NUE TV on the block.New black-owned cable station hopes to pick up where BET left off Black Entertainment Television's dominance of black TV is being challenged by a group of media heavyweights who have studio deals with Paramount Television Paramount Television (re-incorporated from Desilu Productions) was an American television production/distribution company that was active from December 1967 to May 28, 2006 and was launched under Gulf+Western. and Columbia TriStar Pictures
Dennis Brownlee, a former executive at U.S. Satellite Broadcasting, NUE NUE Nitrogen Use Efficiency NUE Nuremberg, Germany - Nuremberg (Airport Code) NUE Non-Upset Ends (piping) TV's chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Robert Townsend, former head of Bell Atlantic's video-on-demand "Stargazer stargazer, common name for any of several species of marine fishes of the family Uranoscopidae, found in southern waters, and having the mouth, nostrils, and eyes set high in the head. Stargazers lie buried in the sand, waiting for their prey of small crustaceans. " project, and entertainment mogul Quincy Jones are all board members of NUE TV. One of the slogans for NUE TV is "from the block to the boardroom," and according to Townsend, who is also president and chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. , the Washington, D.C.-based network, will offer news, sports, and programs ranging from gospel video shows to original documentaries. "We are trying to provide family-friendly entertainment and information that serves the urban marketplace," says Townsend. "The African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. community is grossly underserved by broadcast and cable outlets." Unlike BET, which focuses on the 18-to-25-year-old crowd, NUE TV hopes to attract a more sophisticated audience with a mix of news, comedy, feature films, inspirational programming, and acquired programming like The Gregory Hines Show and The Royal Family. Michael Jordan's millionaire sports agent, David Faulk, and Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Hindery Jr., former CEO of AT&T Broadband and Tele-Communications Inc., are also board members of NUE TV. Other major investors include Cathy Hughes of Radio One Inc. Right now, the $200 million network is concentrating on visibility. While BET can be seen in about 60 million homes, NUE TVs "soft" launch in July 2000 only enabled viewers in Jackson, Mississippi, to tune in. The network's goal is to be in 20 million homes by the end of 2001. "There are nine major cable and direct broadcast satellite service entities you have to deal with to gain access to viewers," Townsend says. "We have agreements with AT&T, Time Warner Cable This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , Cox Communications, and a national cable television co-op that serves about 1,000 small cable systems and reaches 12 million subscribers." NUE TV's flagship program will be NEWS IN 30, a nightly 30-minute broadcast that will be similar to ABC's World News Tonight. Donovan Myrie is the news director and Mark g. Griffith, a former CBS News executive, is the managing editor for NUE TV. Mark is confident that they will "tap into a market that is significantly underserved." Townsend says the network still needs to line up major advertisers and sign more contracts with local cable outlets. Many in NUE TV's ranks once worked for BET's founder, Bob Johnson. Cindy L. Mahmoud, executive vice president and chief programming officer for the network, was BET's vice president for development. But even though BET has a $3 billion Viacom deal and reaches 60 million homes, NUE TV need not worry. "BET serves a specific audience. They offer a lot of hard-edge entertainment. We want to reach the 18-to-49-year-olds and be family friendly," says Townsend. |
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