Is There A Black CNN In The Works?

According to the New York Post, plans are underway to launch an all black news channel tentatively titled, Black Television News Channel.

Former Rep. J.C. Watts, who is already being called the 'black Ted Turner', is currently working to launch the network in early 2009 citing,

"Im not sure that you see anything on CNN or Fox News that specifically targets the African American community."

Comcast has already agreed to carry the network in large black populated cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Atlanta and Wachington D.C.

Starting a news network on cable can cost upwards of $100 million. While Watts isnt identifying who is financially backing this project he has stated that he and 'two cable industry vets' are supporting most of the startup.

Watts is currenly a frequent commentator on both Fox News and CNN. He was the only African American Republican in Congress until 2003 after which he resigned to start his own business.

Although there is no mentions of this network coming to New York City just yet, I do hope these plans come to fruition. We need a 24 hour network that can give us the news that is often times overlooked by the likes of CNN, MSNBC and Fox. And since BET crashed its BET Nightly News back in 2005 we really haven't had a source on telelvision to get black news.