THE OBENSON REPORT

I'd like to say that I'm surprised; alas, I'm not. Bullshit like this seems to happen more often than not, when films of this nature are screened, and will likely continue to happen, as long as there are knuckleheads present, dead-set (pun intended) on living up to the potential that their name implies!

Read on...

GREENSBORO - A 32-year-old man was shot twice in the abdomen during an argument and an estimated 700 people were evacuated when gunfire broke out at a Greensboro movie theater Friday night.

The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the lobby of the Grand 18 at Four Seasons Station just after 9 p.m. as moviegoers waited to get into opening night showings of "Notorious" - the life and death story of the rapper Notorious B.I.G.

Greensboro police Lt. James Hinson said the victim, identified early Saturday morning as Clive O’Connor, was rushed to Moses Cone Hospital, where he underwent surgery. His medical condition was not immediately available.

No suspects were in custody late Friday night.

[...]

Rapper and actor Jamal "Gravy" Woolard, who plays B.I.G. in the film, was in the theater at the time of the shooting, police and witnesses said.

[...]

The movie theater and parking lot... were evacuated after dozens of police swarmed to the scene.

"We were just standing there talking and we heard a 'Pow!'" said Jasmine Seapoe, who was with a group of friends waiting to get into a 9:30 p.m. showing of "Notorious."

"The next thing we know there were a bunch of people running in the opposite direction, and the cops came and asked us if we saw anything and started directing everyone to get out," she said.

The Grand 18 will honor tickets today for customers whose movies were interrupted by the shooting Friday, said Lisa Burwell, a spokeswoman for Southern Theaters, the parent company of the Grand 18.

... All showings of "Notorious" will be suspended indefinitely at the Grand 18, Burwell said. Customers with tickets to Friday's showing of "Notorious" should contact the theater for details regarding a refund.

So it goes... and goes... and goes...

Here's yet another incident: 4 stabbed during club's party for 'Notorious' film.

You know the press just LOVES finding and printing stories like these... why make it easy for them.

via NEWS RECORD

It will be called, the Urban channel.

*Collective groan*

My immediate reaction was, why create a new network now, especially after selling BET to Viacom in 2000, a move that was heavily criticized by many in the black community, labeling Johnson the proverbial "sellout?" TV-One, the other black cable TV network has yet to find itself; and the Black Family Channel is now defunct. And I hear BET is floundering. Clearly, black TV networks have yet to prove they belong.

Without seeing a list of potential programming it will carry, I can't imagine what this Urban Television Network will look, feel and sound like. I can only hope that it's not more of the same.

It seems completely unnecessary, and maybe even a risky investment in this climate. But Johnson is a savvy business man, so I assume he wouldn't be creating the channel if he didn't think there was a market for what he plans to offer (whatever that might be), and thus, money to be made. From where I'm sitting, I don't see it... unless it's something he hopes to create and then sell for a tidy profit eventually - meaning, this isn't necessarily about creating a strong, lasting brand, but rather a short term investment to cash out of later.

We'll see...

A thought: maybe "black" is no longer a niche, and it's time we put an end to race-based solutions to problems such as the dearth of programming featuring non-white talent in front and behind the camera. Maybe the wiser investment would be to focus in on a non-race specific niche, and exploit it, and attract an appreciative multicultural audience.

Here's the article:

Robert L. Johnson, the billionaire founder of the Black Entertainment Television, is looking to get back into television is a big way by programming at least one channel on the Ion Media's stations under unique "share-time" licenses.

Like BET, the programming would be aimed at black viewers.

According to FCC filings, Ion and Johnson are forming Urban Television LLC, a venture owned by Johnson (51 percent) and Ion (49 percent), and asking the FCC to grant Urban share-time licenses that would enable Urban to broadcast its programming on a digital channel of Ion stations in 42 markets.

"Under the terms of the share-time licenses, Urban would be authorized to operate on the same channels as the Ion stations on a shared basis," the filings say.

Johnson and Ion contend that the share-time license would entitle the Urban channel to must carry in all markets.

TV NEWSDAY