Comcast vs Byron Allen Archives - Punch TV Studios, Inc.

Byron Allen's Supreme Court Case vs Comcast Garners Support From Punch TV Studios & URBT TV (OTCMKTS:URBT) CEO, Joseph Collins

Joseph Collins, CEO of Punch TV Studios & Urban Television Network / URBT TV (OTCMKTS: URBT), today announced his support of Allen Entertainment Studios Network (ESN) founder Byron Allen in the racial bias lawsuit accusing cable television operator Comcast Corp of discriminating against Black-owned channels.

The Supreme Court ruling, due by the end of June, could impact the ability of plaintiffs to enforce claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1866 section 1981, a post-Civil War law that forbids racial discrimination in business contracts.

This case, currently being tried in the Supreme Court, began in 2011 when in an agreement with the NAACP, National Urban League, and National Action Network Comcast pledged to launch Black-owned television networks in order to receive federal approval to merge with NBCUniversal.

Based on this agreement, eight Black-owned television networks were to be selected. Comcast launched only four Black-owned television networks. Magic Johnson’s Aspire TV, which launched in 2012 and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Revolt TV, which launched in 2013, were two of the television networks selected. Both networks are high-profile, celebrity-owned companies, yet neither company was currently broadcasting at the time of the agreement and neither company was supported by Comcast to succeed.

Byron Allen’s Supreme Court Case vs Comcast Garners Support From Punch TV Studios & URBT TV (OTCMKTS:URBT) CEO, Joseph Collins

“The agreement did not guarantee the channels a minimum number of subscribers, or fees per subscriber, to help the new networks succeed,” Paula Madison, a former executive vice president and chief diversity officer at NBC Universal said in a statement released by Entertainment Studios Network. “I shared these concerns with Comcast — that the African American networks would be positioned to fail — and Comcast made it clear that it was only committed to launching these networks, and not giving them the necessary distribution and economic support to succeed. Period.”

Punch TV Network, which launched in 2008, was currently broadcasting 24 hours a day to millions of homes, carried new and original content and is Black-owned. Urban Television Network (OTCMKTS:URBT) launched in 1986 and was the first Black-owned television network to be publicly traded. Despite meeting all of Comcast’s requirements, Comcast did not launch either television network.

“Comcasts refusal to carry additional Black-owned television networks appears to be unequivocally due to race and the short-sided management. We have been through the process. We have met with Comcast executives. We have been fighting this battle for nearly a decade. The racial inequality of Comcast channels is clear” said Punch TV Studios & Urban Television Network, CEO Joseph Collins. “Comcasts exclusion has not deterred us. This is an opportunity for us to develop our own telecommunications conglomerate.”

Punch TV Studios has the largest base of minority shareholders in the nation, with over 13,000 shareholders and Urban TV Network / URBT TV is the first minority owned television network in America.

Joseph Collins recently announced, the company launching of PunchFlix a streaming movie and television service.