Press & Print

BlackTV247News.com Fills a Void Across the Nation
05.04.2010

With media outlets like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and more, there never was an outlet dedicated to black news 24 hours a day,7 days a week. As the nation’s only Daily Black Newscast, BlackTV247News.com launched last month as the premier online black programming network to “offer all-day access to daily black newscast.” Since most media outlets have flipped the switch to a more digital age, what perfect way to start an all black news cast than online. With easy access from almost anywhere–and now with technology, even your mobile phone–BlackTV247news.com covers every aspect of black news.

Justin Beckett, founder and CEO of BTV247, Inc. says this site will bring the latest stories and headlines to people as they occur.

BlackTV247 News offers both a 10 minute newscast and a 3 minute newsbrief on a daily basis, Monday through Friday and reporting on the top stories and events, featuring segments covering national and international news, business, politics, technology, entertainment and sports, all specific to the black community. To maximize viewing convenience, viewers have constant access to the BlackTV247 News archives and the broad range of relevant news stories identified by the BlackTV247 News editorial team on a daily basis.

BlackTV247News.com seems to fill the void of black news in an age where networks like BET have arguably fallen to the wayside. Just last week, co-found of BET Shelia Johnson expressed how ashamed she is of the network’s current direction:

“I’m ashamed of it, if you want to know the truth. It wasn’t always that way. “When we started BET, it was going to be the Ebony magazine on television,”

Johnson tells me.

“We had public affairs programming. We had news… I had a show called Teen Summit, we had a large variety of programming, but the problem is that then the video revolution started up… And then something started happening, and I didn’t like it all. I just really wish—and not just BET but a lot of television programming—that they would stop lowering the bar so far just so they can get eyeballs to the screen,”

she says.

“I know they think that’s what’s going to keep programming on the air; that’s what’s going to sell advertising. But there has got to be some responsibility.”

Responsibility is what BlackTVNews247.com is taking…and taking it all! It has received great praise from organizations like the National Urban League and is run by a team of people who are very competent in the world of online media.

BTV247, Inc. is based in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit www.blacktv247news.com or www.btv247.com

LOS ANGELES, April 8 /PRNewswire/ — BTV247, Inc., the leading digital media company focused exclusively on black culture, today announced that it has begun airing the nation’s only daily black newscast. The daily program can be viewed for free at either www.blacktv247news.com or on www.blacktv247.com, the single, largest Internet destination solely focused on black-inspired programming.

“We created BlackTV247 News to serve the ever expanding audience that is utilizing the Internet as a primary news source,” says Justin Beckett, founder and CEO of BTV247, Inc. , parent company of www.blacktv247.com. “BlackTV247 News, will bring the latest headlines and stories to viewers as they occur. As the single, largest Internet destination seeking to meet the diverse programming needs of our viewers, we will ensure that the news that they want and need to know is always accessible.”

BlackTV247 News offers both a 10 minute newscast and a 3 minute newsbrief on a daily basis, Monday through Friday and reporting on the top stories and events, featuring segments covering national and international news, business, politics, technology, entertainment and sports, all specific to the black community. To maximize viewing convenience, viewers have constant access to the BlackTV247 News archives and the broad range of relevant news stories identified by the BlackTV247 News editorial team on a daily basis.

BlackTV247.com fills an important need, says Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League . “As we focus on expanding internet access to communities of color, it’s important to be mindful of the content they will find when they get there,” Morial adds. “BlackTV247 News not only provides an important context to the news of the day, but shines a brighter light on issues that matter to urban and other traditionally underserved communities.”

Award-winning journalist, Ed Gordon of BET News , says, “This is a web site that is welcomed and needed! BlackTV247News is helping to fill the void in news and information about African-Americans and is providing a wide array of stories that speak to the interests of people of color. BlackTV247News is a great place to go for all of the stories that aren’t always covered by mainstream media.”

BlackTV247 News Anchor Erynne Elkins says this opportunity is like no other as it speaks directly to her community. “I’m excited to be returning back to my roots of day-to-day news with the added twist of how it affects us – a perspective that only we can tell.”

“This initiative is a natural extension of our commitment to establish BlackTV247.com as the “Go To” source for Black inspired programming. BlackTV247 News will offer our viewers unmatched access to highly produced news programming, helping to keep their finger on the pulse of the news that is relevant to them,” adds Cecil C. Cox, co-founder and President of BTV247, Inc.

BTV247, Inc. is a Los Angeles, CA based digital media company created in direct response to the increasing popularity of online video consumption and the desire to serve the large audience for Black-inspired programming.

To view programs, visit: www.blacktv247.com and for corporate information, visit: www.btv247.com.

SOURCE BTV247, Inc.

Copyright 2009 PR Newswire All rights reserved.

BlackTV247.com Announces Black History Month Channel

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ — In honor of Black History month, BlackTV247.com is proud to offer the first broadcast channel exclusively dedicated to celebrating the historic and contemporary accomplishments made by people of African descent the world over.

The channels eclectic programs share a common theme of a great people in the diaspora whose perseverance, ingenuity and dignity has facilitated individual and collective achievement. “From NYC to Rio, from Cairo to Kingston, Paris to Atlanta, Soweto to Tokyo and everywhere in between, the achievements and global influence of the children of Africa is undeniable,” says Justin Beckett, founder and CEO of BTV247, Inc.

“Our aim is to continue to take the guess work out of surfing the web and offer viewers the most compelling Black-inspired programming – 247. The channel will showcase some of the most inspiring and informative storytelling available on the net and our team will continue to curate videos, suggested by our enthusiastic user base, throughout Black History Month,” adds Cecil Cox, co-founder and President of BTV247, Inc.

BTV247, Inc. is a Los Angeles, CA based digital media company created in direct response to the increasing popularity of online video consumption and the desire to serve the large audience for Black-inspired programming. It is the parent company for BlackTV247.com.

To view programs, visit: www.blacktv247.com and for corporate information, visit: www.btv247.com

To book interviews with Justin Beckett or Cecil Cox, email Renee@btv247.com.

January 29, 2010 – BlackWeb2.0

Blacktv247.com is self-described as being ” the single largest internet destination exclusively focused on Black inspired programming”. After spending a good amount of time on this site, it has some definite potential. The channels range from your typical Sports, Music Videos, Comedy and TV to some intriguing channels such as Education, Business and Lifestyle. There is even a very current Haiti Relief channel which shows that this site has an eye towards pertinent current events. The website has a player built in so everything is web based and easy to share via all the major social networks. They have scoured over 100,000 hours of video clips that relate to African American culture. They have clips from back in the 1960’s and some from just a few days ago. The position that blacktv247.com is taking in the media world is the space between the mainstream broadcast television and the hidden videos that are found on YouTube. It simply aggregates them all in one place similar to sites we’ve covered in the past like BlackBottom.com.

The parent company of Blacktv247.com is BTV247 Inc, which is based in Playa del Rey, California. Additional properties in the BTV247 Inc portfolio include BTV Productions and Best of Blacktv247.com. The two founders of BTV247 Inc are Justin Beckett (a Telly award-winning writer and producer who also launched Fluid Music in 2004 which has become one of the largest distributors and aggregators of independent music) and Cecil Cox (an Emmy-nominated producer and former senior executive of Mundy Lane Entertainment, Denzel Washington’s production company).

Within the website, there is an option to submit any video that a content owner wants to include in the programming for Blacktv247.com. Although this option is currently invitation only, this could become a viable resource for entrepreneurs, independent musicians, fledgling comedians and other people to spread the word about their work. Similar to how stars have been born on youtube, this could be another medium to engage and embrace. Note that once you submit content to the site, it still remains your property and there is no exclusivity which is a good thing for people trying to spread the word about their work.

The interface for site is very slick and smooth. Load times were a bit slow at random times, but the site is still in beta, so we can assume load times will continue to improve. The site aggregates videos from numerous different sources such as Hulu.com, YouTube, Current TV and others. There is old school footage of a Dr. Martin Luther King interview from 1967, a funny interview of Muhammed Ali, a classic In Living Color skit and a great look at some black entrepreneurs in a BE Next Segment. If the site looks vaugely familiar to you it might be because you’re thinking of a video search engine called Blinkx.com. Blinkx does have an API where certain partners can integrate their technology into their own site. No word on if this is the case with Blacktv247.com. Blacktv247 also appears to be taking a similar business model as blinks which relies on advertising and focuses on distributing and syndicating content through large partners like Yahoo, Microsoft, and many others.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ — BTV247, Inc., the leading digital media company focused exclusively on Black culture, today announced the launch of www.blacktv247.com, the single largest internet destination exclusively focused on Black-inspired programming.

Visitors to the site will find an extensive directory of conveniently catalogued well-known TV favorites from the past and the present, including: the Dave Chappelle Show, Sanford & Son, Tavis Smiley, Boondocks, Tyra Banks and the Jefferson’s, as well as a slate of original programming options ranging from BTV Production’s own, The Best of Black TV247, hosted by current Miss Arizona USA, Brittany Bell, to The Trial Of Huey Newton, a documentary featuring exclusive, never before broadcast footage from the Black Panther Party archives.

“BlackTV247.com will facilitate a level of uncensored cultural expression that was inconceivable when the Black Panther Party was founded in 1966. The prospects for the network are very promising and we are particularly excited about making the Black Panther archives available to a larger audience,” says founding Black Panther Party Chief of Staff and current Executive Director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, David Hilliard.

BlackTV247.com’s programming is sourced from a broad spectrum of content providers, enabling viewers to access a variety of mainstream and independently produced programs, all of which are free. Programming from both domestic and international sources is indexed in a channel directory, with channels ranging in genre from comedy and sports, to politics and faith, to business and music, providing viewers with a centralized destination to experience the breadth and depth of Black-inspired programming.

“Since 2008, our team has reviewed more than 100,000 hours of available programming and with 16 distinct channels; BlackTV247.com will offer audiences 16 times more programming options than any single television or cable channel,” says Justin Beckett, founder and CEO of BTV247, Inc.

“As the premier curator of black programming content, BlackTV247.com is poised to meet the new demands of the marketplace and committed to an exceptional viewer-driven experience,” adds Cecil Cox, co-founder and President of BTV247, Inc.

“Black consumer expenditures are expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2012 and BlackTV247.com’s unique combination of original and acquired programming, targets a consumer market which is becoming more diverse relative to its programming appetite,” says Beckett. “Successful media outlets must be able to tailor products to meet this demand. Our associations with mainstream media brands like HBO and our collaborations with iconic Black institutions, like The Huey P. Newton Foundation, reflect our philosophy of developing projects with partners who are leaders in their field.
Beckett, a Telly award-winning writer and producer with more than 20 years of diverse entrepreneurial and media-related management experience, founded BTV247, Inc. in 2008. Since 2000, he has created and successfully launched three online entertainment entities, including Fluid Music, one of the world’s largest distributors and aggregators of independent music which he founded in 2004.

Beckett continues to serve on the board of the $100 million company which he guided to its June 2008 IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Under Beckett’s management, Fluid built a song catalogue of over 5 million tracks and through an exclusive partnership with the producers of American Idol, launched the online music discovery website, American Idol Underground.

According to recent statistics from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, a Washington, DC-based independent, non-partisan public opinion research center that studies attitudes towards politics, the press, and public policy issues, 71% of Americans and 68% African Americans – 90% of which represents black teenagers – are actively using the Internet, an indication that the nation’s online population is steadily on the increase.

“BlackTV247.com is positioned to be the go to online destination for fans of Black-inspired programming and its vast potential which remains untapped,” adds Cox, an Emmy-nominated producer and former senior executive of Mundy Lane Entertainment, Denzel Washington’s production company. “Internet viewing is an increasingly more popular entertainment option, and today’s audience’s demand innovative, customized programming and interactivity.

“BTV247 Inc. represents a foundation of over three decades of diverse media expertise, our team is committed and we are uniquely qualified to satisfy consumer demand,” says Beckett.

BTV247, Inc. is a Los Angeles, CA based digital media company created in direct response to the increasing popularity of online video consumption and the desire to serve the large audience for Black-inspired programming.

To view programs, visit: www.blacktv247.com and for corporate information, visit: www.btv247.com

SOURCE BTV247, Inc.

Sep. 14, 2009, 8:00pm PT

HBO channels historical miniseries ‘Tarbell’ comes from Winfrey’s Harpo Films

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

HBO is in early development on two historical miniseries, including a take from Oprah Winfrey on a femme pioneer in investigative journalism.

“Ida Tarbell,” from Winfrey’s Harpo Films shingle, will center on the muckraking journo who exposed the unfair practices of John D. Rockefeller and his Standard Oil monopoly. Tarbell’s work was a contributing factor in the government’s eventual breakup of the company in 1911.

Winfrey and Harpo’s Kate Forte are set to exec produce, while Mimosa Jones (“Wild Card”) is writing.

The other project in the works at the pay cabler, “The Black Panthers,” looks at the history of the 1960s movement’s inner circle.

Carl Franklin (“Devil in a Blue Dress”) is writing “The Black Panthers” and is attached to direct. Exec producers include Franklin, Jesse B. Franklin,
Cecil Cox and Craig Rice.

Among the source material is the Huey Newton bio “Huey: Spirit of the Panther,” by onetime Panther chief of staff David Hilliard, along with Keith Zimmerman and Kent Zimmerman (and with a forward by Newton’s widow, Fredrika). The Elaine Brown autobiography “A Taste of Power: A Black Woman’s Story,” about her involvement with the Black Panthers, is also being used.

Franklin is a director on HBO’s upcoming epic WWII miniseries “The Pacific.”

© 2009 Reed Business Information

By Justin Beckett, CEO BTV247, Inc.

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The beginning line of Charles Dickens’ acclaimed novel, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” appropriately describes the current environment for employment and career prospects within the Television and Film Industry.

It is the best of times in that newcomers and individuals outside of the industry’s traditional hiring channels have been able to make significant headway and achieve impressive levels of success.

And yet, it is the worst of times in that the industry has been seriously staggered by the devastating one-two punch of technological evolution and a bad economy.

While the pages of Variety and the Hollywood Reporter are regularly filled with sobering accounts of the demise of some of Hollywood’s old line “buggy whip manufacturers”, YouTube has reached the impressive milestones of 1 billion video views and 200,000 video uploads per day.1

Independently produced television and film programming has not historically perfectly fit Hollywood’s traditional and simplistic formula for commercial success. However, the increasing regularity of independently produced break out hits like Paranormal Activity (which was made for only $15,000 and yet by its 11th week in release had generated over $107 million2) and LonelyGirl15 (the all web production which earned its creators $5 million of funding for their next project3) are confirming the commercial legitimacy of the scaled down independent production model.

In light of the aforementioned challenges facing the TV and Film industry, the number of entry level positions and traditional internships has decreased. However, this environment of disruptive change has created an unprecedented opportunity for the aspiring TV and Film professionals who have historically been overlooked by the industry.

To this end, it is critical that prospective new entrants not allow themselves or their opportunities to be limited by what may appear to be a classic chicken and egg employment scenario. In particular, while most industry employers would prefer to hire someone with experience, as a result of some of the challenges facing the industry today, most employers don’t have the luxury to be as discriminating.

Subsequently, the advice for aspirant professionals is to AGGRESSIVELY pursue any opportunity to get in to the industry during this trough. For example, I have seen a number of instances within the last two years where individuals agree to volunteer on a 20 to 40 hour basis for 6-18 month frames at the companies or within the industry sector where they aspire to obtain long term employment.

Obviously not everyone can afford to be this aggressive; however, I have seen this strategy work successfully more than a few times. Another suggestion is to join or form project specific skills collectives whereby various members of a production team contribute their skills in exchange for a percentage of any future potential revenue stream that is generated by the project. While this process is generally less of a time commitment than a 6-18 month, 20-40 hour volunteer internship, it does facilitate skills development and networking opportunity. This method’s popularity is, while still providing skills development, largely related to its flexibility and generally cost effective construct.

I recently observed an independent film project where the entire cast and crew comprised a team of over 50 people. If this team were paid salaries during the two week shoot, the film’s production cost would have reached the mid six figures. However, because of the writer/producer’s charisma, credibility and the team’s agreement to forego up front compensation, the entire project was produced for under $20K. Another option that is becoming increasingly more popular are Internet-based courses and internships that are focused on the TV and Film industry.

The bottom line is that where once the mailroom was the only way into the industry for the privileged few, there are now a myriad ways for aspiring TV and Film professionals to obtain experience and get into the game.

Things we know which will affect future careers in TV and Film

As the first graphic below illustrates, the overall amount of video media consumed has increased. However, as the second graph below demonstrates, the actual size of viewing audiences has decreased.

Historically, TV has represented a push distribution model (in that the programming decisions are primarily controlled by a limited number of TV networks who decide what audiences can see through their channels) however, the virtually unlimited network of Internet-based content providers have empowered the audience to the point where they can now watch what they want, when they want and how they want which has resulted in the creation of the audience driven Pull distribution model.

It is unlikely that the increasingly more fragmented video distribution construct will ever revert back to the programming oligopy known during the last 50 years of television.

The independent production route is far more receptive to newcomers and individuals who have historically been excluded from mainstream production opportunities.

There are an ever increasing number of independently produced programs and films that are achieving financial viability.

Source: eMarketer Graph 1

Source: Wikipedia Graph 2

Things we don’t know that will affect future careers in TV and Film

We don’t know if the genie can ever get back in the bottle in that with audiences empowered to the point of customizing their own playlists, will they ever be interested in subjecting themselves to TV’s push programming model again?

Will the traditional studio and network revenue models survive the industry’s current evolution?

Will the new production and distribution models support the industry’s historic revenue generation capability?

Will the new production and distribution models result in a net neutral, net decrease or net increase in the total number of writing, editing, directing and producing professionals supported by the industry?

As previously stated, the evolution of technology has been a significantly positive occurrence for aspiring TV and Film professionals in that the industry’s once formidable barriers to entry have been eliminated.

While the notable advancements in TV and Film facilitated by technological evolution are clearly evident, less evident but equally relevant is the impact that these advancements have had relative to the evolving human capital needs of TV and Film production. In particular, as the means for TV and Film production and distribution have become more streamlined and more cost efficient, so have the human resource requirements in that the size of the typical production crew has decreased. Subsequently, the need for functional dexterity is more relevant now than ever.

At a time when successful web series are being written, produced, directed, edited and distributed by one person production teams, aspiring TV and Film professionals are well served to maximize their functional dexterity by developing proficiency in as many areas as possible. And while mastering a specific skill set and becoming a specialist in a specific area is still encouraged, gone are the days where aspiring industry professionals should rely upon this route exclusively. Rather the successful TV and Film Executive of the future will be distinguished by both mastery in a limited number of areas and proficiency in a maximum number of areas.