Soul of the South Network

Last updated
Soul of the South Network
TypeRegional Broadcast Network
BrandingThis is Home
Country
USA
First air date
May 27, 2013
AvailabilityOver the air
Founded2011
by
  • Edwin Avent
  • Carl McCaskill
  • Larry Morton
Headquarters Little Rock, AR
ParentSSN Media Group, LP
Official website
 ssn.tv

Soul of the South Television Network (SSN) is an African-American-focused regional broadcast network owned by SSN Media Group, LP. SSN will primarily broadcast in the Southern USA and secondarily in other high African-American populated cities in the north. [1]

Contents

SSN uses the C.A.S.H. system, Central Automated Satellite Headend, and a computer server “cloud based system” originally constructed by the defunct Equity Broadcasting to send its feed to its affiliated stations. SNN sought affiliations from full power television stations, Class A TV, low power TV stations, digital subchannels and cable outlets. [1]

History

Soul of the South Network was founded in 2011 by Edwin Avent, Carl McCaskill and Larry Morton. SSN purchased assets from the bankrupted Equity Media Holdings including the studio and production facilities of KKYK-TV and the C.A.S.H. system. SSN was planning to broadcast five hours of news per day with assistance from Independent News Network with four regional bureaus. SSN was also seeking to purchase TV stations. Expected original programming was a hip hop music show, family reunion featured program and Drum Majors, concerning music at mostly black colleges, and Radioface, an unscripted comedy and Southern Soul Stories, a documentary series about southern African-American icons and southern events. [1]

Equity Media Holdings

Equity Media Holdings Corporation was a broadcasting company based in Little Rock, Arkansas that owned and operated television stations across the United States. Prior to March 30, 2007, the company was known as Equity Broadcasting, a name later used for its broadcast station subsidiary. The company had a focus on Hispanic and Asian American communities in large markets while owning a combination of English-language network affiliates in medium and small markets.

By April 2012, Soul of the South was working to get additional affiliates to reach 50 markets for a two wave launch. [2]

Originally planned to launch in the first quarter of 2012 [3] and moved to fall 2012, SSN instead launched on May 27, 2013 with an announced 30 market launch. [4] However, according to RabbitEars.info, SSN only has 11 broadcast affiliates covering 14% of the nation. [5]

The network agreed to carry some games from the first season of the Fall Experimental Football League in October and November 2014. [6]

The Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL) was a professional football minor league that played two seasons in 2014 and 2015. This league's stated goal was to become a professional feeder-system for the National Football League (NFL).

In April 2015, the network began dropping affiliates due to financial distress and began winding down operations. [7] The network's social media channels had largely gone defunct in late 2015. By this time, the network aired infomercials, reruns of D.C. Breakdown, and Independent Network News newscasts during the day.

In 2018, Soul of the South was purchased by a group of investors led by Doug McHenry. In that same year, the network gained cable coverage on Comcast and Frontier's cable lineups. In April 2019, McHenry announced Soul of the South would rebrand as Slang TV by the end of the year, with a shift to a schedule mainly featuring current-day African-American films. At the same time, HC2 Station Group, Inc. inked an affiliation deal with the refreshed network to bring the network to 29 new markets, covering 44% of the network's demographic. [8]

Affiliates

Current Affiliates

A listing of affiliates, as of April 2019. [9]

City of license Station call lettersChannel locationFCC Licensee
Little Rock, AR KKYK-CD 30.1KYMA, LLC.
Los Angeles, CA KHIZ-LD 39.6 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Sacramento, CA KFMS-LD47.1 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Hartford, CT WRNT-LD 32.2 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Orlando, FL WZXZ-CD 36.1L4 Media Group, LLC.
Atlanta, GA WUEO-LD 49.2 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Chicago, IL WRJK-LD 22.3/22.7Major Market Broadcasting
Indianapolis, IN WSDI-LD 30.5 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Baltimore, MD WQAW-LD 69.4 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Detroit, MI WUDL-LD 19.5 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Rochester, MN KWJM-LD 15.2 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Kansas City, MO KCMN-LD 42.7 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
St. Louis, MO WODK-LD 45.1 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Vicksburg, MS WLOO 35.3 Tougaloo College
Charlotte, NC WHEH-LD 41.2 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Raleigh/Durham, NC WIRP-LD 27.6 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Canton, OH WQDI-LD 20.3 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Nashville, TN WKUW-LD 40.3 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Dallas, TX KPFW-LD 18.1 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Houston, TX KEHO-LD 32.3 HC2 Station Group, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI WTSJ-LD 38.4 HC2 Station Group, Inc.

Former Affiliates

City of license Station call lettersChannel locationFCC LicenseeReplacement
Atlantic City, NJ WMCN-TV 44.2 WRNN Philly, LLC. Tuff TV
Austin, TX KVAT-LD 17Mako CommunicationsMiCasa Network
Baton Rouge, LA WLFT-CD 30.4Touch Family Broadcasting Antenna TV
Beaumont, TX KUMY-LD 22Minority Broadcasting Company Mexicanal
Columbus, OH WCSN-LD 32.7Columbus Television, LLC. Youtoo America
Dayton, OH WRCX-LP 40.1Ross Communications Ltd. AMG TV & Jewelry Television
Dover, DE WMDE 36.1Western Pacific Broadcast LLC.Infomercials
Flint, MI
Detroit		 WHNE-LD 14.1Tait Broadcasting Station ID, later LATV
Fort Walton, FL WPAN 40.1Franklin & Hoynacki Communications, LLC. Vibrant TV Network
Jackson, TN WYJJ-LD 27.1DTV America Corporation Antenna TV
(MyNetworkTV still secondary)
Jacksonville, FL WTLV-TV 12.2Multimedia Holdings Company
(Gannett Company)		Antenna TV
Lafayette KXKW KLWB 32.1/50.3Wilderness Communications/Delta Media Corporation32.1 ThisTV, **This TV was moved to 32.2 when Soul of the South Launched on KXKW but was put back in its original place when SSN was dropped in 2014. 32.2 KXKW is currently Antenna TV.
Live Oak, FlWFXU57.1Budd Broadcasting Retro TV
Mesquite, TX
Dallas/Ft. Worth		 KATA-CD 50.1Mako Communications Shop LC
Milwaukee, WI WMKE-CD 21.1KM LPTV of Milwaukee, LLC. Rev'n
Nashville, TN WJDE-LD 31.2Word Broadcasting Network The Country Network
Santa Isabel, PR W18DQ-D 18.1TV Red de Puerto Rico, Inc. Antenna TV
Missouri City, TX
Houston		 KUVM-LD 10.1Mako CommunicationsSilent
New York, NY WDVB-CD 23.2LocusPoint WDVB Licensee, LLC. American Sports Network
Philadelphia, PA WZPA-LD 33.1Mako CommunicationsSilent
Washington, D.C. WWTD-LD 49.1DC Broadcasting, Inc. MBC
Westgate, FL
West Palm Beach		W16CC16Mako CommunicationsSilent
West Monroe, LA KMCT-TV 39.4First Assembly of God of West MonroeSilent
Wildwood (Atlantic City), NJ WMGM-TV 40.1LocusPoint Networks Sonlife Broadcasting Network

Soul of the South

SSN Funding, LP
Soul of the South
Limited partnership
IndustryBroadcasting
Founded Little Rock, AR (2011)
Founder Edwin Avent
Carl McCaskill
Larry Morton
Headquarters
Little Rock, AR
,
USA
Number of locations
30
Divisions Southern Soul Broadcasting
Subsidiaries SSN Networks, Inc.
Website www.ssn.tv/   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

SSN Funding, LP, also known as SSN Media Group, SOS Media Holdings, and doing business as Soul of the South, is a limited partnership that owns SSN Networks, Southern Soul Broadcasting and Gateway Media Technologies. The institutional investors include Arkansas Development Finance Authority, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Arkansas Capital Corporation. [10]

SSN Funding purchased the former Equity Plaza building from One Bank & Trust in December 2013 for the Soul of the South businesses. In May 2014, the building ownership moved from SSN Funding to Rock City Media LLC. Rock City Media was "a funding vehicle to support Soul of the South’s tax-credit financial package". [11] By April 2006, the FBI started looking into the flow of government money into the Soul of the South venture. [12]


Southern Soul Broadcasting

Southern Soul Broadcasting is the station operating unit operating stations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Tallahassee, Montgomery, Jackson, MS, Raleigh, NC, and its Little Rock full power flagship station. [10]

In February, 2015, KM LPTV, which operates stations in Chicago and Milwaukee, filed a lawsuit claiming breach of contract and not making required payments. [13]

Gateway Media Technologies

Media Gateway, formerly Gateway Media Technologies and SSN Gateway Media Technologies, is a TV outsourcing company owned by Matthew Davidge. The company provides TV control panel and news casts.

Gateway had 60 television stations, three TV networks and two radio network as clients as of June 2017. [14] Two of the three TV networks are Youtoo America (formerly America One) [15] and Soul of the South Network. [14]

Jeffrey Lyle was chief technology officer for Soul of the South [16] and co-owner of SSN Media Gateway, LLC with Dr. Sev Hrywnak of Chicago, an entrepreneurial podiatrist; Edwin Avent and two Little Rock businessman long-associated with the property, Larry Morton and Greg Fess. [11] By June 2015, SSN Media Gateway, LLC had acquired Independent News Network. At that time INN had hired Anne Imanuel, the wife of Mike Preston, the new director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, as an anchor. The Commission had a past due loan from the Soul of the South company group. [17]

With financial difficulties, SSN Funding partners' ownership interest in SSN Gateway Media Technologies was purchased by Matthew Davidge, owner of client station WRDE, as of February 6, 2016. He also purchased from Rock City Media the former Equity Plaza, where Gateway Media Technologies was based to continue operation there, while taking over the mortgage. Gateway had 12 television stations, three TV networks and a radio network as clients as of June 2016. [11] By June 2017, Gateway increased the number of TV station clients from 12 to 60 and added another radio network. [14]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "New Network Targeting African Americans to Launch Next Year". Hollywood Reporter. 2011-10-31. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  2. ↑ Paige Albiniak (2012-04-28). "For TV, black is the new green". Variety. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  3. ↑ "South Florida Times". Sfltimes.com. Retrieved 2019-07-09.Cite news requires |newspaper= (help)
  4. ↑ [ dead link ]
  5. ↑ Stations for Network - Soul of the South. RabbitEars.info. Accessed on October 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ "FXFL To Be Carried on ESPN3" (Press release). New York: FXFL. PR Newswire. October 1, 2014. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014– via NBC Right Now.Cite uses deprecated parameter |deadurl= (help)
  7. ↑ Beherc, Sean (April 6, 2015). "Soul of the South Mulls 'Winding Down'" . Arkansas Business. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  8. ↑ Mark Miller. "Soul Of The South Boosts Carriage Over 34%". TV News Check. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  9. ↑ http://www.ssn.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SOS-Station-lineup-effective-4-1-2109JN-1.pdf
  10. 1 2 "Soul of the South Network Set to Launch Memorial Day Weekend After Securing Nearly $10 Million Investor Infusion" (Press release). SNN Funding, LP. Marketwired. April 18, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 Waldon, George (June 27, 2016). "Media Gateway Emerges From Soul of the South". Arkansas Business. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  12. ↑ "FBI Peers Into Soul of the South Finances". Little Rock Sun Times. 2016-05-03. Retrieved 2016-07-08.Cite web requires |website= (help)
  13. ↑ Beherc, Sean (February 18, 2015). "Soul of the South Sued for Alleged Breach of Contract". Arkansas Business. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 Massey, Kyle (June 26, 2017). "Coming to You Live from 1 Shackleford Drive". Arkansas Business. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Matthew Davidge Buys Television and Media Facility at 1 Shackleford Drive, West Little Rock: Media Gateway to Expand, New TV Show "Frixxer" Will Be Based There" (Press release). LITTLE ROCK, Ark.: Media Gateway. PRNewswire. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  16. ↑ "Soul of the South Network Targeting African-Americans Launches May 27". Hollywood Reporter. 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2016-07-08.Cite web requires |website= (help)
  17. ↑ "AEDC Director's Wife Hired as Anchor for SSN Media". Arkansas Business. Arkansas Business Publishing Group. July 27, 2015. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
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