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TheGrio
TypeDigital broadcast television network
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaUnited States
HeadquartersBeverly Hills, California, U.S.
Programming
Picture format1080i master feed (cable and satellite distribution), reduced to 480i SDTV for most over-the-air affiliates
Ownership
OwnerAllen Media Group
History
LaunchedDecember 22, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-12-22)
Founder
ReplacedBlack News Channel (after network purchase and merger into TheGrio TV)
This TV (after shutdown and merger into TheGrio TV)
ClosedJanuary 1, 2025; 19 days ago (2025-01-01) (OTA only)
Former namesLight TV (2016–2021)
Links
Websitethegrio.com
thegriotv.com

TheGrio, styled as thegrio, is a brand name owned by American media company Allen Media Group for a television network and a website aimed at African-Americans.[1]

History

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TheGrio is to "focus on news and events that have a unique interest and pronounced impact within the national African Americans audience,"[2] offering what co-founder and Executive Editor David Wilson feels is "underrepresented in existing national news outlets".

The website's name is derived from the word griot, the term for a West African oral historian and storyteller.[3]

The website originally launched in June 2009 as a division of NBC News.[4][5] It was founded by the team who created the documentary film Meeting David Wilson. It became a division of MSNBC in 2013. In 2014, it was sold to its founders.[6] In June 2016, Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios acquired the site.[7]

The TV channel was founded as Light TV in 2016 by reality television producer Mark Burnett and his wife, actress Roma Downey, as an inspirational network as part of his chairmanship of MGM Television, which operated the network. It was sold to Entertainment Studios in late 2020, and relaunched as TheGrio TV in January 2021, with a Black-specific programming focus.

After Entertainment Studios purchased the assets of the bankrupt Black News Channel in late July 2022, that network was merged into TheGrio TV on August 1, including the former's existing cable, satellite and advertiser supported on-demand streaming carriage, and plans to add more news and commentary to TheGrio TV's schedule.[8]

Television network

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Light TV and This TV were both sold by MGM TV in October 2020 to the Allen Media Group division of Entertainment Studios.[9] On December 3, 2020, it was announced that the network would be relaunched as TheGrio.TV on January 15, 2021, carrying lifestyle and entertainment programming of interest to the Black American community as an extension of the website.[10]

That same day, Light TV's satellite transponder space was taken over by Entertainment Studios, which stopped carrying programming in the interim and instead transmitted a test pattern promoting the launch of TheGrio (later a looping launch promo), while MGM continued to carry a stream of Light TV through the network's website. Fox Television Stations confirmed its stations would be a part of TheGrio's charter launch group, and much of its affiliate body transferred over through the month-long dark period, though some stations departed for other networks.[11] The network officially relaunched as TheGrio on January 15, 2021, that year's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and that same day MGM handed over the domain of Light TV to Entertainment Studios, ending the stream of Light TV.

On January 1, 2025, at 5AM EST, TheGrio went dark as a linear television network. It remains available on cable providers, along with its FAST channel presence.[citation needed]

Programming

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TheGrio TV currently provides 16 hours of programming to its affiliated stations every day from 8:00 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time, with paid programming filling the remaining vacated hours.

From 2016 until 2021, TheGrio TV (as Light TV) featured several series and movies meant to fit the network's family-oriented approach, including content from the MGM film and TV library or acquired through outside sources.[12][13] Infomercials were added to the Light TV lineup in 2019, occupying all of the overnight hours and into the early morning.

Light TV (2015–2020)

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The then-new over-the-top (OTT) faith-based channel was under development as early as September 2014 when MGM purchased 55% of One Three Media and LightWorkers Media, owned by Hearst Entertainment, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, and consolidated them into United Artists Media Group.[14] With MGM purchasing Hearst and Burnett and Downey's shares in UAMG, the channel was still a planned streaming service. However, Hearst and Burnett and Downey retained their stakes in the channel.[15]

MGM announced the formation of Light TV on December 15, 2015, with a launch planned for December on thirteen major market stations owned by Fox Television Stations.[16] The network launched on January 20, 2016[17] with two stations, and the rest of the group's stations.

The network was intended to carry new and original content from LightWorkers as part of Burnett's chairmanship of MGM's television division, but never ended up carrying any new content, only featuring rerun and library content already seen on MGM's This TV (a film-oriented network) and MGM HD, along with low-cost barter programming such as Heartland, which was already in wide syndication across multiple channels, and other generic inspirational or family-friendly content. By 2019, the network added paid programming which made up its late night and early morning schedule, reducing its programming commitment further.[18]

Current programming

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Below is a current list of programming broadcast on TheGrio:[19]

Former programming

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Light TV

Former over-the-air affiliates

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As Light TV, the network space initially launched on subchannels of fourteen Fox and MyNetworkTV stations owned by Fox Television Stations, with most of the initial affiliates being owned-and-operated stations of the Fox Broadcasting Company.[21] MGM then offered the network to stations outside the initial markets.[22] The Allen Media Group-owned stations will be in bold since they own the network as of 2021.

City Station[23] Physical
channel 		Virtual
channel 		Owner (management company) Date of affiliation Notes
Alabama
Birmingham WDVZ-CD 3 3.2[24] University of Alabama
Huntsville WAAY-TV 17 31.6 Allen Media Group
Montgomery WCOV-TV 22 20.4
California
San Francisco Bay Area KICU-TV 36 36.5
Florida
Orlando WRBW 28 65.4 Fox Television Stations 2020
Pensacola WBQP-CD 12 12.1 Watson Broadcasting Inc. of Pensacola, Florida
Tampa–St. Petersburg WFTT-TV 25 62.5 Entravision Communications
Georgia
Savannah WGCB-LD 36 35.4[25] Bridge Media Networks
Idaho
Idaho Falls KVUI 31 31.3 Ventura Broadcasting
Louisiana
Baton Rouge KPBN-LD 14 14.4 Pelican Broadcasting Network January 1, 2018
Monroe KMCT-TV 22 39.11 Carolina Christian Broadcasting May 1, 2021
Minnesota
Minneapolis–Saint Paul KMSP-TV 9 9.5 Fox Television Stations 2017
Mississippi
Jackson WAPT 21 16.4 Hearst Television
New York
Syracuse WWLF-LD 35 35.2 Metro TV, Inc. September 1, 2021
Oho
Toledo WMNT-CD 36 48.5 Community Broadcast Group, Inc.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City KTUZ-TV 29 30.5 Tyler Media Group 2024
Tennessee
Knoxville WEZK-LD 16 28.3[26] Living Faith Ministries
Memphis WBII-CD 20 20.2[27] Tony Tidwell
Nashville WLLC-LD 42.3 42.3 JKB Associates 2021
Texas
Dallas–Fort Worth KDFI 27 27.5 Fox Television Stations 2017
Houston KTXH 19 20.3 2020
San Antonio KGMM-CD 36 24.2[28] CNZ Communications
Washington
Seattle KYMU-LD 6 6.2[29] Word of God Fellowship 2019
Spokane KSKN 36 22.5 Tegna, Inc.
Yakima KYPK-LD 32 32.4[30] Hispanavision
Wisconsin
Eau Claire WQOW 25 18.6 Allen Media Group January 2024
La Crosse WXOW 28 19.6
Madison WKOW 26 27.6

References

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  1. ^ Kee, Tameka (June 10, 2009). "Can NBCU's TheGrio.com Succeed Where RushmoreDrive.com Failed?". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  2. ^ Ham, Jon (August 10, 2009). "NBC’s theGrio.com needs diversity training". Carolina Journal Online.
  3. ^ Mayes, Julia (October 3, 2011). "Positively Black: NBC Launches The Grio". 4 NBC New York.
  4. ^ "The Grio Web Site". C-SPAN Video Library, August 20, 2012.
  5. ^ "TheGrio reveals annual Top 100 list". Today, February 4, 2013.
  6. ^ Jordan Chariton (August 14, 2014). "NBC News Selling TheGrio.com". TVNewser. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  7. ^ Debbie Emery (June 14, 2016). "Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios Acquires TheGrio". TheWrap. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  8. ^ "Black News Channel is now theGrio" (Press release). TheGrio. August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  9. ^ "Allen Media Group Buys Two Networks From MGM," from Deadline, 10/28/2020
  10. ^ Haring, Bruce (December 4, 2020). "Byron Allen's Light TV Will Transition To 'TheGrio.TV' Next Month To Kick Off MLK Day Weekend". Deadline. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  11. ^ Miller, Mark K. (December 8, 2020). "Fox O&Os Adding TheGrio.TV To Subchannels". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  12. ^ "MGM Launches Light TV on Fox Owned Stations and Affiliates". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  13. ^ "Faith-Based LIGHT TV Coming To FOX 32.2 In December". Chicagoland Radio & Media. November 16, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  14. ^ Busch, Mike Fleming Jr, Anita (September 22, 2014). "MGM Buys 55% Of Roma Downey And Mark Burnett's Empire; Relaunches United Artists". Deadline. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 6, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Lieberman, David (December 14, 2015). "MGM Taps Mark Burnett To Run TV Operation After Buying Out JV Partners". Deadline. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  16. ^ a b c Busch, Anita (December 15, 2015). "Roma Downey, Mark Burnett And MGM Launch Light TV With Fox Stations On Board". Deadline. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  17. ^ Bouma, Luke (March 3, 2017). "Three New Over-the-Air TV Networks Recently Launched - Cord Cutters News". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  18. ^ Masters, Kim (November 19, 2020). ""He Makes You Feel Like You're Questioning Your Sanity": Mark Burnett's Disruptive Reign at MGM". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  19. ^ "LIGHT_SCHEDULE_AUGUST_24_UPDATE" (PDF). August 1, 2017.
  20. ^ a b "GrioTV Schedule - Check What's on".
  21. ^ "Fox Stations Sign on For Roma Downey and Mark Burnett Network". TVSpy. Prometheus Global Media. November 16, 2016.
  22. ^ Kate Stanhope (November 16, 2016). "Roma Downey, Mark Burnett and MGM to Launch Faith Digital Network on Fox Stations". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  23. ^ "Stations for Network - The Grio". RabbitEars.Info. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  24. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WDVZ-CD". RabbitEars. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  25. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WGCB-LD". RabbitEars. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  26. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WEZK-LD". RabbitEars. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  27. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for WBII-CD". RabbitEars. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  28. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KGMM-CD". RabbitEars. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  29. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for KYMU-LD". RabbitEars. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  30. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for KYPK-LD". RabbitEars. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
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