MBC to Launch News Channel

By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 2/4/2003 4:00:00 AM

Family-entertainment-based Major Broadcasting Corp. plans to launch a 24-hour news network targeting the African-American community, sources close to the situation said.

The channel will feature news from around the globe with insight from the African-American perspective, a source said.

The service would help to fill a void created last month when Black Entertainment Television announced the cancellation of several news and public-affairs shows, including Lead Story, BET Tonight with Ed Gordon and the teen-targeted Teen Summit.

At the time, BET said the changes were made so that the 74 million-subscriber network could concentrate on development and acquisition of entertainment-based programming.

BET still offers a nightly news show, BET Nightly News, co-produced with CBS News.

MBC -- which is owned by several entertainment personalities including former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, lawyer Willie Gary, former Major League Baseball star Cecil Fielder, cable veteran Alvin James and Marlon Jackson of rhythm-and-blues group The Jackson Five -- is currently in 10 million homes.

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