FAMU alumni Will Packer and Rob Hardy, the co-founders of Rainforest Films, are helping to create the nation's first-ever over-the-air broadcast television network designed exclusively for African-American audiences. The new Atlanta-based network will be called Bounce TV. It will target African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54. Hardy will serve as Chief Content Officer while Packer will be Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer. They are also members of the initial ownership team, which includes Ambassador Andrew Young, Martin Luther King, III and Andrew "Bo" Young III.
"My father envisioned the day that African Americans would play major roles in entertainment within ownership, not just serve as entertainers on the stage or in front of the cameras. That's what makes this even more exciting to me as we embark on this new endeavor of an independently owned and operated broadcast television network featuring African Americans," said King III, a member of Bounce TV's Board of Directors.
Bounce TV will feature a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, live sporting events, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series, original programming and more. Bounce TV will air twenty four hours a day, seven days a week as a digital terrestrial network designed for carriage on the digital signals of local television stations. The network already has licensing agreements with NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution, Sony Pictures Television, Codeblack Entertainment, and Image Entertainment.
Live sports and events will be part of the Bounce TV schedule and the network today announced a multi-year rights agreement with Urban Sports Entertainment Group (USEG) to televise both football and basketball games from the nation's largest African American athletic conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA.) Bounce TV will air the CIAA Championship football game and select quarter- and semi- final CIAA tournament basketball games as part of the agreement.
Bounce TV will be an ad-supported network with half of that time being available for insertion of local advertising by affiliates.