Fox Stations to Carry Bounce TV in NY, L.A.

Brings carriage of new network to 70%

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/3/2011 3:12:16 PM

Fox Television's MyNetworkTV stations in New York and Los Angeles will carry Bounce TV on digital channels, the companies said Thursday.

The agreement puts Bounce TV, the new broadcast network aimed at African Americans, in the nation's top two TV markets.

For Fox Television, it represents the first time one of their stations had carried a digital over-the-air network.

"With the addition of these Fox markets, Bounce TV will already cover more than 70% of African American households in the United States," Martin Luther King III, a member of Bounce TV's founding group and board of directors, said in a statement.  "By launching Bounce TV as a free, over-the-air broadcast network, Fox is ensuring that viewers stay connected to the community without being saddled by additional pay TV financial burdens. We will continue to make the pioneering Bounce TV a popular destination and brand for all Americans."

"We are pleased to allocate our airwaves to provide focused and unique content with an accomplished partner that has a solid business model," said Jack Abernethy, CEO of Fox Television Stations.

Bounce TV launched in September. It is aimed at African-American viewers ages 25 to 54 and so far features a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, off-net series, live sports, documentaries, specials and faith-based shows.

Earlier this week, Bounce TV announced a deal with Gannett to add the network to a digital subchannel of WUSA TV Washington. That announcement came at a press conference in Washington at which Bounce TV co-founder Andrew Young promoted the value of multicast over-the-air broadcasting. The National Association of Broadcasters launched a new group, the Future of Television Coalition, at the conference. One of the goals behind the coalition is to spotlight deals like the Bounce TV–Fox agreement and caution legislators about a spectrum reclamation plan they say could threaten these new diverse voices if not handled with care.