TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Tallahassee-based Black News Channel informed its employees Friday that it will cease operations, according to reports.
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan was the majority investor in the news operation. BNC is filing for bankruptcy, and live programming ended Friday, according to reports in The Tallahassee Democrat. The channel will air repeats for the rest of the month.
The closure was first reported by the The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and Los Angeles Times.
Khan was no longer willing to invest in the station, according to The Los Angeles Times report. The channel has been shopped to a number of media companies, including Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios, but there were no takers, the report states. The company endured several rounds of layoffs in recent months.
BNC debuted on Nov. 15, 2020 to an estimated 33 million cable and satellite households in the U.S.
The network was founded by former Oklahoma congressman and University of Oklahoma quarterback J.C. Watts. The minority-owned station was the only provider of around-the-clock cable news programming dedicated to covering the perspective of African-American communities.
Bob Brilliante, who founded the Florida News Channel in 1998, was the co-founder and CEO.
BNC reached 14 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago and New Orleans. It acquired affiliate distribution agreements with cable providers such as Comcast, Charter and Dish TV.