Black News Channel shuts down 2 years after going live

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Black News Channel shut down a little more than two years after it went live as the first all-day news network in the country aimed at African Americans.

The network that was the creation of former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts and largely funded by Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan closed operations Friday evening.

“Management advised us today that it will lay off substantially all the network’s employees and will suspend most network operations, with immediate effect,” the network’s board of directors said in a statement.

The network closed its Twitter account and it’s Facebook page said it is permanently closed.

The goal of the network was to reach Black audiences with stories that give a broader perspective about their community than what other networks provide. When it went live in February 2020, Khan would not say how much he was investing in the network, but said it was enough to keep it going for years.