Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has sold his majority stake in the Revolt television network amid mounting legal issues revolving around multiple sexual abuse allegations.

Revolt, in a statement Tuesday, said Combs' shares in the Black-owned multiplatform media have been "fully redeemed and retired," although Revolt did not disclose specific financial details. Combs founded Revolt in 2013 as one of four minority owned-and-operated channels launched in 2012 by Comcast as part of its acquisition of NBCUniversal.

The company will now be majority-owned by its employees, according to Revolt CEO Detavio Samuels. “When I joined in 2020, I quickly realized two things: Our mission is bigger than any individual, and we are the largest engine for transformative change that just so happens to be a media company,” Samuels said in the statement. “Today, we are most proud of the transformation that our teams will experience as they shift from being employees to owners of the business they are helping to build. Black culture is global culture, and Revolt's superpower is being the home for creators that move culture globally, allowing us to build the most powerful storytelling engine for Black voices.”

The move comes seven months after Combs stepped down as chairman of Revolt amid lawsuits accusing the hip-hop mogul of sexual assault. 

In March, federal agents raided Combs’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a federal investigation. 

Last month, Combs was seen in a 2016 surveillance video assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel. Combs apologized days later. 

Sean “Diddy” Combs remains estranged from the Revolt television network he founded 10 years ago amid multiple sexual abuse claims against the hip-hop entrepreneur. 

Revolt Media Tuesday announced via social media Combs’s decision to step down as chairman of Revolt, although the hip-hop mogul had no “operational or day-to-day role in the business,” according to the company. Still, reports say the move is “temporary.”

“This decision helps to ensure that Revolt remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora,” Revolt said in the statement.

Last week, Combs was accused of sexual assault by two women who filed suits on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations, according to the Associated Press. The lawsuit came after Combs settled another sexual abuse lawsuit filed by entertainer Cassie, who alleged Combs beat and raped her, according to AP. Combs has maintained his innocence from all charges.

Combs founded Revolt in 2013 as one of four minority owned-and-operated channels launched in 2012 by Comcast as part of its acquisition of NBCUniversal. The network is currently headed by Detavio Samuels, who was named CEO in 2021.

HBO Max led a field of more than 40 streaming, services, networks and digital companies nominated for 2023 NAMIC Vision Awards, the diversity organization announced Tuesday morning (April 18).

HBO Max -- which will be rebranded to Max next month -- drew eight Vision Awards nominations to lead all distributors, according to the organization. The Vision Awards honor excellence in inclusive programming. 

ABC also garnered multiple nominations along with Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Hulu, Disney Channel, Starz, AMC, CBS, PBS, Fuse, Food Network, CNN, Revolt, ESPN, TBS/TNT/TruTV, CBS Sports, World Channel and Sesame Workshop.

ABC shows Abbott Elementary, black-ish and The Wonder Years secured three of the five slots in the best comedy series award category, with Disney Plus’s Ms. Marvel and CBS Studios’s The Neighborhood rounding out the category.

On the best drama side, freshman series Dark Winds (AMC) and Women of the Movement (ABC) will battle veteran shows 9-1-1 (Fox), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) and The Good Fight (Paramount Plus) for top honors.

Shows earning multiple nominations include Ms. Marvel, The Neighborhood, Dark Winds, Raven’s Home (Disney Channel), Taste the Culture (TBS/TNT/TruTV), Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop) and The Hair Tales (Hulu).

NAMIC said it will announce winners in each category this May.

Below are the list of nominees for the 2023 NAMIC Vision Awards:

Animation 

Craig of the Creek – Cartoon Network

Karma’s World – 9 Story Media Group

More Than I Want to Remember – MTV Entertainment Studios 

Star Trek: Lower Decks – Paramount Plus 

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder – Disney Plus

Best Performance – Comedy

Frankie Quiñones (This Fool) – Hulu 

Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) – Disney Plus 

Omari Hardwick (Fantasy Football) – Paramount Plus

Raven-Symoné: (Raven’s Home) – Disney Channel 

Tichina Arnold: (The Neighborhood) – CBS Studios

Best Performance – Drama 

Cliff “Method Man” Smith: (Power Book II: Ghost) – Starz 

Courtney B. Vance: (61st Street) – AMC 

Patina Miller: (Power Book III: Raising Kana) - Starz

Viola Davis:(The First Lady) – Showtime

Zahn McClarnon: (Dark Winds) – AMC 

Children’s

Mira, Royal Detective – Disney Junior

Raven’s Home – Disney Channel 

Rise Up, Sing Out – Disney Junior 

Sesame Street – Sesame Workshop 

That Girl Lay Lay – Nickelodeon 

Comedy 

Abbott Elementary – Warner Bros. Television | ABC 

black-ish – ABC 

Ms. Marvel – Disney Plus

The Neighborhood – CBS Studios 

The Wonder Years – ABC 

Digital Media – Short Form 

Sesame Street’s #ComingTogether Word of the Day Series – Sesame Workshop 

Taste the Culture – tbs/TNT/truTV

TO BE FREE: Featuring Natasha Cloud – CBS Sports 

Historian’s Take: What is #LandBack? Inside New Native American TV Shows – PBS 

Why Am I Like This?: Where Does My Skin Color Come From? – PBS 

Documentary 

Aftershock – Hulu Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond – World Channel 

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: An America ReFramed Special – American Documentary, Inc. and World Channel 

Invisible Valley - Fuse 

Master of Light – HBO Max 

Drama

9-1-1 - FOX 

Dark Winds – AMC 

Grey’s Anatomy – ABC 

The Good Fight – Paramount Plus 

Women of the Movement – ABC 

Lifestyle 

Delicious Miss Brown – Food Network 

Married to Real Estate – HGTV 

Outchef’d – Food Network 

Selena + Chef – HBO Max 

Spring Baking Championship: Easter – Food Network 

News/Informational 

GMA in Ghana/The ‘Black Panther’ Effect – Good Morning America 

The Color of Care – Smithsonian Channel 

The Hair Tales – Onyx Collective/OWN/Hulu 

Traffic Stop: Dangerous Encounters – CNN 

What Happened to Anton Black – Dateline 

Original Movie or Special 

A Gingerbread Christmas – Food Network 

A Rich Christmas – BET+ 

REVOLT x Michelle Obama: The Cross-Generational Conversation – REVOLT 

The Real Thirst Trap: Investigating Black America’s Water Crisis – REVOLT 

Unsound – Fuse 

Reality 

90 Day Fiancé – TLC 

Lizzo Watch Out For The Big Grrrls – Amazon 

Made From Scratch – Fuse 

We’re Here – HBO Max 

Why Not Us: Southern Dance – ESPN+ 

Reality – Social Issues 

Inside College Football: Mental Health – CBS Sports 

Taste the Culture – tbs/TNT/truTV SC 

Featured: Jackie to Me – ESPN 

SC Featured: Net Worth – ESPN 

The Hair Tales – Onyx Collective/OWN/Hulu 

Sports 

38 At the Garden – HBO Max 

After Jackie – History Channel 

Dream On – ESPN 

Say Hey, Willie Mays! – HBO Max 

Serena Williams: On Her Terms – CNN 

Variety/Talk Show 

Don’t Cancel Me with Amara La Negra – Fuse 

Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel – HBO Max

PAUSE with Sam Jay – HBO Max 

The Amber Ruffin Show – Peacock 

Yvonne Orji: A Whole Me. – HBO Max

Revolt will look at Black communities battling systematic water pollution in the network's first investigative special, The Real Thirst Trap, debuting December 22.

The Revolt Black News special, hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist Mara Campo, investigates the detrimental impacts that polluted water has on Black communities, and gives a voice to typically unheard individuals from Flint, New Orleans and Watts that are battling pollutants, toxic landfills and water systems under threat, said the network.

Campo, who has previously worked for ABC News, NBC News and TV One, will also serve as global news anchor of Revolt Black News. She will also also host Revolt's flagship news series Revolt Black News Weekly and act as the news division's managing editor.

"By announcing Mara joining Revolt, as we air our first investigative special, we are sending a deliberate signal to the world that we are building a best-in-class news division that will center the needs of Black people from across the diaspora and boldly tell the stories the rest of media chooses to ignore," Revolt CEO Detavio Samuels said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more proud to have yet another Black woman helping to lead the charge & contribute to that mission."

Also: Multicultural TV’s Power Players: Bringing Diversity to TV Screens Everywhere

Added Revolt President of News, Specials & Documentary Monique Chenault: "We are thrilled to welcome Mara Campo as Global News Anchor and Managing Editor of Revolt Black News. I’m confident Mara's in-depth reporting style, dedication to the public citizenry, and vast experience in covering the most pressing issues will further propel our news division as a critical vessel for sharing stories and assessing realities that impact Black people in America and throughout the African diaspora in an insightful and solution-minded way." ■

BET will honor Hip Hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy Combs with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the June 26 BET Awards live telecast.

The award, which honors industry giants who have not only significantly shaped culture through their extensive careers, but who have also been transformative leaders that consistently inspire generations by setting a true standard of excellence, will be given to the pioneering hip hop icon and entrepreneur during the telecast, which will be hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson. Combs founded the music and culture-themed cable network Revolt TV in 2013. 

Past Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include industry legends Whitney Houston, Prince, Queen Latifah, Anita Baker, Mary J. Blige, Samuel Jackson, Lionel Richie and New Edition.

“Diddy has always been a pioneering force in our community, breaking barriers, achieving unprecedented heights, blazing new trails, and, in so doing, raising the bar for all of us,” said BET CEO Scott Mills. “His virtuosity is matched only by his range – from music to media, culture, business, and philanthropy – Diddy has exemplified Black Excellence. We are delighted to have this opportunity to use our biggest stage to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of our friend Diddy.”

BET Executive Vice President, Specials, Music Programming, Music Strategy Connie Orlando added:  “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is an incomparable cultural force and creative visionary whose impact has created historic paradigm shifts across music, media, fashion, and lifestyle. It’s personally gratifying to celebrate and honor a longtime partner and friend of the network who, through the decades, has laid the blueprint for Black excellence through entertainment. And it is far from over; his legacy continues to break ground, and this Lifetime Achievement Award further cements his undeniable influence on hip hop and pop culture. From his many memorable and creative appearances at our award shows to his growing businesses and philanthropic media ventures, I couldn’t be happier for Diddy. He is a dear friend, colleague, and culture revolutionary. We look forward to celebrating his incredible legacy.”

Charter Communications said it has reached a deal to expand carriage of several African-American themed networks — AspireTV, Black News Channel, Impact Network, Revolt TV, The Africa Channel, TV One and Cleo TV — to its pay TV customers subscribing to the Spectrum TV Select video tier across its entire 41-state footprint. The rollout is expected to be completed by the end of June.

Spectrum TV Select is Charter’s most popular basic programming tier with about 125 channels, and is priced at $49.99 per month for the first 12 months. 

“Charter is committed to delivering programming that reflects the diverse interests of our customers, and these networks offer a wide variety of African American-themed news, lifestyle, entertainment and inspirational content,” Charter executive VP of programming acquisition Tom Montemagno said in a press release. “By including these channels on Spectrum TV Select we will significantly increase the networks’ potential audience while providing millions of our TV customers with even more choice, entertainment and value – at no extra cost.”

The channels were available on pricier Charter tiers in the past, and includes at least one channel that is likely to disappear in the future. In March, Black News Channel CEO Princell Hair said the network was shutting down in a memo to employees. However, at the moment BNC is still on the air. 

“We applaud Charter for its commitment to expanding access to diverse programming and making sure more networks that cater to Black audiences like Revolt are introduced to millions of Spectrum TV Select customers across the country,” Revolt TV CEO Detavio Samuels said in a press release. “We are focused on building the largest Black-owned media company that changes the narrative of Black culture, and carriers like Charter play a big role in helping Revolt achieve this goal by amplifying content that elevates the culture across categories.”

Among the channels included in the agreement are:

AspireTV: The television network that celebrates and reflects Black culture and urban lifestyle. AspireTV offers reality series, specials and independent films as well as dramas, contemporary comedies and documentaries that connect with and reflect its viewers.

Black News Channel: The only provider of 24/7 multiplatform programming dedicated to covering the unique perspectives, challenges and successes of Black and Brown communities. BNC delivers live news programming each weekday.

Impact Network: Founded in Detroit by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson and Dr. Beverly Y. Jackson, and is the fastest growing, 100% African American, independently owned Christian network in the United States. 

Revolt TV: A leading Black-owned and operated multimedia platform founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2013, and servicing content 24/7 across digital, linear, and live media channels. The platform produces rich content and original material with the biggest names in Hip Hop, along with reports of breaking news, current events, trends and announcements within the Black cultural movement and Hip-Hop world. 

The Africa Channel: A showcase for English language television series, feature films, documentaries and news about Africa and its influence on the world. 

TV One Networks: The hub of Black culture and entertainment with a broad offering of original programming and classic series, serving both diverse audiences for TV One and Cleo TV. Each network has a unique audience that serves viewers with fan favorites. Both networks are solely owned by Urban One, Inc., the largest African American-owned and operated multi-media company.

“We are excited Charter has expanded carriage of TV One Networks across its footprint,” said TV One and Cleo TV president Michelle Rice in a press release. “They are a great partner and like us, Charter recognizes the value of offering greater accessibility to diverse content that equitably and authentically represents the demographics of the viewers and communities we mutually serve.” ■

Revolt TV will offer a weekly sermon series from Bishop T.D. Jakes beginning this month. 

The series, Kingdom Culture with T.D. Jakes, features the pastor’s weekly Sunday service and conversations from the Potter’s House Church, said the network. The series, which launched June 20, will also showcase thought-provoking and enlightening words from the influential leader to Revolt’s youth-targeted audience, the network said.

“This partnership is a landmark moment for Revolt, expanding into the faith space to create a program that will inspire millions around the world to have hope and walk in their power,” said Revolt chairman Sean “Diddy” Combs. “Bishop Jakes is one of the most transformational leaders of our time who has made a profound impact on my life, so we’re honored for him to join the Revolt family and use his gift to empower the culture.”

Read Also: Revolt Promotes Detavio Samuels to CEO Position

Added Jakes: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Revolt as it is a great opportunity to further expand our reach to a younger generation. In the last year or two, many young people have been adversely affected by a mix of economic woes and a pandemic both here in the United States and around the world. I am looking forward to an alliance that engages with this unique audience while also empowering and uplifting them.”

Cable networks and streaming services are gearing up this weekend to celebrate Father’s Day as well as Juneteenth -- the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States -- with original programming specials and events. 

In celebration of Father’s Day (June 20) , OWN on June 19 will feature a special, Honoring Our Kings: A Black Dad Conversation, hosted by Sterling K. Brown who discusses the joys and challenges of Black fatherhood with such celebrities as John Legend, D.L. Hughley, Tony Gonzalez and Deon Cole. The special follows a June 15 OWN original show, Honor Our Kings: Celebrating Black Fatherhood, that is currently streaming on Discovery Plus. 

Netflix on June 18 will premiere a Father’s Day-themed original movie Fatherhood, starring Kevin Hart as a widower taking on one of the toughest jobs in the world, according to the streaming service.

In honor of the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy on June 19, 1865, the industry’s Juneteenth focus begins tonight (June 17) with Peacock’s Civil War (or Who Do We Think We Are), a documentary exploring how Americans tell the story of their Civil War through interviews and scenes filmed North and South from President Obama’s final year in office through the present, according to the streaming service. 

On Saturday, History will premiere the documentary Fight The Power: The Movements That Changed America. Hosted by NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the documentary will look at the impact key movements throughout US History have had in shaping our society, laws, and culture.

Read Also: Q&A: NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Champions U.S. Social Justice Movements in History Doc

Also on Saturday, Revolt, in partnership with Vice Media Group, will premiere a special episode of Revolt Black News that will feature influential conversations and musical performances set to explore political topics relevant to the Black youth and leaders of today to encourage young changemakers to exercise their political rights and benefit future generations. 

In addition, The Smithsonian Channel will air throughout the day original video essays from prominent and emerging writers, artists, activists, community leaders and teachers reflecting on Juneteenth and how this consequential moment in American history deeply resonates today.

Revolt has promoted network executive Detavio Samuels to chief executive officer, part of several senior management appointments announced by Revolt founder Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Samuels, formerly Revolt’s chief operating officer, will oversee the hip hop-themed cable network and digital service as it strives to create fresh and exciting content that produces long-lasting impact, according to the network. 

Read also: Five Spot: Detavio Samuels

Other senior management appointments include Colin McIntosh to chief operating officer and chief finance officer; and Deon Graham to chief brand officer of Combs Enterprises. 

Graham, Samuels and McIntosh will work alongside Cherisse McKenzie (Head of Content and Production), Angela Bundrant Turner (Head of Marketing and Public Relations), Mike Roche (Executive Vice President of Ad Sales), and James 'JB' Brown (Executive Vice President of Content Distribution), to shape the company's future, according to network officials. 

"My vision for Revolt was always to build the world's largest Black-owned media company powered by the smartest young executives from the culture," Combs said in a statement. "As we reimagine the future of the brand, it's important that we stay true to that mission and position real game-changers to lead the way."

Revolt TV this week will launch a new unscripted basketball competition series featuring several hip hop celebrities, the network announced Wednesday.

The eight-episode series, The Crew League, will feature Hip Hop celebrities such as Swae Lee, G Herbo and Jack Harlow as they and their “crews” go head to head against each other in a friendly basketball tournament, said the network. The winning team will receive a grand prize of $100,000, 50% of which will be donated to a nonprofit or social good initiative. Episodes will debut weekly on Revolt’s YouTube channel beginning Feb. 19 and then air three days later on Revolt’s linear cable channel. 

“The Crew League delivers Revolt’s mission of creating meaningful content that shifts cultural norms and offers a fresh perspective,” Revolt chairman Sean Combs said in a statement. “The Crew League is a  dope way for artists to do something they love, while still giving back to causes that are important to them.” 

Also Read: Five Spot: Detavio Samuels, Chief Operating Officer, Revolt TV

Detavio Samuels assumed the reins of hip-hop cable network Revolt TV in June, in the midst of a pandemic and protests. Samuels, 39, helped spearhead the network’s focus on social justice-themed original content that seeks to inform, enlighten and empower the Sean “Diddy” Combs-founded network’s millennial and Generation Z viewers with such shows as Revolt Black News and election-themed special Black Voices on Mute.

Samuels spoke with Multichannel News senior content producer, programming R. Thomas Umstead about the network’s brand and its distribution prospects, including a carriage expansion agreement with Comcast. Here’s an edited transcript of that conversation.

How have you managed operations during this difficult time?  As I was coming in we had conversations about planting a flag in the ground around social justice, and then George Floyd hit and the world changed. We recognized that this moment was like any other moment, so on May 25 we went from producing 0% social-justice content to 100% social justice content by my very first day on June 3. It’s become embedded in our brand. 

Who is Revolt’s target audience? Our audience is the hip-hop gen — that’s how I labeled them. Hip-hop is driving global culture, and even though we talk about them as a niche audience, in reality hip-hop is the No. 1 music (genre) in the world. So the hip-hop gen is our audience, but our design target audience is young, gifted, black viewers. 

Does the Revolt brand reflect the vision of its founder, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs? I couldn’t be more excited about the Revolt brand right now, and it’s been on a journey to get to this very moment. I don’t know if [Combs] could see into the future, but when he launched the brand in 2013 and gave it the name Revolt, he was basically building a brand to do one thing — to lead a revolution. It took us a couple of years to figure out what that revolution was going to be, but now we live at the intersection of hip-hop and social justice. 

How will Revolt’s recent Comcast deal impact how the network gets its message out? Comcast has increased Revolt’s distribution, which means that we can reach more of our people wherever they are. For us, that means increased scale and engagement, which is going to be huge. I would be lying if I didn’t say that it also means increased revenue, which allows us to create more content for our audience.

Do you see Revolt’s future growth more in the traditional space than in the digital space? Linear is important to us, and we’re not fully penetrated. While most networks are going to experience a loss in cable homes on the linear side as the industry evolves, we still very much believe that there’s an opportunity for growth. That said, we also know the future is digital and we also know that this audience is heavily digital, so you will absolutely see us making a very strong push into the digital and social spaces . λ

Comcast Cable will expand the reach of Revolt TV in new and existing markets as part of an agreement announced Thursday by both parties.

The Sean “Diddy” Combs-founded service will be added in HD to the Xfinity Digital Starter package in Philadelphia, Northern New Jersey, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Tampa, Knoxville, Indianapolis, Charleston, and Augusta beginning Sept. 29, according to the network. In addition, in markets where Revolt has been available in standard definition as part of the Xfinity Digital Premier package, the network will be moved to Digital Starter in HD.

Neither Revolt nor Comcast would reveal subscriber numbers as part of the agreement. 

“Comcast was one of the first television distributors to carry REVOLT to millions of its customers when it launched in 2013, and we are very pleased to bring its creative music- and social justice-focused content to even more Xfinity TV customers across the country,” said Dana Strong, president, Xfinity Consumer Services.

Added Combs: “As one of very few Black-owned media platforms, it is important that we can reach our audiences wherever they are. We are excited to continue to grow with Comcast and deliver our content to millions of additional homes.”

As part of the agreement, the two companies will collaborate to create “impactful cultural content," including Black Voices on Mute, which will feature original content that will discuss the importance of voting and the history of voter suppression in the Black community, said Comcast and Revolt. 

“There is no better time than now to amplify Black stories and content, and we are excited to bring new programming from Revolt to our platform and recently launched content collection, Black Voices. Black Stories,” said Keesha Boyd, executive director, multicultural video & entertainment, Xfinity Consumer Services.

Revolt TV Thursday will launch a live news show focused on the COVID-19 virus’ impact on African American communities.

The Revolt Black News show will feature conversations with experts, artists, and elected officials discussing COVID-19’s impact on the black community, with key topics including health and nutrition, personal finances, income inequality, mass incarceration, access to education, and more, said network officials. Each 90-minute episode will also stream on Revolt’s YouTube page.

Thursday’s series premiere will feature Congresswoman Maxine Waters, said the network.

Revolt Black News comes on the heels of the network’s April 9 coronavirus-themed Town Hall event, which the network reported drew 4.6 million views across all social platforms, with more than 40 million impressions and 83,000 comments across all social platforms.

“The mission at Revolt is to consistently and unapologetically serve our core Gen Hip Hop audience,” said Revolt CEO, Roma Khanna. “With this show we hope to provide a platform for timely and important information and idea exchange from respected voices in the community - intended to inform and uplift our audience during these challenging times."

BET and REVOLT TV are planning special programming that look to shine a light on the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on minority communities.

REVOLT TV Thursday will televise a live town hall event moderated by network founder and owner Sean ‘Diddy” Combs. The two-hour discussion, Life or Death; The State of Black America & The Cornoavirus: Its United Effect but Unequal Burden will include Combs, Rev. Al Sharpton, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, CNN personality Van Jones and hip hop performer Meek Mill, and will include segments dealing with the public health issues, the low-income effect, incarceration and economic relief, and the mental toll of quarantine, said the network.

BET is partnering with the NAACP and the United Way Worldwide to produce a special, Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort on April 22 that will feature numerous entertainment personalities sharing their tips on how to manage, cope and help during the pandemic crisis. Singer/actress Kelly Rowland, actor Terrence J and actress Regina Hall will co-host the event, which will feature appearances by DJ Kaled, Charlie Wilson, Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, Fantasia and Melvin Crispell III.

As part of the event, BET and the United Way Worldwide have created a relief fund to assist people of color most impacted by the pandemic, both health-wise and from a financial perspective.

“Our goal for this special is to come together in a collective spirit of strength, community and hope," said Connie Orlando, executive VP specials, music programming & music strategy at BET in a statement. "As we unite in harmony and compassion, through the collective healing power of music, comedy and entertainment, we can bring restoration and inspire the world that our brighter days are ahead,” 

On the digital front, BET on April 8 teamed with the NAACP to create a four part virtual town hall series titled Unmasked: A COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall Series Powered by NAACP & BET that will stream on NAACP.org.

Revolt TV announced Monday it has named Robyn Lattaker-Johnson as the network's head of content.

Lattaker-Johnson will oversee all aspects of programming, original development, content acquisitions, physical production and post-production for the Sean "Diddy" Combs-owned music-themed service, reporting directly to Revolt TV CEO Roma Khanna.

Most recently Lattaker-Johnson managed a roster of production companies, EP/show runners, multi-camera directors, casting producers, composers and unscripted content creators. 

Prior to her management and consulting business, Lattaker-Johnson served as vice president of alternative programming at Syfy from 2010 – 2014. 

“Robyn’s track record of developing and creating compelling formats featuring authentic voices and diverse stories is exactly what Revolt needs as we build our voice in content as the definitive home of Hip Hop and the global leader in the culture,” said Khanna in a statement. 

One month after announcing plans to launch two Hispanic-targeted networks in 2016, Comcast Cable on Thursday said it is accepting proposals for two African-American owned and independent networks it plans to launch in January 2019.

The new channels stem from a condition Comcast agreed to in its 2011 acquisition of NBCUniversal, in which it agreed to launch eight minority-owned and operated channels. The two recently announced Hispanic-owned channels, Primo and Kids Central, will join four other networks launched in 2012 and 2013: kids-targeted BabyFirst Americas; music-themed service Revolt TV, founded by hip hop artist Sean “Diddy” Combs; African- American targeted entertainment network Aspire TV, led by NBA hall of famer Magic Johnson; and millennials-aimed El Rey Network, backed by producer and director Robert Rodriguez.

Criteria for the two new African-American owned networks include the network's content makeup and whether the network’s ownership and/or management groups are well established. The network choices could include and already launched service that may have existing or potential multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) distribution. Comcast will accept proposals for every major genre, including general entertainment, movies, music, kids, news, and sports, according to company officials.

“We are looking forward to receiving another round of great proposals as we begin the process to launch two more African American majority owned networks,” said Justin Smith,senior vice president of Content Acquisition for Comcast Cable.

Proposals for the two networks are due by March 15, 2017, and the two networks will be selected in the coming months, according to Comcast.

This story was edited to correct the launch date in the headline.

Comcast Corp Tuesday said it will add to its lineup two kids-targeted, Hispanic focused channels in January as part of its NBCUniversal merger requirement to launch eight minority-owned networks by 2019.

The two networks, Kids Central and Primo TV, will debut in January 2017, bringing to six the number of primarily minority owned and operated networks Comcast committed to launch by 2019 as part of its merger with NBCUniversal in 2011. The other four include African-American owned Aspire Tv (launched in 2012) and Revolt Tv (2012), and Hispanic-owned and targeted networks El Rey (2013) and BabyFirst Americas (2012).

Comcast senior vice president and general manager of Multicultural Services Javier Garcia told Multichannel News that the company did not set out to launch two English language, kids-targeted channels, but Kids Central and Primo Tv turned out to be the best of several dozen network proposals submitted for consideration. He added the two channels – Kids Central, which will target bilingual Hispanic kids 3 to 7, and Primo Tv. which will focus on Hispanic tweens and teens aged 6 to 16 – complement BabyFirst Americas’ toddler-targeted channel in providing a full complement of kids-targeted content targeted to young Hispanic viewers.

“We saw a lot of white space in [Hispanic-targeted kids content],” he said. “The criteria was to look at the ownership and managerial structure of the services and to make sure it was run by independent networks owned by Hispanic Americans. We also looked at potential for distribution or carriage beyond Comcast – all those things led to these networks."

Condista Networks-owned Kids Central will offer English-language, family-oriented programming targeted to Hispanic viewers ages 3 to 7. The network will also feature both English and Spanish-language video on demand content, according to network officials.

Primo Tv, predominantly owned by V-Me Media Inc., will offer scripted and non-fiction animated and live action content that will both entertain and educate viewers aged 6 to 16, according to Victor Cerda, senior vice president at V-Me Media. The network will also offer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Awareness targeted to U.S. Hispanic audiences.

Garcia would not say how many subscribers Comcast would provide both Primo Tv and Kids Central at launch, but he said expects that both networks will gain carriage from other distributors once launched.

After the launch of Kids Central and Primo Tv, Comcast will turn its focus on launching African-American targeted networks, according to Garcia, although he would provide specifics.

As coverage of the cantankerous and unpredictable 2016 political election season draws big TV ratings for traditional cable-news networks, upstart channels targeting young millennials with political-themed content are campaigning online to reach one of the largest voting blocks in U.S. history.

Networks like Fusion, Revolt TV, Pivot and Fuse are looking to secure the votes of a politically engaged group of 18-to-34-year-olds looking for content that speaks to issues important to them — topics that aren’t always addressed by the cable news channels.

From online voter registration campaigns to millennial-focused reports from the major political party conventions to social-media initiatives on key issues such as immigration, police brutality and LGBT rights, network executives said it’s critical to provide content to millennials when and where they want it.

“We have seen from our audience that they are an active, socially relevant group, and they care about issues that can affect not only them but society at large, from Black Lives Matter to [the drinking-water crisis in] Flint to immigration issues and LGBT issues — this audience is vocal and they care about these issues,” Revolt TV CEO Keith Clinkscales said. “We wanted to make sure that we were uniquely positioned to impact the political conversation, and give the young people who consume our media an opportunity to amplify their voices.”

CROSSING PLATFORMS

To accomplish that, networks are taking a multiplatform approach to disseminating political news to an audience that watches less TV and spends more time online, executives said.

Millennials aged 18-34 may watch less live TV than any other demographic group, but they’re the most likely to use a connected-TV device such as Apple TV or Roku, according to a new Nielsen Total Audience Report for fourth-quarter 2015.

That age group also spent more than 11 hours per week using smartphones to access the Web and apps during fourth-quarter 2015, up from eight hours during the same period in 2014, according to Nielsen.

Millennials have followed the 2016 presidential campaign closely because the candidates have been so active on social media, David Quinn, senior brand lead for digital marketing firm Beamly, said.

“All the candidates are active on Twitter and using video on YouTube and have remained active in the political conversation with millennials,” Quinn said.

That leaves an opening for millennial-targeted networks to provide political content to an already engaged audience.

For Fuse, that means teaming with Hispanic-targeted, non-profit political organization Voto Latino to create a multiplatform initiative dubbed “Crash the Parties,” Fuse Media CEO Michael Schwimmer said. Millennial Latinos can vie for a chance to become Fuse reporters at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.

Would-be reporters can submit a video to Fuse.tv for network viewers to vote on. Two winners will be chosen to represent the network at the conventions, providing frequent video updates both online and on he linear channel.

The network (then called Sí TV) ran a similar campaign with Voto Latino in 2008. “With the social media tools that are available in 2016 that were not available in 2008, it’s going to be even easier and more effective in getting out the word and getting people engaged in the process,” Schwimmer said.

Revolt’s “Revolt 2 Vote” initiative will include a weekly digital series on the revolt.tv website, featuring interviews with political leaders and insights from millennial thought leaders and influencers, Clinkscales said.

The music channel’s primarily digital political content will be headed by millennial journalist Amrit Singh as well as a “kitchen cabinet” of young political voices who will discuss the campaign on Revolt.tv and social-media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

“The main thing is we have digital coverage because that’s where millennials are aggregating political content, and then we’ll do some linear programming as well,” he said.

As some 93 million millennials will be of voting age going into this year’s election, Clinkscales said it’s imperative to provide them information to make informed decisions.

“More than 30 million young people stayed home in 2012,” he said. “[Turnout] was very low — one of the lowest numbers on record. The frustration that young people have with the American political system is an opportunity to make sure we provide them with the engagement they need.”

The emerging networks are also hoping to reach millennial viewers in a way the bigger, more mainstream news networks haven’t so far. While both Fox News Channel and CNN ranked among the top 10 most-watched cable networks among total viewers during the first quarter 2016 among total viewers, neither is among the top 15 networks within the 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen.

“Millennials are not turning on the TV and watching the cable news networks,” Quinn said. “The shows that are speaking to the group are from external video Web shows.”

“They have their hands full,” Clinkscales said. “We have the luxury of going after one of America’s largest generations ever — 93 million strong and 40% from communities of color. This is the time to understand what’s going on with this 18-to-34-year-old audience.”

GOING TO THE MOVIES

Pivot will take a different tack to inform millennials about the political process, relying on politically-themed movies throughout the summer to keep politics on the minds of its younger viewers, Pivot general manager Kent Rees said.

The network will feature such films as All the President’s Men, Wag the Dog and The Fog of War.

“We’re more contextualizing the political process through these films that we’ve identified,” Rees said. “Millennials crave context and they crave it in all different directions, and having them sit down and watch a fi lm that comments on the process in general as well as documentaries like Caucus that touch on how the process works.”

The network will feature around the #justvote public-awareness campaign, which encourages young people to register and vote. Rees said there often isn’t a lot of information in the marketplace as to how to vote, so the eff ort will explain the process to help get millennials to the voting booth.

“Their involvement is clear, and it’s a great way to galvanize them,” Rees said. “It’s the largest generation in American history, and they’ve only just begun to understand their power and the opportunities to affect change in the country at large.”

AT&T U-verse has reached a carriage deal with music channel Revolt, the company said Tuesday (July 21).

The network, founded by hip hop entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs and launched in 2013 as one of four new minority-owned networks supported by Comcast as part of the Federal Communications Commission’s conditions for its 2010 acquisition of NBCUniversal, will be available to AT&T U-Verse subscribers as early as July 27, company officials said.

“AT&T is excited to bring Revolt programming to our customers,” said Mel Coker, chief marketing officer, AT&T Home Solutions. “Revolt is a great fit as we strive to bring our customers the content they want, when and where they want it.”

Added Combs: “This is a historical day for Revolt. With a major player like AT&T, more people will be able to access the hottest music and original content on every screen and device. This agreement shows the world that Revolt is a force in the media industry. “

The agreement comes as AT&T recently came under fire from hip hop rapper/producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, who called the company “racist” in several tweets over the weekend. AT&T is in carriage negotiations with Starz, which carries Jackson starrer Power, which draws a predominantly African American audience.