Johnson Publishing expands; moving into television and internet to extend brand.Chicago-based Johnson Publishing The Johnson Publishing Company is an American publishing company owned and managed by the family of John H. Johnson. It is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Snubbed by advertisers when he founded his company in November 1942, John H. Co. Inc. (No.7 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with $472.2 million in sales) has chronicled the lives of black families in its flagship publications EBONY ebony, common name for members of the Ebenaceae, a family of trees and shrubs widely distributed in warmer climates and in the tropics. The principal genus, Diospyros, includes both ebony and persimmon trees. and JET since the 1940s and '50s, but now the media giant is eyeing a new generation by creating entertainment content for television, the Internet Internet Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the , and other digital landscapes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The formation of the Ebony/Jet Entertainment Group is really us recognizing that we have a treasure trove TREASURE TROVE. Found treasure. 2. This name is given to such money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion, which having been hidden or concealed in the earth or other private place, so long that its owner is unknown, has been discovered by accident. of content and we're now going to monetize Monetize 1. To convert into money. 2. To convert from securities into currency that can be used to purchase goods and services. Notes: For example, you'll often hear Internet marketers talk about "monetizing website visitors. that content across other types of platforms," says Kenard Gibbs, president of the newly formed group. "You'll see the release of theatrical films, direct-to-video films, made-for-TV films, documentaries--all types of content." The effort will also give the company access to a new audience, those who don't necessarily relate to the EBONY and JET franchises. "It's important to get the brand's name out in nontraditional ways," says Richard Prince
Richard Prince, (born 1949 in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, now part of Republic of Panama) is an American painter and photographer. , a journalist who writes about news media diversity for the Website of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Unlike Black Entertainment Television and TV One, Johnson Publishing Co. will focus on creating content rather than raising capital for distribution, says Gibbs. "BET is a cable network, but they didn't get there by concentrating on producing original content or acquiring content. They basically became a cable entity by investing in the infrastructure of building a cable network TV One is another cable outlet. We may be in a position to have partnerships and strategic relationships with both of those entities as a content provider," says Gibbs. Gibbs' previous experiences as president of Vibe magazine, where he successfully launched the Vibe Awards and the Weekend Vibe syndicated show, will serve this effort well, says Ken Smikle, president of Target Market News, a Chicago-based research company that monitors African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. marketing and media. |
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