BET Founder Sets Up Urban-Focused Streaming Movie Channel

SILVER SPRING: RLJ Entertainment (RLJE), which was created by BET founder Robert Johnson, has unveiled the launch of Urban Movie Channel (UMC), which will feature urban-themed movies.

UMC will be a subscription digital streaming channel. Programs previously released by RLJE under the One Village brand will be incorporated into UMC’s library, which will also include titles from RLJE’s existing Image independent feature film line. Among the titles launching are live stand-up performances featuring Kevin Hart, Jamie Foxx and Charlie Murphy; the documentaries Dark Girls and I Ain’t Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac; the feature film All Things Fall Apart, starring 50 Cent, Mario Van Peebles and Ray Liotta; and The Suspect, a thriller starring Mekhi Phifer. Best sellers include the stage play production of What My Husband Doesn’t Know by David E. Talbert.

Traci Otey Blunt joins RLJE as corporate executive VP of marketing and corporate affairs and will oversee the company’s marketing, public relations and investor relations, as well as the promotion of the UMC channel.

Johnson said, “As founder of BET, I have gained a deep understanding and knowledge about the African American and urban consumer and the entertainment content that appeals to them. UMC was designed so that the African American and urban creative community could directly reach consumers in a way that removes many of the restrictions associated with the legacy content development and distribution models. As more video is consumed over broadband, we believe that we can quickly become the preeminent provider of quality urban entertainment to what has largely been an underserved, yet highly engaged audience. I am convinced that urban consumers will gravitate to the economic and entertainment value proposition of UMC and that the creative community will embrace UMC as the best way to reach their loyal fans and benefit financially from showcasing their outstanding work product.”

Miguel Penella, the CEO of RLJE, commented, “As one of the largest independent distributors of entertainment content with nascent propriety streaming channels like Acorn TV, we are uniquely positioned to fulfill the vision of our chairman and deliver to the urban audience an unprecedented library of high quality video content. We are confident in RLJE’s ability to acquire, distribute, and monetize existing and original content that will appeal to the urban community across the growing number of distribution platforms.”

“Traci has been with The RLJ Companies since 2008 and has been responsible for all corporate communications, public relations and government affairs,” added Johnson. “She has proven to be an invaluable executive in promoting and executing the business goals and objectives of The RLJ Companies and its portfolio companies, and I believe appointing her to RLJE as Corporate EVP to perform these functions, as well as focus heavily on the marketing and promotion of UMC is an ideal fit.”

“I am confident that with Traci joining the RLJE management team, her expertise will be beneficial to the company as a whole and help our strategic launch of UMC,” said Penella. “She will promote the channel and grow its subscriber base by building new and cultivating existing relationships which will ultimately have a strong impact on RLJE’s digital platforms.”