TV One Nears 5 Year Anniversary, Coverage of Inauguration

It's a pretty amazing accomplishment. TV One, the all-cable TV network aimed at the African American population, is nearing it's 5 year anniversary. The students in my ethnic marketing and political communication course at Johns Hopkins University 5 years ago were really excited about this new network and I think it has lived up to a lot of expectations my students shared - most obvious among them was that TV One be a true alternative to BET offering much more programming for people and age-groups uninterested in BET's programming.

The Associated Press has an informative article on the wire now about how TV One and BET are planning to cover the inauguration next month of the first African American President of the United States.

Both are planning extensive coverage for Jan. 20, when Barack Obama is sworn in as the nation's 44th president. While it will be followed as a news event, network executives said the installation of the first black president will be as much a celebration as a story.

Multichannel News appears to have reported on the BET and TV One inauguration plans first.

While final programming lineups were still being finalized at press time, executives from both networks say they're planning unprecedented, around-the-clock coverage of the day-long festivities surrounding the Jan. 20 swearing in of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th and first African-American president.

Washington D.C.-based BET will air a live, four-hour block of ceremonies coverage beginning at noon, according to senior vice president of news and public affairs Keith Brown. In addition, the network will offer primetime, post-inauguration coverage, as well as an inauguration special as part of its popular music-video show 106 & Park.

Also of note, TV One recently announced it's HD channel.

"TV One-Dimensional" Politically

Michael E. Ross has a really interesting column today on TheRoot.com about cable TV network TV-One's decision to only cover the Democratic convention, where the Party will nominate its first African American presidential nominee, and the criticism it has received.

On a recent broadcast of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," the host launched into his opening monologue with customary snark. But instead of riffing on a celebrity, he detoured and took on Johnathan Rodgers, the CEO and president of the black cable network TV One. Rodgers had recently announced that his channel planned to cover only the Democratic National Convention, which begins in Denver on Monday, and not the Republican convention, in Minneapolis-St. Paul in September.