Beblack TV – New Black French TV channel

Alfred Jocksan (agence de Presse GHM)
BeBlack TV is the new black TV channel in France. The channel will broadcast black culture programs for families and young adults. The channel was launched January 20the in Paris by the founder, Guadeloupe-born and French Guianan, Gadjar Sebastian (30).

Present at the launch party were his team, and personalities and celebrities in the broadcasting and music business. Among them French R&B singer Lynnsha and Zouk singer Sir Wesley. See a full photo report at FXG

BeBlack TV will be available in metropolitan France (Freebox) , the French West Indies, Guiana and Reunion (Mediaserv).
Website: www.beblack.tv

Black French celebrities attend Trace TV event

Photo and copyright: Régis Durand de Girard
The French urban media organisation Trace has moved to a new location in Paris. On July 8th Trace celebrated the event by throwing a party for French urban celebs and media officials. Almost 300 people attended the event. The French blog Fxgpariscaraibe made full a photo report of the day. For the photos click here. (On the photo: Vicelow de Saïan from the Supa Crew and Virginie Koné from Trace.)

But what is Trace? Trace is the biggest French urban music and culture channel in the French speaking world. Launched in 2003, TRACE is available in over 1OO countries through digital TV, radio, magazine, web and mobile. But unlike it’s American rival MTV, Trace TV also airs European and afro Afro-Caribbean artists. With eight million subscribers it has become the third French channel behind TV5 and Euronews.

But its success didn’t start in France. Finance for a multicultural urban music channel was hard to find in a country where a black news anchor was seen as revolution. It was the prestigious American investment bank Goldman Sachs who first saw the potential and injected 6 million dollar in the concept.

Trace TV is a black success story. Trace is owned by Claude Grunitzky, Olivier Laouchez and Richard Wayner along with Goldman Sachs Group and other private investors.

Olivier Laouchez , who is born in Martinique, is now the CEO of Trace television. He is the only Black to head of a French television channel. Claude Grunitzky, born in Togo, is the editor in chief of Trace magazine. And Richard Wayner was one of the first members of the new Urban Investment Group of Goldman Sachs. The group was established to focus on investing in urban venture capital and real estate with a specific focus on minority and female entrepreneurs.

www.mytrace.tv
Photo report of Trace event