Black World Media Network (BWMN) premiers on Feb. 3

Find out what’s happening around the world all day, every day when Black World Media Network (BWMN)  premieres on February 3, in conjunction with Black History Month. A multimedia digital platform, BWMN connects the Black World through news, information, and culture from the United States, Canada, Africa, the Caribbean, Central, and South America, Great Britain, Europe, and beyond.

Offering audio and video live streams and on-demand content, BWMN will aggregate and curate news, information, and commentaries from a wide variety of news agencies, websites, and publications across the Black World. In the coming months, BWMN will produce and distribute original programs and podcasts hosted by prominent scholars, activists, journalists, policy and systems analysts, and leaders in various professions.

The centerpiece of BWMN is Black World Radio, a 24-hour, fully-licensed audio streaming service that features news, commentaries, spoken word, conscious, progressive Black music, and public service announcements from the Diaspora and the Pan African World. Other features include a Video Service with streaming and on-demand news videos, aggregated into a searchable database. The Black World Radio’s audio livestream can be shared to the viewer’s own social media pages and the video stream will be delivered directly into TV sets with OTT devices (Over the Top) including Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV. BWMN will also offer free Mobile Apps where content will be accessible via tablets, laptops, cell phones, and car radio systems. BWMN is available at www.blackworldmedia.net, as well as on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

BWMN is the brainchild and legacy project of Don Rojas, Director of Communications and International Relations for the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW) founded by Dr. Ron Daniels in 2002. IBW is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization committed to building the capacity/power of Black communities in the U.S. and the development of the global Black community. “This massive and monumental venture spearheaded by the legendary Don Rojas complements IBW’s mission, programs, and initiatives,” said Dr. Daniels. “Over the decades, we have been the go-to source for disseminating information and bringing together people from across the globe to discuss and offer insight and solutions to topics that affect the Black World. It is ideal that we now expand our offerings to include this digital platform where individuals can click one button to find and explore what they want, whenever they want.”

Some of the initial contributors to BWMN will include: The “Amazing” George Fraser, Founder/CEO, FraserNet and President of the one million-strong Fraser Nation; Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor, University of the West Indies; Herb Boyd, highly-acclaimed journalist, author and political commentator; Ify Ezinwa, Founder/Editor-in-Chief, Echoes Africa magazine; Gina Paige, Founder, African Ancestry; Milton Allimadi, Editor/Publisher, Black Star News; Rev. Dennis Dillon, Publisher, The New York Christian Times; Pierre Sane, Founder/President, Images Africa Institute; the iconic Bev Smith, “Queen of Night Time Talk” with The Bev Smith Show and original host of Our Voices on BET; and Dr. Julius Garvey, Founder/CEO, Garvey Television. BWMN and Garvey Television have also reached an agreement to collaborate via content-sharing, joint programming, and cross-promotion.  Don Rojas said, “I am thrilled and humbled to be at the helm of this information gathering and sharing tool, which is not only a place to learn, communicate and connect but also a space for great voices to be heard.” Rojas, who also serves on the board of IBW, is well poised to steward this online operation. He has served as Executive Director and CEO of Free Speech TV, General Manager of New York’s Pacifica Radio station WBAI and Executive Editor of the Amsterdam News. In addition, he worked as the Press Secretary to the late Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop from 1979-1983; and created The Black World Today (TBWT), an online news and commentary site that launched in 1996.

Rojas has assembled a highly skilled and experienced team to launch this milestone platform. Rick Adams, Chairman of the IBW Board of Directors and former radio host, is Production Assistant; Rennie Bishop, former General Manager of New York’s  WWRL, serves as Program Assistant. The team is rounded out with Dr. Todd Burroughs, News Editor and Researcher, and Michael Codrington, Livestream Manager.

For more information, contact Black World Media Network, www.blackworldmedia.net, (888) 575-8502; Institute of the Black World 21st Century, [email protected] Institute of the Black World 21st Century, www.ibw21.org, (888) 774-2921, [email protected].