EXCLUSIVE: Bounce Gets Boost From Nexstar Stations

New network now has agreements covering 32% of country

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/6/2011 7:00:00 PM

Nexstar Broadcasting Group has agreed to carry Bounce TV, the new digital over-the-air network aimed at African-American viewers.

Bounce, announced by a group led by Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young in April, has already signed carriage deals that will put it in markets representing 32% of the country when it launches in the fall.

Under multi-year agreements, Bounce will be carried by Nexstar stations in communities including Little Rock, Rochester (N.Y.), Jacksonville, Peoria/Bloomington, Beaumont and Monroe.

The stations will carry Bounce in addition to their current network affiliations by using a slice of their digital spectrum to broadcast the new channel.

"Bounce TV is a very attractive programming option for our digital spectrum.  It is a meaningful network that will serve the tremendously underserved African-American audiences in our communities," commented Perry Sook, chairman, president and CEO of Nexstar.

"Nexstar Broadcasting stations have always been innovators of change within their local communities and for Nexstar to choose Bounce TV as their first major use of their digital spectrum speaks volumes," said Jeffrey Wolf, executive VP of distribution for Bounce.  "The instant demand for Bounce TV and the rapid growth we've seen in just a few weeks underlines the overwhelming need for free over-the-air programming for the African American community."

Bounce previously announced carriage deals with Raycom and LIN TV. The network plans to air programming including theatrical motion pictures, live sporting events, documentaries, specials, faith-based programs, off-net series and original shows. It is targeting African Americans between the ages of 25 and 54.