Our nation’s history of discrimination created a lack of wealth in Black communities, and without access to capital, Black people find themselves permanently on the outside. And for those few Black owners who have been able to acquire stations, consolidation has made it harder for them to compete against larger and better-financed media conglomerates.
If you think this situation can’t get worse, think again.
While owning a full-power TV station has been out of reach for most Black persons, low-power TV has offered an opportunity to get into this otherwise closed industry.
Low-power TV commercial stations serve smaller areas than their full-power counterparts, and often lack legal protections, including guaranteed carriage by cable and satellite providers.
Consequently, they’re far cheaper to own.