Soul of the South to air news
New program will set TV network apart, executive says
Soul of the South television network is a month away from starting a newscast from its facility in Little Rock.
News will set the network apart, Chief Executive Officer Doug McHenry says.
He and news director Tom Jacobs say they are undeterred by the failures of similar undertakings.
“For the most part, TV news targeting African-Americans has been a bust,” said an article published in April in industry publication TVNewsCheck.
If that weren’t enough, there is a reminder of failure — or at best mixed success — posted on a sign in the Soul of the South parking lot at 1 Shackleford Drive that still bears the names of Equity Broadcasting at the top, followed by RTN, My 42 and UPN.
The building was once home to Equity Broadcasting Corp.
Founded in the late 1990s, it grew to 41 stations and in 2005 formed the Retro Television Network.
But Equity developed serious financial problems and in 2008 sold Retro Television to Luken Communications, which continues to air reruns of sitcoms and dramas.
The next year, the remaining assets of Equity were liquidated in bankruptcy court.
Larry Morton was chief executive of Equity. He was also the first CEO for Soul of the South, recently relinquishing the job to McHenry. Soul of the South went on the air May 27, 2013.
Jacobs said that Morton served in a temporary capacity until someone else could take over.
Soul of the South has put nearly $300,000 into the 30,000-square-foot building to bring it up to date. That money came from a $500,000 grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, which has a “clawback” provision that would come into play