Ambassador Andrew Young, a co-founder of African-American broadcast network Bounce TV, came out in support of Charter Communications’ proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.
The deal is being scrutinized by the government. Comcast’s attempt to acquire Time Warner Cable couldn’t survive the government review, in part because of complaints from minority broadcasters concerned about consolidation’s effect on diversity.
“We support Charter Communications’ pending transactions with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. Charter has long been a strong supporter of minority-owned networks like Bounce TV and we believe that these transactions are in the public interest and will be beneficial to Bounce TV viewers, African Americans and all ethnicities,” said Young. “We are thrilled that New Charter will make the offerings of Time Warner Cable and Bright House more diverse and richer for the more than 14 million African-American television households in the United States that are grossly underserved on television.”
TV One chairman and CEO Alfred C. Liggins II added his support of the proposed merger.
"TV One enjoys a solid working relationship with Charter and its leadership team. Charter’s decision to increase TV One distribution on more widely distributed tiers, and therefore more affordable programming packages for African American consumers in key urban markets, demonstrates its commitment to offering diverse and independent programming," said Liggins in a statement. "We believe the proposed merger with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks would be good for independent programmers like TV One and the communities we serve, as it will make our unique and exciting content available to millions of more consumers, and we support Charter’s efforts."
