Upfronts 2016: Bounce Plans to Double Originals

Bounce TV said it plans to double its production of original programming, allowing it to premiere a new show every week beginning in the fall.

As it makes its upfront presentations to advertisers, Bounce TV, the multicast network aimed at African-Americans, said on Wednesday it ordered a second season of its original drama Saints & Sinners. The show's first season finale airs April 24.

Bounce also said it renewed sitcoms Mann and Wife and In the Cut for their third season and Family Time for its fourth. Stand-up comedy series Off The Chain gets a fourth season as well.

The network also hired journalist Ed Gordon to produce and host Bounce's first news magazine show, Ed Gordon.

Bounce is ordering more episodes of its original shows and has a number of projects in development.

"With millions watching each week, Bounce TV originals have become the network's highest-rated and most-watched programming. We are significantly increasing our investment in original production in order to meet the strong demand from our viewers and advertisers," said Jonathan Katz, COO of Bounce TV.

Bounce has also scheduled another season of Premier Boxing Champions-The Next Round and will air the 25th Annual Trumpet Awards honoring African-Americans for their efforts in entertainment, humanitarianism, politics and philanthropy.

"Bounce TV has become a powerful television brand with multi-generational appeal and a network that viewers trust because we entertain them in an authentic and culturally-responsible way," said Bounce TV executive VP of advertising sales Elverage Allen. "This loyal and growing audience, the expansion of our original programming, and our exclusive and unduplicated reach makes Bounce TV a 100% 'must-buy' for brands seeking to reach the African American consumer."

Bounce TV airs on the secondary digital feed of local stations reaching 93.5 million homes and 93% of all African-American television homes. Among the networks founders are Martin Luther King III and ambassador Andrew Young.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.