Oakland cable television channel OUR TV and the Oakland Business Collective (OBC) have announced their joint enterprise, THE NEW OUR TV.
According to a press release obtained by EBONY, THE NEW OUR TV will create original content for the channel, as well as curate locally and nationally produced shows—original comedies, dramas, documentaries, news programs, live comedy specials, and music events—that highlight the culture and reflect the lifestyles and interests of the local and global urban community. The OBC will also develop fresh, young talent for the channel both in front of and behind the camera.
Leonard Stephens, CEO of OUR TV, expressed his excitement about expanding his media reach with the new venture. “When my friend, the late journalist Chauncey Bailey, shared his vision of launching a channel that really served our community, we founded Opportunities in Urban Renaissance aka OUR TV,” Stephens said. “Since Chauncey’s tragic murder, I’ve tried to carry on in the tradition that he and I started 17 years ago. Now, it’s time to take it to the next level.”
Tony Spires, a highly-regarded filmmaker known for the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival, reached out to OUR TV on behalf of OBC, about his new collaboration with noted TV producer Marcus King, Stephens recalled that he and Bailey’s vision was finally coming to pass.
“OUR TV was compact, lean, and very niche,” Spires said. “It was an intimate, close-knit community of programmers and viewers. Because of our show business acumen, considerable film and TV experience, and our strong relationships in the industry, Marcus and I knew we could help bring OUR TV aggressively into 2022 and beyond.”
OBC, the community investment group made up of notable Bay Area entertainment professionals such as Spires, King, Lionel Bea, Kyle Newport, Henry Royal, and Geoffrey Pete, viewed OUR TV as a great business investment because of its reputation for highlighting Black culture and advocating for the community.
King and Spires’ vision is to rebrand the entire channel from the ground up by acquiring top-level content from up-and-coming and mainstream Black distributors. Also, they plan to use their years of experience and leverage their professional relationships to connect “with a diverse group of TV film producers and internet content creators.”
Another facet of the partnership that excites King and Spires is that they now have the resources to house and cultivate several of their own projects that are currently in various stages of development.
“Our experience and expertise overlaps in some areas but Tony and I also each bring a wealth of unique assets to The New Our TV,” states King. “At the end of the day, we’re creators. We look forward to creating The New Our TV.”
For more information, you can send all correspondence to [email protected] and visit www.THENEWOURTV.com.
