By Special to the Daily World
Bounce TV, the country’s first-ever over-the-air broadcast television network for African Americans, will launch with a special presentation of “The Wiz” on Monday, Sept. 26 at noon. Toyota USA will be the signature sponsor of the network’s inaugural on-air schedule, highlights of which were unveiled recently.
After kicking off the network, the popular 1978 musical starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor will be followed by Sidney Poitier headlining the classic drama “A Raisin in the Sun” at 3 p.m. Bounce TV’s first week of prime time television begins later that evening with part one of a two night double feature of one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of our generation, Spike Lee. Bounce TV will premiere Lee’s Academy Award-nominated “Do the Right Thing” at 8 p.m. Acclaimed as one of the greatest films of our generation, “Do The Right Thing” stars Ossie Davis,Ruby Dee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, Lee himself and also features the theatrical film debuts of Martin Lawrence and Rosie Perez (also 10 p.m.) Then on Tues. Sept. 27, Bounce TV presents “School Daze,” Lee’s 1988 musical-drama starring Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tisha Campbell-Martin, based in part on Lee’s experiences at Atlanta’s Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University (8 p.m.,10 p.m.)
On Wednesday, Sept. 28, Bounce TV presents its first football game from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Asociation (CIAA), the nation’s largest African-American athletic conference, as the top-rated Bulldogs of Bowie State visit rival Virginia Union. On Thursday, Sept. 29, Bounce TV will premiere the 1998 Denzel Washington – Bruce Willis action thriller “The Siege” (8 p.m.,10:30 p.m.) and highlights of the network’s first week of prime time wraps on Friday, Sept. 30, with the 2003 action comedy “The Rundown” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Seann William Scott (8 p.m.,10:30 p.m.).
Bounce’s first weekend on the air is highlighted by the multiple Oscar – nominated “Far From Heaven” (Saturday, Oct. 1, 10 p.m.), 2002’s textured story of race, gender and class starring Dennis Haysbert, Julianne Moore (Oscar nominee) and Dennis Quaid. Sunday night, Oct. 2, Bounce TV will premiere Denzel Washington’s Academy Award-winning performance in the civil war epic “Glory” (8 p.m.)
Bounce TV’s web site (www.bouncetv.com) has a complete programming schedule and local Bounce TV channel locations. Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young are among the founding group and board of directors of Bounce TV.
Bounce TV targets African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54 with a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, sporting events, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series, original programming and more. Bounce TV will air 24 four hours a day, seven days a week on the digital signals of local television stations.
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