Bounce TV Adds Markets, Programming

Bounce TV, the new broadcast TV network for African Americans, made two announcements today: one on the affiliation front and the other on its program lineup.

The network has acquired the television rights to all 113 episodes of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids in a licensing agreement with Classic Media. Bounce TV will launch the series with a special “Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s New Year’s Day” Marathon on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, starting at noon ET. Bounce TV will rebrand its Tuesday night lineup as “Fat Tuesdays” to feature four primetime episodes of the series back-to-back every week at 8 p.m. ET starting Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Bounce TV will be seen in Tallahassee, Fla. (DMA 106) on WTXL, owned by Southern Broadcast Corp./Calkins Media, and in Albany, Ga. (DMA 150) on Barrington Broadcasting Group’s WFXL. The addition of the two markets puts Bounce TV in 72% of African-American television homes, the network said.

“The reaction to our airing of Fat Albert’s Halloween Special this past October was incredible and led to our pursuit of the entire series,” commented King.  “For years, millions of kids watched the comedic adventures and learned real life lessons from the Cosby Kids every weekend. Those kids, now adults and parents, can rediscover those memories while creating new ones by watching Fat Albert with their children on Bounce TV.”

Neal Ardman, president of Broadcast Partners, which brokered the deal between Classic Media and Bounce TV, commented: “How exciting to have Fat Albert back in primetime for a whole new generation to enjoy. We are thrilled to play a small role in this wonderful partnership between Bounce TV and Classic Media.”

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids was created, produced, and hosted by comedian Bill Cosby, who also voiced a number of characters, including Fat Albert himself. The show was a staple of Saturday mornings on CBS, premiering in 1972 and running until 1985.

Bounce TV targets African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54 with a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, live sports, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series, original programming and more.