show, 'College Hill,' begins this week
This time around, BET and Edmonds Entertainment flipped the script with an off-campus housing arrangement -- the cast mates share a luxurious Western-themed ranch in the middle of nowhere, and whenever they get together sparks fly. Last year's popularity inspired producers to take a new approach that would keep the show fresh, and the new rural, off-campus setting will surely lend this season its own unique flavor.
"We are very proud of having the only Black reality show on TV. This year, we show all aspects of the students' lives: the classroom struggles and triumphs as well as party times," said Stephen Hill, BET Senior Vice President of Music Programming and Talent.
The producers sought diversity in tabbing the cast members, selecting the final eight from over 1,000 applicants of the school's 3,500 student body members. The show's producers think the mix is just right and are banking on this diversity of personalities to keep the show and its plot intriguing from week to week.
BET is supporting the show premiere with a substantial multi-media advertising and marketing campaign. The strategy includes heavy rotation of promotional spots on BET; television spots on the UPN network; radio ads in 30 major markets; a poster campaign and ads in the campus newspapers of several historically Black colleges and universities; and ads in bus shelters in seven markets.
Essence signs agreement with Cherokee Inc. for licensing representation
(Jan
25, 2005) Essence Communications signed an exclusive agreement with
Cherokee Inc. to represent Essence magazine in strategic direct retail
licensing opportunities for the black women's lifestyle publication. The
agreement will seek out retailers to partner with Essence in creating
products specifically designed for African-Americans. "We are pleased to partner with Cherokee, who has a proven track record of success in placing top brands with major retailers," said Michelle Ebanks President, of Essence Communications. "We are excited to explore the many branding opportunities available."
Anthony Damiani, VP of Brand Development, Cherokee Inc. said, "as this demographic continues to grow and spend, there is a definite need in the retail marketplace for an authoritative, aspirational African-American brand and Essence is that voice of authority."
Some of Cherokee's clients include Target Stores, May Department Stores, Sears Roebuck and Company, Mervyn's, TJX Companies, Hearst Publications and Solera Capital.
UPN Announces New TLC Reality Series “R U The Girl with T-Boz & Chili”
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By
Tanya Kersey(Jan 24, 2005) Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas and Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins, the two remaining members of TLC, one of the biggest-selling female groups of all time, have decided that they need to start the next phase of their career. What better way to do that than a nationwide search to find a female performer to join them in concert and in the studio to record a track for TLC's “Greatest Hits” album. Dawn Ostroff, President, Entertainment for UPN announced the new reality series, “R U The Girl with T-Boz & Chili,” today during the TV critics winter press tour.
Following the tragic death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in April 2002 in a car accident in Honduras, T-Boz and Chili said TLC would never be the same and Lopes would never be replaced. Ostroff says the duo had been in a “holding pattern for several years” but are now ready to move forward and go on with the next phase of their career. “I think this is going to be a very emotional show. This is a very personal journey for these girls,” Ostroff added.
Amidst reports that T-Boz and Chili were looking for a replacement for Lopes, Ostroff says “I think they're really looking for that person to help them go on and figure out what they are reinvesting. There's no guarantee that the person that they find will be the person forever, but I think that their intention is that this could be somebody who really could work with them for a long time. But there are no guarantees.” The winner of the competition gets to join T-Boz and Chili in an upcoming concert and record with them in the studio.
For eight weeks, UPN will be there as T-Boz and Chili put the aspiring performers through a rigorous series of challenges where they will be testing, judging and eliminating the potential artists to find the one who might just be the perfect fit.
Clear Channel expands markets for its Jesse Jackson radio show
(Jan 19, 2005) Clear Channel Radio has announced that "Keep Hope Alive With the Rev. Jesse Jackson" is now available in 23 markets nationwide, including five of the top-10. The program debuted in April 2004 on six stations and began syndicating the program nationally in April 2004. Today, Clear Channel Radio broadcasts the program on 19 stations across the country, including large markets such as New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit, Miami and Denver.
"Listener response to 'Keep Hope Alive(TM) With Rev. Jesse Jackson' has been overwhelming," said John Hogan, President and CEO of Clear Channel Radio. "In less than a year it has emerged as one of the most dynamic programs in radio."
Playoff football dominates as number of viewers for top ten shows drops
(Jan 19, 2005) The NFL playoffs again captured the top spots among top ten primetime shows for black households for the second week of January. Fox took the number one position with the Rams/Falcons game. CBS earned the number two spot with Colts/Patriots face-off. However, both games had about a million fewer black homes watching than viewed last week's matchups.
Bernie Mac's Friday night showing gave Fox the number six spot, and "Desperate Housewives" gave ABC its sole winner at number 10. Overall, the top ten dropped 27% from the previous week, falling from 27 million viewers to 19.9 million.
'Savoy' re-emerges with a familiar look and the support of advertisers
(Jan
19, 2005) Just eight months after closing on the acquisition of Savoy
magazine, Chicago publisher Hermene Hartman is about to debut the re-born
publication with the hopes of picking up where the title left off two
years ago.The new Savoy will retain quite a bit of what readers had come to identify with, not the least of which was a unique editorial formula that focused on African-American interests in an upscale environment. “There’s not another magazine on the market to serve affluent African-Americans in a sophisticated, savvy way,” said Hartman. “That is what Savoy had defined for itself, and we will follow that niche.”
Savoy’s February debut cover features Barack and Michelle Obama captured by renown photographer Victor Skrebneski. The 116-page issue carries 14 articles, features and columns. The magazine will still be published 10 times a year, with combined issues for June/July and December/January.
The circulation base of 325,000 includes all those who previously subscribed to the magazine. Advertisers such as Mercedes Benz, Soft Sheen-Carson products, Wal-Mart and GMC ponied up $25,000 per color page and delivered 17 pages of ads, according to Bill Trammell, vice president of sales and marketing.
Hartman
(left) said old readers will recognize the tone and focus Savoy’s new
staff has created. ”As we looked at Savoy and did a content analysis of
it, we asked ourselves, what made this magazine really super?” she said.
“What made this magazine really take the market by storm? But we also
asked what was wrong with it. We stayed focus on the mantra: Power.
Substance. Style,” a moniker that defined the old Savoy.What Hartman’s staff said they discovered was a good but inconsistent editorial package. “The problem with the old Savoy was that depending on which issue you picked up, you got a different magazine each time,” said new editor Monroe Anderson. “There were no anchors. We’re going to have the same columnists each month.” Those columnists include economist Julianne Malveaux, and author and motivational speaker Terrie Williams.
”I thought it was a bit too New York-centric,” said Anderson. ”I want it to be a national publication. I want it to be more black America. Because we had to get it done quickly, I had to rely on Chicago writers more than others at the moment.” Among the contributors in the February issue are author Chris Benson, veteran journalist Vern Smith and historian Jeffrey Stewart. Future issues will have writings from former contributors like previous editor Selwyn Seyfu Hinds.
Anderson, who has worked at Ebony, Newsweek and the Chicago Tribune, said he wants to make the new Savoy “a writer’s and a reader’s magazine. The cover story runs 14 pages with the photos. You don’t see that in any black publication, but we’re trying to live up to the concept of substance.”
Mindful that Savoy’s previous owner, Vanguarde Media, lost the title in bankruptcy, Hartman said she's confident of reaching success. “We’ll be profitable by the end of the year if not sooner. The advertisers have embraced it. We had some advertisers who wanted to take a wait-and-see attitude. But I’m proud to say, ‘here it is,’ and we think we’ll capture those people.”
Interep presents black gospel radio survey which offers profile of audience
(Jan. 17, 2005) Interep presented findings from its newly released Gospel Radio research report on January 15th at the Stellar Awards in Houston, Texas. The presentation, made by Sherman Kizart, senior vice president of urban marketing, focused on the power of Gospel Radio and its value to advertisers targeting the African-American community.
Among the highlights in the report are these facts:
- In 2004, there were 284 commercial Black Gospel radio stations in the U.S. compared to 83 in 1992.
- In 2003 (latest available data), Religious music (Gospel, Christian, Inspirational) accounted for 5.8% of total music sales, up from 4.8% in 1993.
" A growing number of mainstream artists, including Destiny Child's Michelle Williams, Smokey Robinson, Billy Ray Cyrus and Randy Travis, have put out Gospel releases.
- While most metros with large African-American populations have at least one Gospel radio station, 53% of gospel listeners are in the Southeastern states.
- Gospel listeners are prime consumers - over 17% have a $75,000+ household income; 71% own their own homes, and 42% have attended some college or more.
For more information or to obtain a copy of the report contact Liz Casasola at 212-309-9018 or by e-mail at liz_casasola@interep.com.
ABC football coverage helps network score with black audiences
(Jan. 13, 2005) The first week of the New Year kicked off a string of winners for the ABC network as black audiences flocked to primetime football coverage. ABC took the first, second and ninth spots on the top ten with the Jets/Chargers playoff game pre-game show and the Orange Bowl.
As viewers returned to their routines following the holidays, their favorite shows enjoyed big jumps in audience. "Girlfriends" took the number three spot with slightly more than 3 million black households. The total number of viewers for the top ten nearly doubled in one week, from 14.5 million during the last week of December to 27.4 million.
BlackAthlete Sports Network forms alliance with Sports LLC on print vehicle
(Jan. 13, 2005) BlackAthlete Sports Network, LLC (BASN) NY, NY and 411 Sports LLC of Dallas, Texas announced a strategic media partnership to become the definitive source for black sports information and access to Black athletes, at all levels and from around the globe. The partnership will focus on distributing sports newspapers in local inner-city communities nationally and online via www.blackathlete.net. The venture launched January 8th in Dallas with a local newspaper version of the national model that will be distributed in major cities across the US.
"Clearly, African Americans are seeking us out," said Cedric Lyons, Publisher/CEO of 411 Sports LLC. "Spending patterns of African Americans and people of color highlight the sports, apparel, entertainment and media business and are extremely important to this group, which account for 25% of all online spending and growing."
Black magazines outperformed all titles for growth in ad revenues for '04
(Jan.
10, 2005) The nation's top black magazines outperformed other magazines in
generating advertising revenues, according to the latest figures released
by the Publisher Information Bureau of the Magazine Publishers
Association.The five black titles measured by PIB increased ad revenues in 2004 to $337.8 million from $317.9 million in the previous year. The 6.3% increase in ad revenues is nearly twice the growth rate of 3.8% for all PIB titles, making black magazine the fastest growing category in publishing.
Monthly ad revenues for black titles have been moving downward in the fourth quarter of 2004. Black Enterprise and Essence recorded double-digit ad increases of 19% and 15% respectively. The weekly Jet had a five percent increase in advertising, while Vibe and Ebony showed slight declines.
Ethnic Print Media releases preliminary data from national newspaper study
(Jan. 10, 2005) Preliminary results from the first nationwide readership study of the top 110 African American newspapers uncovers the powerful role African American newspapers play in their ethnic community, announced Gemstone Communications, Inc. and its newspaper ad sales division Ethnic Print Media Group.
The proprietary readership study of African American newspapers shows:
- 66% of readers cite their African American newspaper as their Primary or Only source for local news and community event information
- Only 12% subscribe to a daily newspaper
- 72% frequently purchase products or services as seen in their local African American newspaper
"Our new proprietary research shows the power of our newspapers in reach, relevance and importance in the African American community," said Ethnic Print Media Group/ Gemstone Communications Vice President Trevor Hansen. "For marketers and agencies looking for the touch points to effectively reach the African American market, our newspapers provide the forum and editorial environment for strong brand messaging."
The large-scale circulation audit and readership study will be completed next month. The readership study will include interviews with more than 15,000 readers of 110 African American community newspapers across the United States.
Demographic and qualitative readership data will include such topics as: travel plans, future purchases of cars, furniture and electronics, as well as insurance, health and financial interests. The independent research is being conducted by Circulation Verification Council.
Africana.com making long anticipated move to merge with AOL's BlackVoices
(Jan.
10, 2005) In a move that has long been expected, America Online has
announced that is it consolidating its two African-American targeted
services, Africana.com and BlackVoices.com, into one entity. "After 6 years, Africana.com is shutting its doors on January 31, 2005," says a message on the site. "It's been an exciting and interesting ride, and we hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have...While Africana.com will be no more, many of the features that comprised Africana.com will be given a new home at AOL BlackVoices. We hope that you, our members and readers, will also make the move to AOL BlackVoices with us and enrich its community with your voices."
Africana.com was purchased by AOL Time Warner in 2000 from its creators, educators Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Kwame Anthony Appiah. AOL then acquired BlackVoices.com two years ago when the the Tribune Co. decided to close the money-losing venture. BV has more than 800,000 registered members.
Detroit-NABJ launches task force to promote diversity in auto industry communications
(Jan
6, 2005) The Detroit Chapter of the
National Association of Black Journalists (DC-NABJ) announced the creation
of an automotive task force during the 2005 North American
International Auto Show.The group says its mission is to promote diversity in automotive communications, including journalism, public relations, advertising, marketing and other related professions. The organization's main goals are to introduce students and young professionals to automotive communications careers and provide a networking forum for those in the profession. The task force will engage in a variety of public service, educational and networking initiatives.
"Rather than complain about the lack of diversity within our ranks, we've decided to do something about it," said Frank Washington (above), an automotive journalist and chair of the task force. "Our purpose is to fill the multicultural void that exists in one of the most critical professions in the auto industry -- communications."
"The formation of an automotive task force makes perfect sense for an NABJ chapter located in the automotive capital of the world," added Darren Nichols, DC-NABJ president. "We look forward to being at the forefront of a movement that will promote careers in automotive communications."
The Automotive Task Force is a nonprofit, ad-hoc committee of the Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. Membership is open to communications professionals with an interest in automotive communications.
DIRECTTV to offer TV One free to its subscribers nationwide
(Jan. 5, 2005) DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading digital television service provider, announced the signing of an agreement with TV One, that will make the year-old lifestyle and entertainment channel targeting African Americans available to customers who subscribe to its Total Choice programming package.
As part of the agreement, DIRECTV has become an equity investor in TV One. It joins partners Radio One, Comcast Corp., Constellation Ventures, Syndicated Communications, Pacesetter Capital Group; and Opportunity Capital Partners. Financial terms of the deal were not discolosed.
Delivered for the first time on a nationwide television service platform, TV One will be offered on DIRECTV channel 241, at no additional charge.
DIRECTV's nationwide launch of TV One marks the network's first entry into several heavily-populated African American U.S. markets, including New York, Houston, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Memphis, Tenn., and Charlotte, N.C.
"TV One is an exceptional network, which delivers high-quality programming targeted toward the African American community that is both culturally relevant and entertaining," said Michael Thornton, senior vice president, Programming Acquisitions, DIRECTV, Inc. "The addition of TV One to the DIRECTV programming lineup will enhance our customer viewing experience and continue our commitment to offer the best and most diverse programming lineup available in the market."
TV One, which currently serves nearly 20 million subscribers, will add more than 13.5 million customers with its agreement with DIRECTTV.
'Monday Night Football' holds onto top spot again with viewers gone for the holidays
(Jan. 4, 2005) ABC's "Monday Night Football" hold on to the number one spot with the black primetime audience during the last week of December. The 1.8 million that tuned in was well below the usual volume of viewers, as the holiday changed traditional habits.
Also for the second week in a row, CBS managed to capture four spot in the top ten. The VIBE Awards special garnered enough eyeballs to make the list. Total viewers for the top ten stayed about the same as the previous week with 14.5 million households.
Essence Communications sells remaining outstanding shares to Time Inc.
Michelle Ebanks to become president
(Jan.
4, 2005) Time Inc. has signed a non-binding agreement to acquire the
portion of Essence Communications Partners, publisher of Essence magazine,
that it does not already own. Financial terms of the transaction were not
disclosed.After the transaction is completed, Ed Lewis (below), Chairman & CEO of Essence Communications and Publisher of Essence magazine will serve as non-executive Chairman and Founder of Essence. He will continue to promote the Essence brand by representing it with advertisers, professional organizations and at industry and advertising events. Michelle Ebanks (above), currently Group Publisher, will become President of Essence Communications.
Ann
Moore, Chairman and CEO of Time Inc., said, "We've been delighted with our
investment in Essence Communications and our overall relationship with
them. It's a terrific company with a great deal of talent and a wonderful
brand. There has always been a mutual understanding between us that if the
ever wanted to sell the remaining interest, we wanted to purchase it. So,
we're especially pleased with this development."Lewis said in a statement, "Time Inc. has distinguished itself by recognizing the impact of African-Americans on a global scale, and their influence within the cultural landscape. Thanks to our partnership with Time Inc., Essence Communications is a stronger, more competitive publisher.
"Once the deal has been approved and we become a full-fledged member of the Time Inc. family, we're looking forward to aggressively broadening the scope of the Essence brand and penetrating new markets around the world. It will give me great pride and comfort to know that Essence will be secure for generations to come and that its prospects for even greater success will be brighter than ever."
After the transaction is completed, as non-executive Chairman and Founder of Essence, Lewis will continue to promote the Essence brand by representing it with advertisers, professional organizations and at industry and advertising events. Michelle Ebanks, currently Group Publisher, will become President of Essence Communications.
The closing of the transaction is subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements and customary closing conditions, including any necessary regulatory approvals and the approval by Time Warner's Board of Directors.
AURN scores top black spots in Arbitron's Radar 83 radio network rankings
(Jan. 3, 2005) American Urban Radio Network captured the number one, two and three positions among black oriented networks measured in Arbitron's latest Radar 83 report.
RADAR (Radio’s All Dimension Audience Research) measures network commercial audiences by merging radio listening information with clearance data for broadcasts and commercial exposures. That is, quarter-hours of radio usage as reported by respondents are matched with program and commercial clearances provided by the radio networks for each station carrying the programming.
The 43 measured networks are operated by ABC Radio Networks, American Urban Radio Networks, Crystal Media Networks, Dial Communications - Global Media, Inc., Jones MediaAmerica Inc., Premiere Radio Networks and Westwood One Radio Networks. Radar 83 also included the premiere of AURN's STRZ Weekend Entertainment network.
During the RADAR 83 survey period, 76 percent of U.S. consumers ages 12+ heard one or more network radio commercials in the course of a week. Among the prime audience demographics sought by advertisers, the commercials aired on the 46 radio networks reached 77 percent of Persons 12-34; 79 percent of Persons 35-49; and 74 percent of Persons 50+ . In addition, network radio reaches upper-income adults. Seventy-nine percent of adults living in households earning $75,000 or more are in the network audience each week.
Essence's 'Take Back the Music' campaign confronts hip-hop's attack on black women
(Jan.
3, 2005) Essence magazine is taking on what its editor calls "the media
war on young girls." The multi-faceted, year-long effort begins this month
with a campaign called "Take Back the Music." Through its pages, Web site
and events, Essence is encouraging a public dialogue and outcry about
sexually-oriented lyrics and images contained in hip-hop music and videos."For much of the past year, a contingent of Essence editors have met weekly to explore ways we can provide a platform for the many women and men out there troubled by these demeaning portrayals of Black women," writes editor-in-chief, Diane Weathers (above) in the January issue.
"We want to provoke honest discussion and raise consciousness without finger-pointing, preaching, censoring or excessive moralizing. We're not demanding that edgy young artists deny their creative voice. But we do want to let them know when it hurts."
There was not universal agreement among staffers about the damage that's being inflicted by these characterizations and stereotypes, but the decision was made to provide balance and a voice for those that are outraged.
"The damage of this imbalanced portrayal of Black women is impossible to measure. An entire generation of black girls are being raised on these narrow images," write the editors at essence.com. "And as the messages and images are broadcast globally, they have become the lens through which the world now sees us. This cannot continue."
Weathers hopes to empower her readers to bring about the kind of change of other young girls have fought for and achieved. "When the clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch crossed the line with a hypersexual marketing campaign aimed at upscale suburban White teens, a group called Dads and Daughters said no. Their protest ultimately forced the retail chain to change its marketing strategy."
This month's forum is just the beginning," said Weathers. "Starting now, we're letting our voice be heard because we love Black music and we want to take it back."
The Wave Newspapers seeks to restructure debt owed to development bank
(Dec. 29, 2004) Wave Community Newspapers Inc. has filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles. The company is the nation's largest African-American-owned newspaper publisher, with black and Hispanic papers totaling more than 150,000 in circulation.
According to company officials, the bankruptcy filing was prompted by repayment demands and other disputes that The Wave was having with its primary secured lender, Los Angeles Community Development Bank. LACDB was established after the 1992 riots in Los Angeles to assist minority businesses and spur economic development by providing loans. Beginning in 1999, The Wave, under its previous owners, began receiving loan from the LACDB, which ultimately totaled some $4 million.
The bank itself became a victim of mismanagement went into bankruptcy and Valley Economic Development Center was charged with collecting the bank's debts.
In 2000, The Wave Newspapers was acquired by Equal Access Media whose CEO is Pluria Marshall, Jr. Marshall told Target Market News that the company has repaid about $1.3 million of the loan and was making monthly installments of $30,000 per month. The Wave was trying to restructure its re-payment plan, but Marshall said Valley Economic Development refused to do so.
“We had been negotiating with the LACDB for over a year when it was placed into receivership.” Marshall said. “The receiver, who was charged strictly with collecting LACDB’s obligations, did not have the same goals as the LACDB. They had no interest in job creation or the development of inner-city empowerment zones. We are committed to solving the issues at The Wave and we will exercise those options under the supervision of the court."
Marshall added that the bankruptcy filing is not a reflection of the company's current fiscal condition. “The business is profitable from a profit and loss standpoint,” he said. “The reorganization will not result in any significant changes in operation for The Wave.”
The Wave plans to pay "about a seven figures portion of the debt" by selling the building where the company was formerly headquartered, according to Marshall. The plan must be approved by the bankruptcy court.
Roberto Barragan, president of the Valley Economic Development Center, disputed Marshall's version of the negotiations, telling the Los Angeles Times that The Wave had ignored a request for repayment.
“The Wave plans to emerge from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a comprehensive restructuring of its debt as expeditiously as possible,” said Marshall in a statement. “Pending completion of its reorganization, the company intends to operate its business without significant disruptions and pay all necessary operating expenses.”
'Monday Night Football' fumbles into first while most viewers shop and celebrate
(Dec. 28, 2004) For the first time this season, ABC's "Monday Night Football" scores with enough black viewers to be the number show in primetime during the third week of December. The 1.7 million households tuning in is a far cry from the 2.9 million that made "America's Next Top Model" the top rated show the previous week
CBS repeated its performance with more winners than the other networks. It earned four of the ten spots. With most of the week falling in the last shopping days before Christmas, viewers left their couches to head for the stores. The total number of viewers for the top ten shows dropped 57 percent from the previous week to only 14.7 million.
TV One adds a million new subscribers with new system agreements
(Dec.
23, 2004) TV One has announced launch agreements that will bring the new
network for African American adults more than one million new subscribers
by the end of this year.TV One launched earlier this month on Comcast cable systems in Los Angeles; Little Rock, AR; and Southeast Michigan, including Southfield, Ann Arbor and Detroit Metro area. TV One also launched December 15 on Cox Communications' cable systems in Fairfax County and Fredericksburg, VA.
In addition, the network will launch on Comcast systems in Indianapolis; Muncie, IN; and Augusta, GA by the end of the year. TV One is also scheduled to launch by December 31 on Cox Communications' cable systems in New Orleans; Baton Rouge, LA; and Roanoke, VA.
"We thank Comcast and Cox for their support of TV One and our goal of gaining distribution in the key U.S. urban markets that will be so critical to the channel's success. We look forward to working with each of these systems to execute customized launch marketing plans that will allow them to maximize the impact of introducing TV One to their current and potential customers," said TV One Executive Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing Brad Samuels.
In recent months, TV One has also launched on RCN's Washington, DC cable system, Comcast's suburban Cleveland systems and on Comcast systems in the cities of Boston and Brookline, MA.
'America's Next Top Model' walks away with the number one spot for the first time
(Dec. 23, 2004) For the first time this season, Tyra Bank's UPN reality show, "America's Next Top Model," captured the number one position for black households' favorites in primetime. During the second week of December, the program attracted nearly three million viewers.
"Kevin Hill" and "60 Minutes" managed a return to the list and CBS counted four winners among the ten. There were three ties for the week, and the number of total viewers continued to climb despite the approaching deadline for holiday shopping. The top ten shows pulled in a total 23.25 million, an increase of 23 percent over the previous week.
Ed Gordon to launch a new show on National Public Radio network
By Makebra M. Anderson
NNPA, National Correspondent
(Dec.
22, 2004) Ed Gordon, the former anchor of “BET News,” “BET Tonight” and
host of “Lead Story” will host a new show to be called “News & Notes” on
NPR, beginning in late January.The formal announcement of the new one-hour show, which will air each weekday, was expected to be made on Tuesday. According to NPR officials, the program will focus on news, trends and issues important to African-Americans.
''NPR is steadfast in its dedication to present diverse perspectives of relevance to African-Americans,'' says Jay Kernis, senior vice president of programming. ''News & Notes with Ed Gordon takes the mainstream story and gives it context and perspective listeners will not hear elsewhere.''
Gordon had been in discussions with NPR for more than a year. Although not a replacement for Tavis Smiley’s former show, network executives were eager to have another African-American oriented program as part of their regular lineup.
“This has been one of a series of projects that have been initiated by a partnership between NPR and the African-American Public Radio Consortium,” explains Loretta Rucker, president of the African-American Public Radio Consortium. “The consortium (made up of Black general managers in public radio) approached NPR about bringing more programming that gives the African-American perspective in their lineup. Out of that came the ‘Tavis Smiley Show’. It was the first, but was never going to be the last.”
Gordon, who will host the show from WNYC in New York, says he is looking forward to his new challenge.
''The format of the show allows us to talk about anything from politics to pop culture, and that prospect is exciting,'' he says. ''... This kind of program is imperative because often these issues and voices are still, unfortunately, under-reported, under-represented or overlooked all together by most media outlets.''
According to Rucker, NPR and the Consortium have been meeting with Gordon since the beginning of 2003, a year after they launched the “Tavis Smiley Show.”
“The next year after the Smiley show, we began meeting with lots of African-American talent. Ed Gordon was the next person we wanted to talk to,” she recalls. “Ed will be the primary host, but there will also be a female host. Ed is very connected with the African-American audience. He does very well with bringing about a roundtable dialogue. Focus groups show that African-Americans prefer more debate and dialogue. That is a strength that Ed brings to this.”
George E. Curry, editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service will appear as part of the journalists’ roundtable at least three days a week. He was a regular panelist for more than seven years on BET’s “Lead Story” when it was hosted by Gordon.
In 2002, NPR made its first attempt at drawing minority audiences to public radio. NPR says they asked Smiley to host a show designed to “appeal to an African-American audience.”
The show began on 16 stations, with less than 300,000 listeners per week. By 2004, the show had grown tremendously. It could be heard on 87 stations in nine of the top 10 markets – 18 of those stations were in predominately African-American communities—and had more than 1 million listeners per week.
Before the “Tavis Smiley Show,” NPR had never made a bold attempt to attract African-American listeners.
“NPR didn’t know who Tavis Smiley was until we brought him to their attention. Everyone knows that public radio has to become more diverse, but nobody wants to shoot in the dark,” says Rucker. “So far they [NPR] have been very forthcoming.”
Smiley quit his NPR show earlier this month when his contract expired, charging that NPR didn’t do enough to promote him.
Gordon, a Detroit native, brings years of experience to NPR. He is a frequent contributor to 60 Minutes Wednesday, the Today Show and Dateline. He also served as the host of BET Tonight, anchor of BET Nightly News and creator of the interview series, Conversations with Ed Gordon. He has interviewed Nelson Mandela, President Bill Clinton, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Foxx and O.J. Simpson. It was his Simpson interview that led to an anchoring job with MSNBC-TV before he returned to BET. The Black-oriented cable channel later cancelled “BET Tonight with Ed Gordon,” “Lead Story” and “Teen Summit.”
Rucker says, “Ed is a seasoned journalist. He has a large Rolodex, including entertainment, political, business, news figures. We are excited about him joining NPR and we will continue to move towards a more diverse public radio.”
Tony Cox holds down 'Tavis Smiley' slot while search for permanent host goes on
(Dec.
21, 2004) Tavis Smiley may have left his self-named program heard on
National Public Radio, but fans of the broadcast are finding that the time
slot is being held down admirably by host Tony Cox. He will remain in the
role at least until January 7.As Smiley's regular substitute host on Fridays for three years, audiences are familiar with Cox's voice and interviewing style. Now as the host of what is called "NPR News with Tony Cox," he is one of the leading candidates to replace Smiley as the network and the African-American Public Radio Consortium conduct a national search.
Cox is no stranger to journalists and news professionals. Over the past 30 years he has built a distinguished career in television and radio broadcast journalism. From 1998 to 2002, he was a sports correspondent for DirecTV Sports. Prior to that, he spent nine years as senior correspondent and substitute host for "Inside Edition," covering such major news events as the Los Angeles riots, the Oklahoma City bombing, the capture of the Unabomber, and the criminal trials of O.J. Simpson and the Menendez brothers.
Cox began his career in 1969 in Los Angeles at KFWB All News Radio where, for more than 14 years, he worked as an award-winning reporter and anchor. From 1978 to 1980 he also hosted a public affairs show for Metromedia TV. He joined KCBS-TV in 1982 as a reporter and show host, and later moved to KTTV-FOX as a nightly news anchor. While there he earned an Emmy for anchoring special coverage of a major airline crash.
Cox is an assistant professor of television film and media studies at California State University Los Angeles. He is also a five-time winner of the Golden Mike and has won numerous Los Angeles Press Club Awards and two NAACP Image Awards.
When Smiley announced back in November that he would leave his NPR duties, there was much lamenting in the media about the loss. He said his decision was based on the public radio network's lack of commitment to promoting the show to a broad audience. In a joint statement last month, NPR and the Consortium responded that they intend to continue the program with a new host and to expand and build upon its successes.
"Four years ago, the African American Consortium and NPR together conceived of a public affairs show for public radio that would build diverse audiences and reflect the interests and perspective of the African American community," the statement said.
"According to the Arbitron Spring 2004 research, the show reaches nearly 900,000 listeners each week on 87 stations, including 18 stations serving predominantly African American communities and stations that serve general audiences in nine of the top ten markets. It attracts one of the most diverse audiences to public radio: 29 percent of the listeners are African American, and 40 percent are listeners aged 44 or younger. Each of these measures is the highest of any NPR program.
"NPR and the Consortium are committed to the continuation of this show — and the creation of others, for which it opened the door."
WBLS boss planning more changes to compete better in NY market
(Dec.
19, 2004) According to a story in the "N.Y. Daily News," WBLS vice
president and general manager, Deon Levingston (left) will be signing a
local morning show dj to replace popular personality Rick Party. Listeners
can also expect other changes soon.Levingston says WBLS will no longer split its appeal between older and younger listeners - playing more hip hop than WRKS, but more adult R&B than WQHT or WWPR.
"We've been cheating at the edges," says Levingston told the Daily News' David Hinckley, "And that worked in the market of a couple of years ago. But now that [Emmis Broadcasting vice president] Barry Mayo has tightened up Kiss [WRKS] and Hot [WQHT], we can no longer be all things to all people. We can't stay in the middle.
"We have to pick a focus, and listeners will hear it soon."
By early January, he says, "Radio will get very interesting - and the listener will be the winner. The competition we've got now is making all the urban stations better."
WBLS has slipped behind WRKS in recent ratings, but Levingston notes WBLS is still in the top five with its target audience, 25- to 54-year-olds.
"People talk about a 'broken' radio station," he says. "It isn't. There have been mistakes, but they're correctable. A tremendous core of loyal listeners wants us to succeed."
Read the entire NY Daily News article
'Oakland Post' being charged with illegal dumping of printing ink
(Dec. 19, 2004) According to a story appearing in the "Alameda Times-Star," the Alameda Publishing Corp, which publishes the "Oakland Post," is being charged by San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris with illegally dumping hazardous printing ink in a black community. The felony charges names Victor Martinez and William Araujo with transporting and disposing of the ink.
Investigators found some 40 five-gallon containers of ink dumped in the Bay View neighborhood. Martinez headed the former printing plant for Alameda Post Newspaper Group. Araujo was hired in the summer of 2003 to dispose of the ink as the printing facility was being closed. Alameda switched its printing to outside contractors.
Prosecutors said investigators learned that Alameda had secured an estimate from a hazardous material disposal company but didn't hire the firm because they thought the price was too high. Fines for the illegal dumping could be as high as $100,000 a day for the containers were at the site.
Paul Cobb, whose company, The Good News Is, LLC purchased the Post Newspaper Group from Alameda just two weeks ago, said he knew nothing about the dumping and would cooperate with the investigation.
Read The Alameda Times-Star article
Radio One proposing a relocation plan to Washington, D.C. officials
(Dec.
19, 2004) Radio One, the nation's largest radio station group targeting
African-American audiences told the Washington Post that it is lobbying
D.C.city officials for support of a plan that would allow it to relocate
its headquarters from Prince George's County to a site near Howard
University.Radio One would like to construct a 76,000-square-foot office building at the corner of Seventh and S Streets NW for his 69-station radio group, which was founded with WOL-AM in D.C. 24 years ago.
The site chosen by Radio One is a vacant lot on a once-thriving commercial corridor that suffered years of urban decline but is starting to revive. Near the Seventh and S Street corner is a long-shuttered Wonder Bread factory, once used to make Twinkies, where D.C. developer Douglas Jemal now plans to put 80 mid-priced housing units. Trammell Crow Co. is also planning to build apartments and retail buildings on a nearby parking lot across from Howard University.
Read entire Washington Post story
'CSI' cracks the number one spot, giving CBS three of the top ten shows
(Dec. 16, 2004) For the first time this season, CBS’ “CSI” took the top spot of primetime shows for black audiences. The drama’s ever-growing popularity pulled in 2.48 million African-American households – its largest ever – which helped it also win the number one position for the first week of December with the total audience. CBS had three shows in the black top ten for only the second time.
”America’s Next Top Model” climbed to the number two spot with one of its largest audiences of the season, and “Desperate Housewives” returned to the list. The total number of black households watching the top ten increased 17 percent over the previous week’s 18 million to 22 million.
The 'Oakland Post' is purchased by activist and former columnist Paul Cobb
(Dec. 16, 2004) Well known community activist, Paul Cobb, has purchased the Post Newspaper Group, including the 39-year-old Oakland Post weekly newspaper, from its founder for an undisclosed sum.
The transaction was concluded last Friday when Cobb's company, The Good News Is, LLC, bought the paper's assets from Alameda Publishing. The black weekly was started in 1965 by prominent Oakland lawyer Thomas L. Berkley and his wife Velda Berkley. Since her husband's death three years ago, Velda, 84, has been publisher and sole owner.
“I feel very comfortable and very pleased; I think he is going to carry on our legacy,” said Berkley. “It’s like losing a child, but due to my age I could see that it was the end of an era and time for some fresh blood,”
Cobb has a long history with the Post. He first worked for the paper two years after its founding and went on to become its religion editor and a Sunday columnist. In between his tenure there, he headed the Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal and was a mayoral appointee on the Board of Education.
“I feel humbled by the opportunity to serve; reflective on my start with Tom Berkley and the Berkley family as well—I’ve known them for 45 years—I’m proud to be a part of the tradition,” said Cobb.
The Post Newspaper Group will continue distributing its free editions in Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley and Richmond areas. Cobb also hopes to make El Mundo, the company's Spanish language newspaper, the premier Latino paper in Northern California. He is seeking investors for both El Mundo and the Post.
Cobb said he first wanted to buy the paper in the early ‘70s, when he was part owner of the California Voice, but was denied. And even though he was laid off twice by Thomas L. Berkley from his post as reporter, and laid off once by Velda Berkley from his position as religion editor, he is thrilled to be back: this time as the owner.
“I think the name of the corporation that owns the paper embodies our philosophy: The Good News Is. The good news is the Post is still going to be here. The good news is that you have ownership of the Post that believes in it. The good news is that it’s somebody who cut their teeth with the paper. I started with the Post as a cub reporter 40 years ago, and I am still committed. The good news is that you have ownership that is committed to extending the historic accomplishments of Thomas L. Berkley and Velda Berkley,” said Cobb.
One of Cobb's first moves as new publisher was to name Gail Berkley executive editor of the Post. “We must move posthaste to increase advertising, develop an interactive website and establish multimedia links. I look forward to working with the other publishers in the area to develop strategies to increase our share of advertising dollars or we will be just a postscript,” said Cobb.
Def On Demand and Clear Channel Entertainment TV form agreement
(Dec. 16, 2004) Def On Demand, a wholly owned subsidiary of Simmons Lathan Media Group (SLMG), a leading producer and distributor of urban/hip-hop themed media content, and Clear Channel Entertainment Television, a division of Clear Channel Entertainment announced today an agreement to co-produce twelve music and fashion related events per year under the new banner, "Def On Demand Live!"
These productions will be distributed via television, Video On Demand (VOD), and DVD. The companies are developing entertainment events and properties to produce over the two-year agreement.
"We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Clear Channel, a world leader in the production of live entertainment events," said Will Griffin, president/CEO of Def On Demand. "With our focus in urban entertainment, and our ability within Def On Demand Live! to draw on the creative experience of our co-founders Russell Simmons and Stan Lathan, we look forward to our partnership with Clear Channel and believe that together we can continue to develop and produce the compelling live events for which we are known."
"Def On Demand comes from a long tradition of developing intelligent, timely, and award winning entertainment for the urban/hip-hop focused consumer market," said Joe Townley, president of Clear Channel Entertainment Television. "Through this partnership, we seek to combine knowledge of the urban market with Clear Channel Entertainment's capability for producing and delivering quality live entertainment events to diverse consumer groups, by driving existing and new audiences toward these VOD and DVD events."
Tom Joyner reveals plans for syndicated TV variety show for Fall 2005
(Dec. 13, 2004) Tom Joyner, host of the nation's most popular urban radio
program, "The Tom Joyner Morning Show," has announced specifics for a new
syndicated television show that plans to be on the air by Fall 2005. The one-hour, stand-alone comedy/variety show will be hosted by the superstar radio personality and will tap into Joyner's built-in fan base as well as the significant promotional machine offered by REACH Media Inc., parent company of the "Tom Joyner Morning Show."
"TV is a natural, tremendous opportunity for Tom, and we believe his audience will follow," said David Kantor, chief executive officer for REACH Media Inc. "Tom is one of the most popular, respected and influential African Americans in the country. He is an entertainer, but he is also so much more, which is why everyone from major advertisers to top political officials continue to gravitate in a big way toward him and his show."
Joyner's traveling "Sky Show," a remote television broadcast of his national radio program, is already being aired on TV One.
The leading black magazines continue to weather tough advertising cycle
(Dec.
13, 2004) The nation's leading black-oriented magazines continued to ride
out a downward trend in ad spending for the month of November, according
to figures released from the Publishers Information Bureau of the Magazine
Publisher Association. While the majority of titles showed increases in advertising revenues for the same period last year, November revenues dropped or were stagnant compared to October's. In a rare occurrence, black titles reporting to the PIB performed below the average reported by all magazines, which had a seven percent increase between October and November.
Radio One's Liggins talks about future plans at Media Week Conference
An Internet portal, more syndication coming
(Dec.
8, 2004) Alfred C. Liggins, presidentand CEO of Radio One, told participants yesterday at the UBS Media Week Conference that he believes in five years there will be one dominant African-American media company and that it will be his.
Radio One was the only media firm targeting black audiences to make a presentation at the 32nd annual conference for the financial industry. The company has been a favorite with Wall Street, thanks to its above average growth rate and steady management. Liggins assured current and potential investors that his company fully expects to continue its growth by adding to its portfolio more properties in radio, television and the Internet.
"Our goal is to monetize this audience," said Liggins. "One of the ways that we chose to monetize it is to use this audience to launch [the TV One] cable network. We could cross promote, we could put pressure on operators to carry the network because the audience, our [radio] audience would know that quality programming was available and that they should call their local cable or satellite operator."
Liggins called the recent acquisition of Tom Joyner's REACH Media a strategic part of Radio One's future plans. "With the acquisition of REACH Media we now have a platform to further our syndication efforts in radio. We also have Russ Parr...and ultimately REACH Media will syndicate that show. We'll also syndicate some of our other personalities like Steve Harvey who's on our Los Angeles radio station. "
"We also have an effort to create an Internet portal," Liggins added. "For the first time we are making a significant investment -- not $10 million but something considerably less than that -- in building Web sites for all of our radio stations. The Internet has rationalized, there are some real businesses in the African-American space, but none of them very large. We feel that we can take our radio audience and our cable TV audience and push them toward an Internet portal and rapidly become the leader in the Internet space."
Growth for the company's cable channel, TV One, is about get a major boost. "We are very, very close in negotiations with all the major operators -- Cox, Time Warner, Direct TV -- in closing out some pretty big distribution deals which will ramp up our subscribers base," explained Liggins. He predicted that the deals will put TV One ahead of The Black Family Channel's 10 million subscriber base and right behind BET's 75 million homes.
Liggins said that Radio One will use its dominance to secure an equitable share of ad dollars for the value African-American consumers represent. "If we are in the dominant mediums --TV and radio -- and African Americans are 13 % of the population, I believe a reasonable goal for us would be to go after and try to claim 10% of all of those dollars.
"When I look at the cable television business, I believe that the upside potential is 10% of the $17 billion that's spent in it. That's $1.7 billion and BET is only doing $350 million. There's $1.35 billion that's not being claimed that should be going into this demo and that's what we're focused on. And [we'll do] the same thing in radio and the Internet."
Radio One, Inc. is the nation's seventh largest radio broadcasting company (based on 2003 net broadcast revenue) and the largest company that primarily targets African-American and urban listeners. Radio One owns and/or operates 69 radio stations located in 22 urban markets in the United States and reaches approximately 13 million listeners every week.
Click here to hear Radio One's presentation at the UBS Media Week Conference
For second consecutive week 'Girlfriends' is No. 1, ABC's 'Football' makes the cut
(Dec.
8, 2004) For the second week in a row, UPN's "Girlfriends" hangs on to the
top spot of Nielsen's leading shows for black households. The program lost
a tab bit of its audience for the first week of December compared to the
week before. It garnered a 16.7 rating with 2.19 million viewers, versus
2.2 million the week after the Thanksgiving holiday.CBS was a winner on the week by capturing the sixth, seventh and eighth spots on the top ten. Overall the number of viewers for the most popular shows held steady from the previous week at 18 million.
UPN says no to a 'Second Time Around,' but waits for 'Kevin Hill' ratings to climb
(Dec.
7, 2004) According to MediaLife.com, decision-makers at UPN have opted
to divorce themselves from "Second Time Around" after one season, but are
willing to see if ratings will continue climbing for "Kevin Hill.""Second Time Around," which airs Mondays at 9:30, received mixed reviews from critics when it debuted in September. The show centers on newlyweds Jackson and Ryan Muse (Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Parker), who get re-married after a rocky first-time around. Family and friends weigh-in on comedic situations rooted in the couples' past.
Taye Diggs plays successful entertainment lawyer in "Kevin Hill" on UPN Wednesdays at 9:00. His former life priorities get overruled when his cousin dies unexpectedly and leaves a six-month-old daughter in his custody.
Both shows are usually among the week's ten most popular programs with black audiences.
'Our Weekly' to debut next month as a free black weekly paper in Los Angeles
(Dec.
3, 2004) "Our
Weekly," a new weekly newspaper dedicated to the African American
communities of Los Angeles, will debut in January 2005 with a free
circulation of 50,000. Headed by Natalie Cole and David Miller, the South Los Angeles-based will be distributed Thursdays door to door in Ladera, Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills, View Park, Leimert Park, LaFayette Park Square, North Inglewood, Mid-City and surrounding communities. The paper will also available through convenience stores, grocery stores, and various retail & service outlets throughout the community.
The founders of the publication say it was born out of the need for a news source that directly addresses the topics and issues facing African Americans and their communities. "The evolution of 'Our Weekly' is a classic example of discovering a need that has gone unfulfilled and developing a plan of action to fulfill that need," said Natalie Cole, owner and CEO of the new venture.
The management team is composed of former senior managers from "The Los Angeles Times," "L.A. Weekly," "L.A. Daily News," "The Los Angeles Wave" and "Recycler Classifieds." They bring over 65 years of combined publishing experience to the new organization.
"Our Weekly" will feature coverage at the local, state and national levels that is important to African Americans and the communities in which they live. Content will include news, lifestyle sections, health, wellness, art, entertainment, business, careers, education, real estate and a comprehensive classified section.
ABC Radio signs agreement to syndicate Michael Baisden's 'Love, Lust and Lies'
(Dec.
2, 2004) ABC Radio Networks have announced an exclusive multi-year
agreement to nationally syndicate talk-show personality
Michael Baisden's
“Love, Lust and Lies” Show to radio outlets across the
country. The program is among the highest-rated afternoon drive programs
in the New York metro area, heard daily on 98.7 Kiss FM/WRKS-FM, an Emmis
Communications station, which will be the flagship station for the new
syndication agreement. Company officials say the five-year agreement will significantly expand ABC Radio Networks’ multicultural broadcasting presence in communities throughout the United States. With this agreement, Baisden joins Tom Joyner and Doug Banks as leading urban radio personalities represented by ABC Radio Networks.
“Michael is one of the most positive and informative voices for the black community on the air today and we are delighted to be bringing his program to urban radio stations in all corners of the United States,” said Darryl Brown, Executive Vice President and General Manager of ABC Radio Networks. “This agreement further illustrates our ongoing commitment to bringing dynamic, multicultural talent to abroad-based audience for our advertising partners, affiliates and listeners.”
“Over the past two years we have seen Michael’s program light up our airwaves and generate a very strong response from our audience,” said Barry Mayo, Senior Vice President/Market Manager of Emmis-New York. “We salute his success and are excited to share his dynamic on-air style with urban stations around the country.”
Prior to launching his radio career, Michael Baisden was a best-selling author who self published his first book, Never Satisfied: How and Why Men Cheat and sold more than 300,000 copies. His follow-up project in 1997 entitled Men Cry in the Dark has become one of the most popular books ever amongst African American men and was also adapted to a stage play featuring notable actors such as Richard Roundtree (Shaft), Allen Payne (New Jack City), and Rhona Bennet (Jamie Foxx Show). His third book, The Maintenance Man was adapted into a stage play starring Billy Dee Williams and toured 25 cities.
'Girlfriends' lands back on top of black primetime shows for Thanksgiving week
(Dec.
1, 2004) UPN's "Girlfriends" returned to the number spot of favorite
primetime shows for black households, according to Nielsen. It pulled a
17.1 rating and 2.2 million homes. Also returning to the top ten favorites was ABC's "Desperate Housewives," "Eve" and "All Of Us," both from UPN. The total number of viewers for the top ten dropped for the second consecutive week, from 20.3 million to 18 million.
Tavis Smiley adds Friday show to late night lineup on public television
(Nov.
30, 2004) Just one day after Tavis Smiley announced that he's leaving his
his public radio program on Dec. 16 comes word that he's adding a Friday
night program to his late night talk show on public television."Tavis Smiley," produced by KCET/Hollywood, will launch a second season on PBS beginning on January 7, 2005 by being added to the Friday night block of public affairs programs, as announced today by Mare Mazur, KCET executive vice president of programming and production.
"It's the best Christmas present," said Smiley, who is also the show's supervising producer. "I am so very excited about our second season. We've been bringing a greater diversity of viewers to PBS and we're also attracting a great lineup of guests. We will continue to build on that. I'll also be able to devote more time to the production so that we can take the show on the road as we did during the Democratic and Republican conventions."
"Tavis' show has far exceeded our expectations," said Mazur. "We are thrilled about the show's guests and quality, as well as the new, young audience that is finding PBS to be a terrific alternative to other late night fare."
In a field littered with late night talk show attempts, Tavis Smiley's viewing audience has grown 32% in the Neilsen Metered Markets from its January 5, 2004 debut through October, 2004. Additionally, compared to all PBS prime time and late night regular series, "Tavis Smiley" has the highest percentage of African American viewers.
The show has attracted an impressive roster of guests from the worlds of politics, arts, literature, entertainment and news. Some of these have included former President Bill Clinton, Prince, Mark Wahlberg, Maya Angelou, Sen. John McCain, Aretha Franklin, Gore Vidal, Glenn Close, Ice-T, Tom Cruise, Essie Mae Washington Williams (illegitimate daughter of the late Senator Strom Thurmond), Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds, Senator Barack Obama, Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
New 'Buying Power' report reveals surge by black households for consumer electronics
Despite
tighter economic times, African-American households are significantly
increasing their expenditures on consumer electronics for the home,
according to the newest edition of The Buying Power of Black America report. In many
categories such as video games, televisions, CD players, cable TV service
and sound equipment, black households are spending more on average than
their white counterparts. According to the 103-page report, black households had $656 billion in earned income in 2003, an increase of 3.9% over the $631 earned in 2002.
Read more and see the latest expenditure figures for black consumers
___________________________
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