Black-Owned Media's Upfront Message: Time for Advertisers to Advance Economic Inclusion

In recent months, Byron Allen -- the owner of several networks including The Weather Channel, many broadcast stations and syndicator Entertainment Studios -- has waged a public crusade on behalf of TV programmers and other media ventures owned and managed by African Americans. He wants advertisers and their agencies to devote five percent or more of their annual media spending on these companies. Allen's crusade reached a milepost this week by organizing, then presenting, the first-ever Black-Owned Media Upfront event through Allen's Black Media Matters outreach. It was a showcase for current and forthcoming Black-owned projects presented over two consecutive afternoons. The event included presentations from Allen Media Group's Entertainment Studios Networks and Syndication units and The Weather Channel. Other participants included Local Now, Urban Edge and Revolt Media.