The first broadcast network serving the African-American community has been expanding rapidly, thanks to broadcast’s new ability to engage in digital multicasting. The next major market to host the network will be Detroit, courtesy of E.W Scripps ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV.
This occasion calls for a cake and a candle: The station will make its debut on a WXYZ side channel on 9/26/12, which also happens to be the network’s first birthday.
Bounce aims to serve the 25-54 demographic with a “…mix of theatrical motions pictures, live sporting events, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series and original series.”
It currently 60% of US television households and is available in 17 of the top 20 DMAs.
“We’re extremely excited to provide this unique programming opportunity for the roughly 400,000 African-American homes throughout Southeast Michigan,” says Ed Fernandez, Divisional General Manager and VP & GM of WXYZ. “We look forward to building this network for our local viewers and believe this effort, as has always been the case at WXYZ, will serve our community well”.
RBR-TVBR observation: In addition to providing choice and diversity to the television dial, Bounce has provided a glowing testimony to the value of digital broadcast technology and an argument to keep broadcasters on the airwaves with their full 6 MHz swathe of spectrum. It is that bandwidth that provides the capacity to make services like Bounce possible in the first place.
Bounce, as far as we know, does not own a single television license – but through partnerships with many of America’s top television groups, it is taking advantage of broadcast multicasting capability to make its way into America’s living rooms.
It is one more shining example of broadcasters using their licenses to serve the pubic interest – a round of applause for all involved!
