Despite the fact that my blog audience has no interest whatsoever in telecommunications law, I will continue my coverage of Bob Johnson’s attempt to force the federal government to give him an unfair business advantage to launch a 24-hour minority sharecropping infomercial channel called “Urban Television.” I knew I was boring y’all, but my inner blogging voice said “Blog on. Blog on and see what the end’s gonna beee.”
Even in the face of a wall of support from the Black Elite Establishment, I pressed on towards the mark. My previous posts on this subject:
- Bob Johnson and Civil Rights Industrial Complex Conspire to Destroy Minority Broadcasters-(Broadcasting Sharecropping)
- Bob Johnson’s “Urban Television” Sham-Black Leadership’s Shame- Totally Blogable!
- WAOD Exclusive:Common Cause’s Opposition to Bob Johnson’s Urban Television
Alas, I have been rewarded for being the FIRST person of color to go on record saying that Urban Television is a SHAM!!! SHAM!!! S to the H to the A to the ME – SHAME!. I am no longer alone.
Right about now, the NABJ, NAACP, National Bar Association and Rainbow PUSH et al ..wish that they had held out for more than a two piece, a biscuit, and promises of rainbows and ponies from Bob Johnson. If they had not traded their unqualified support for Bob Johnson, skirting existing law to have the American taxpayers grant him a competitive advantage by FORCING cable outlets to carry his new infomercial channel, they MIGHT have been able to get something more than dinner.
But NO, he took them to dinner and they lined up behind his application with Ion media before the FCC. NONE of these supposedly “Black” or African American- interest organizations paused for even a single second to contemplate what the granting of this license would do to existing multicultural channels trying to get off the ground as BET once did. None of them paused to ask if media ownership is really “DIVERSE” if the same Black man owns, or controls EVERYTHING. None of them paused to ask what would happen to stations like The Africa Channel, Gospel Music Channel, or SiTV. None of them paused to consider what would happen to TV ONE which in its short lifetime has prodcued programming lightyears better than the multimedia crack cocaine offered over at BET.
I thought I was the only one that said “Umm hey, this looks like a naked attempt to crush all other multicultural cable channels in existence with the assistance of the FCC.” Well the scam that Bob Johnson and his enablers at the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, the International Black Broadcasters Association, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, the NAACP, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, National Bar Association, National Urban League, Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the Video Access Alliance, and NABJ has blown up in their faces.
First community broadcasters destroyed the myth that minority groups were lined up in support of Bob Johnson’s infomercial channel. Now TV One finally got a clue and decided that Bob Johnson is trying shank them in the carotid artery. TV One sent comments to the FCC in opposition to Johnson’s infomercial minority sharecropping channel. So what did Bob Johnson do? He threw a fit!
According to Journalisms:
TV One, the joint cable venture between Comcast and Radio One that targets African American adults, is opposing a proposal for a new network by Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television.
In response, Johnson sent a letter to TV One’s CEO, Alfred Liggins III, saying that “your argument that Urban Television would ‘have a devastating impact’ on TV One is totally without merit and absolutely self-serving.“Journalisms
HOld my mule! Hoooold my mule! Happy Friday folks, the foolishness runneth ova! Did Bob Johnson have the AUDACITY to call any other Black person on planet Earth self serving? Oh and Mr. Prince threw in this flashback of a quote by the rocket scientist currently running the NABJ.
Johnson won the support of the National Association of Black Journalists and other supporters after a Dec. 23 luncheon meeting with Johnson at a Washington restaurant. “We’re trying to expand the footprint of African American ownership,” NABJ President Barbara Ciara told Journal-isms then.Journalisms
Hmm your are trying to “expand” minority ownership by handing Bob Johnson a shank to drive into the necks of all the other multicutural channels CURRENTLY IN EXISTENCE??? Not too bright. For those who say i am too harsh, au contrair mon petit readers! If Barbara Ciara was so concerned about expanding the footprint of African American ownership, she would have obtained legally enforceable gurantees from Johnson OR have made her support contingent on certain safeguards being put in place to insure Johnson keeps his promises. They didn’t do that. Bob Johnson splurged by taking the Black Elite Establishment out to dinner and in exchange they offered him their birthright. Where have we heard about THAT before?:
“…When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, ‘Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.’ Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, ‘First sell me your birthright.’ Esau said, ‘Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?’ And Jacob said, ‘First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” (Genesis 25:29-34).
Hmm I wonder if Bob Johnson served any lentil stew at that dinner.
I tried to tell y’all that this Urban Television Ion Media deal was foul. I told you it was completely and totally blogable, but there I was all by my lonesome sounding the alarm. Bob Johnson has never done an altruistic thing in his life, why on earth would people think that he would start now.
So I am pulling out the popcorn because this is getting interesting. If this ever gets a public hearing I am SOOOOO there! Road TRIP! Road Trip! Road Trip! Road Trip!
29 comments ↓
Brilliance. Can you qualify for the blog Emmy? You deserve it. Thanks for keeping us in the loop as hold back Sally (the mule). I wonder what is in store for JC Watts and his new venture since Bob Johnson is as upset as he is with TV-One? Getting my microwave popcorn ready. Thanks for keeping up with this saga.
Your opening line has got to be the best one read I read all week:
“Despite the fact that my blog audience has no interest whatsoever in telecommunications law”
I feel the same way at my own blog sometimes, but when you are right, you are right, even if the public doesn’t get it, or doesn’t care.
As long as we run our media properties like neighborhood chicken shacks, we deserve what we get.
I’d be lined up to get some of that stimulus cash if I was Liggins, and plow it into a news organization of some sort – the biggest news story for the next 8 years is DOWN THE STREET from him and he can’t capitalize on it because they have no money.
Bob has cash, but he won’t spend it on anything more than the minimum – that we know – so he is no real alternative to shit.
TV One needs to leverage the internet to lead the way in responsive, adult dialogue among African Americans about politics and us – I can’t see why they can’t use one of the time slots they have showing the same reruns over and over to showcase and promote us out here who are essentially creating content for free.
Is there anyway to get the Latinos involved? They already have more channels than we do, TV One hasn’t been around long but hopefully Cathy Hughes and Alfred Liggins have some leverage to fight this.
This is great – keep up the fantstic work. You are filling in the gaps that other bloggers miss. That’s why I read your blog.
I guess all the black networks (bet) got rid of their news segments for a reason – they wouldn’t have to report this or be embarrassed when they didn’t report it and you did Gina!
I think it’s not that people don’t care, at least not your blog readers–I just think it’s a complicated issue that may seem a bit daunting to fully understand. I’m interested in the telecommunication laws, although I have no clue about the intricacies of it all.
I find it interesting that you have jumped to conclusions without ever having asked NABJ one question about why we took the position we did. It’s much easier to listen to the sound of your own voice rather than gather real information resembling the facts.
It’s always lonely for prophetic “voices crying in the wilderness.” Keep speaking out and sit back and watch what you said would happen while it does happen.
@barbaraciara if you read the earlier posts and comments related to your lentil stew dinner with Bob Johnson, we listed a laundry list of very detailed questions.
Its interesting you responded to this post and not the other one.
Unless you are saying Mr. Prince Lied or misrepresented you, then your reasons are pretty clear.
In addition, Barbara we read reviewed and analyzed the FCC filing to which you were a signatory laid out in detail the reasons you were supporting Johnson. So unless you lied to yourself, or didn’t read your own filing, your reasons were pretty clear.
But go ahead and attack the messenger.
Brown Man- In reference to the Radio (TV) one leveraging the internet. They brought Black Plant et al last year http://www.ebonyjet.com/bigideas/?p=260
I was hoping BP’s style and content would have changed. http://www.interactiveone.com
I actually was trying to work with TV ONE on something along those lines after doing a one – off election project with them – seemed very interested but had no budget this year.
I noticed the Interactive One thing – none of those properties really have an identity yet – it looks like they are all going to be driven by one strategy now – was kind of hard to understand the direction TV ONE ONLINE was going in – they have to straddle the fence between serving their net visitors and their Tv audience.
Black Planet as it is is easy to manage – most of its content is produced by its visitors – its almost black radio on the web – everything has its niche.
I’ve been toying aroudn with the idea of a black “think tank”, virtual in nature, that doesn’t really do anything new, just increase the profile of the thoughtful, well written blogs I link to and frequent, mostly in an effort to “expand” the media narrative.
There are more than ten black people in the community, and more viewpoints than the ones that seem to get recycled month in and month out.
You make my case….. of not investigating or verifying your source material.
I never attended a dinner hosted by Bob Johnson. But never let the facts stand in the way of a good fictional blog.
In this case, the messager deserves to be attacked.
Journalism 101 my friend.
@barbara Ciara. Actually, you make things worse by admitting you didn’t even get a drumstick in exchange for your support.
So you sold your soul for nothing at all. Two piece and a biscuit is a meahor for Black leaders handing away power influence for chump change. In your case nothing at all.
Notice that Barbara didn’t address th core argument, but chose to focus on her not getting a bucket of chicken.
OBFUSCATION AND REDIRECTION 101 my friend.
Nor did she complain about reports that her support was obtained at a dinner when “journalists” from multiple news outlets reported it.
FYI, I have no desire to be a journalist. Why on earth would I want to belong to a group of people who selected a dimwit to lead them.
So folks, BarBar did not get a two piece ….she got an air sandwich.
She still didn’t answer th questions.
2009 YEAR OF THE DEATH OF THE CORPORATE PIMP!
2009 YEAR OF THE DEATH OF THE CORPORATE PIMP!
2009 YEAR OF THE DEATH OF THE CORPORATE PIMP!
And for all the nay-sayers who are riding the “johnsons” of these idiots, your time will soon be up!
Darn straight, Gina! This whole telecommunications fiasco actually made me consider law school for a while there.
Bob Johnson only wants to ‘expand African American’ ownership when HE IS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN who will own the new market share.
Continue writing about the telecommunications battle. There are plenty of us who are not only interested, but actively fighting in the battle.
I’ll join you on that road trip any day, any time.
Stay on this Gina, keeping sounding the alarm!
I’ve been m.i.a. from WAOD for a little while but sometimes I really love this blog. This post and the comments that followed are two of the many reasons why. I’m glad you’ve decided to blog about this. Very informative and enlightening. I will be following this story right along with you so please keep up the good work.
Thank you for this. I don’t say it enough, but you rock. Tell the truth. We’ve seen what this man did the first time, and now he’s supposed to get another chance?
NO NO NO NO
Get em Gina!!!!!
Gina, you do what you do so well!
Go, Gina! My colleagues at Black Agenda Report has long sounded the alarm on the telecommunications issue, especially our managing Editor, Bruce Dixon.
I am forwarding your blog article to Bruce and Glen. You deserve major props and my couch is available to you when you do the Road Trip here to DC for the FCC hearings on this shyt.
First, Bob Johnson buck-dances for Missy Hillary, sells out the Black Community for less than a two-piece to Viacom, got fat paid, gave up real news coverage, and now tries to shank TvONE (although they’re nothing to brag about, according to Glen Ford) and think we wouldn’t notice.
Nuh-uh. People like you, Bruce and Glen keep us informed, even though we didn’t pay attention as we should have.
Plus, the fact that homegirl of the NABJ is giving you grief while trying to exonerate the actions of the organization support Bobcat Bob’s shanking of TvONE, is making me LOL big time. Individuals don’t respond unless you put a burr up their butts. You did in this case, which tells me you getting the job done.
Sound that Clarion Call, girl. Sound it LOUDLY.
@CPL thank you so much. I’m honored. You know I was DYING at your coverage of the SOBU. Especially the comments thread We need a 101st Keyboardist patch.
When I saw the Johnson lame attempt at an attack I immediately thought of you Gina. We are interested but I honestly couldn’t add anything to what you’ve been doing. I do think we should be aware the internets are going to be almost completely co-opted like the bulk of media by corporations in the next few years and we should be making the most of this opportunity to get our feet in the door. I also wish those that protested the primate cartoon would step back a bit and instead focus on how Murdoch got all of his cushy deals for ownership as well. He was even more shady that Bobcat Bob. This is the time to spotlight (ok actually now I know what I want to write about). Again, thanks!!
“24-hour minority sharecropping infomercial channel” LOLL
I read your previous post on Johnson’s FCC request (in lurk mode) appreciated them as well.
I am a big fan of black leadership organizations. I wish they were influential enough to deserve the “Civil Rights Industrial Complex” tag. After reading your update I am going to have to spend some time figuring why they supported they Johnson over Hughes.
Thanks again Gina, hope you enjoyed SOBU!
“24-hour minority sharecropping infomercial channel”
Gina, please put that on a t-shirt! Comedy!!!
Gina…thank you for shining a spotlight on Mr. “Drag you to the Ghetto” Johnson. I’ve been in this business a long time and it is amazing to me what the so-called elite are willing to get behind if someone gives them the smallest crumb. Thank you for identifying all of the groups who lined up behind Mr. Johnson despite his obvious self-serving record–they are worthless and speak for no one but themselves. Thank God the internet has allowed other voices to be heard–we just need to speak louder.
TV One is what BET *could* have been. Bob Johnson doesn’t need to get his hands on anything else and mess it up.
I met Bob Johnson a few years ago and it sickens me that he is all the things that have been told to me. I am in New York a lot and eat at the Four Seasons where he frequents for breakfast having his business meeting. He has truly let his success go to his head, and to that I am saddened. Instead of uplifting he is, again, trying to take everything. When you do wrong you suffer through your children. Watch out Mr. Johnson. You have already lost your integrity. Don’t loose your soul.