EXCLUSIVE: Bounce Gets Boost From Nexstar Stations

Nexstar Broadcasting Group has agreed to carry Bounce TV, the new digital over-the-air network aimed at African-American viewers.

Bounce, announced by a group led by Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young in April, has already signed carriage deals that will put it in markets representing 32% of the country when it launches in the fall.

Under multi-year agreements, Bounce will be carried by Nexstar stations in communities including Little Rock, Rochester (N.Y.), Jacksonville, Peoria/Bloomington, Beaumont and Monroe.

The stations will carry Bounce in addition to their current network affiliations by using a slice of their digital spectrum to broadcast the new channel.

"Bounce TV is a very attractive programming option for our digital spectrum.  It is a meaningful network that will serve the tremendously underserved African-American audiences in our communities," commented Perry Sook, chairman, president and CEO of Nexstar.

"Nexstar Broadcasting stations have always been innovators of change within their local communities and for Nexstar to choose Bounce TV as their first major use of their digital spectrum speaks volumes," said Jeffrey Wolf, executive VP of distribution for Bounce.  "The instant demand for Bounce TV and the rapid growth we've seen in just a few weeks underlines the overwhelming need for free over-the-air programming for the African American community."

Bounce previously announced carriage deals with Raycom and LIN TV. The network plans to air programming including theatrical motion pictures, live sporting events, documentaries, specials, faith-based programs, off-net series and original shows. It is targeting African Americans between the ages of 25 and 54.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.