Note:
theGrio is actually owned by Byron Allen, a half-bit comedian who parlayed FCC rules into an emerging media empire. How does it work? Twofold: one, he exploits FCC rules. The FCC has limits on how many stations one ownership group can hold in a market, so when a big company like Nexstar or Gray Television ends up buying too many stations in a city, they will usually spin them off to Allen because there are also FCC rules that encourage big companies to sell stations to women and minorities. (Sinclair does the same thing, but they usually spin their stations off to Armstrong Williams instead.) Second, for stations that aren't over-the-air, he tries to force his channels onto cable and satellite providers by using the race card. "So you're not going to carry some of the only black-owned media networks in America? Well, then, you must be racist." Never mind at how poorly and cheaply made so many of Allen's shows are: fake court shows, cheap panel games, and stand-up comedy showcases, many of which he only produces for a few episodes, then reruns them for years and pretends they're new. He will sue nonetheless. He even sued McDonald's because they wouldn't advertise with his networks.
It's sleazy as Hell.