Magic Johnson Launching African-American Focused TV Channel

[Blue_Tires]

Throughout his NBA and business career, Magic Johnson has always aspired to achieve great things. So it’s only logical that he would choose to call his new TV channel Aspire.

Per an LA Times article this morning by Meg James and Greg Braxton, Johnson’s channel is the first of several planned by Comcast TV as part of the company’s recent agreement with the FCC and Department of Justice to diversify. Aspire will offer a 24-hour mix of inspirational, family-friendly movies, comedy, music and more. From the article:

“This is so exciting for me, I’m pinching myself,” Johnson said in a phone interview. “This is big for myself, for the African-American community and the African-American creative community. I wanted a vehicle to show positive images and to have stories written, produced and directed by African-Americans for our community. Aspire — that’s how I’ve been leading my life.”

The Laker Hall of Famer says operations will be based in Atlanta and partnered with local cable provider GMC. Aspire is scheduled to go live June 30 in 11 million homes and of course puts Johnson in direct competition with BET as well as Oprah Winfrey‘s OWN.

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/magic-johnson-comcast-aspire-own-bet-oprah-winfrey_b53770

[bigtree]

1. interesting, from the LaTimes

___ Johnson's entry into the television arena comes courtesy of communications giant Comcast Corp. as part of its agreement with the FCC and Department of Justice to diversify the cable landscape. Comcast agreed last year to launch 10 new independently owned cable channels, with most backed by African Americans and Latinos, by 2018. Johnson's channel is scheduled to be the first.

Comcast's obligation to support minority-owned channels came after a bruising yearlong federal review of the Philadelphia cable company's acquisition of NBCUniversal, which includes the NBC broadcast network, NBC television stations, Universal Studios, Universal Pictures, cable channels USA, Bravo, Syfy, MSNBC and CNBC and Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo.

During the extensive review process, which spanned all of 2010, executives were called before Congress to defend the merger. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) was particularly tenacious in her grilling of NBCUniversal and Comcast officers, questioning their commitment to hiring and advancing minorities.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-magic-johnson-20120221,0,5232547.story

[Number23]

2. Sounds fantastic

I wanted a vehicle to show positive images and to have stories written, produced and directed by African-Americans for our community.

Hope this gets off the ground FAST.