Ditwio SamuelsK CEO RebellionKi cable and digital brand unpacks its effort to revive the latest episode in its second decade Diversity podcast “Strict business,
Samuels is looking at a difficult climb, amidst pay TV disruption, racial stress in body political, return of Trump and running an independent black -owned media platform. Revolt is coming out of a tough 2024 as its founder Scene Comombs was charged on racketering and sex trafficking allegations. He has been accused of heinous crimes.
Combes were important for the original story of Revolt – the channel was born a very different time for the media a dozen years ago, as Samuels discussed.
But Comombs has received very little participation with the operation of the rebellion over the years. He was completely divided by his stake last year as his legal problems increased. By 2024, the rebellion has changed an employee ownership structure. This is a rareness for any size media company. The rebellion, with the operation located in New York and Atlanta on a large scale, has approximately 150 full -time employees, and at any time there are 100 either contract workers.
Samuels have to carefully thread the pay TV needle as it develops rebellion. The company still operates a linear cable channel. But it has adopted the universal model of free social media distribution YouTubeInstagram, Ticketkok and other platforms. In Samuels’ perspectives, the rebellion brand and its affiliated talent should be present in the social feed of their goal of demographics, a diverse mixture of young adults.
“What we would say that especially for rebellion, DJ can be black, music may be black, but everyone is invited to the party,” says Samuels.
Samuels indicated the successful hip-hip gossip of the rebellion and the music industry dish podcast “Karsa Please” how the rebellion looks to spread its content in social media and online platforms.
“For us, a big victory is to be distributed everywhere,” they say. “When we broadcast an episode of ‘Karsha’, you will see him to see the top 10 trending topic on Twitter and dominating social. Is.”
I was associated with Samuels, which included the rebellion after the crisis Diversity Cover story published on 25 March Charlman was God. Charlmen is a prominent example of a new-model media Mogul to tap in digital distribution for the manufacture of viewers on platforms: radio, TV, podcast, live media, mercury.
I have always been interested in freedom and maverics who explode their own trails. The social media revolution allows the creators to do so. But some are able to make more than just confusing social media feeds.
The next generation media outlets have an undisputed bounce of creativity and innovation that are targeting black audiences. Charlmen and his podcast network. Experienced journalist Rolland martin And his Black star network – Which serves daily news and commentary shows through YouTube and other platforms. Martin’s shows look for the most part like any other cable news roundateable show – except for salty language.
There are many more examples – including production banners and assets, which have been gathered strictly by guests in recent years Charles d. King, Macro founder and CEO, busy production and talent management firm; And filmmaker Tommy oliverCEO of Confluental Companies. This is an exciting ups and downs of independent media at a time when half a dozen corporate giants dominate traditional media than ever.
Robert Johnson in 2022 (Photo through Getty Image by Michael Bakner/Variety)
Diversity through getty image
As part of my reporting, I also arrived for Robert Johnson, the founder and former owner of BET and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the industry, for their perspective on how the scenario for black -owned media has developed. Johnson had a lot to say, as you will hear after the conclusion of the conversation with Samuels.
“In the digital world, it is trying to create materials and an attractive streaming platforms to appeal to all races and colors,” Johnson says, which now runs the investment portfolio of RLJ companies. “African American, being some of the heaviest spectators of materials, are very attractive for those who want to generate money from streaming service or advertisers who want to sell products to the audience. So the answer to the question is – how do you define black media?”
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Black Star Network’s “The State of Under Union” live stream telecast broadcast on 4 March President Donald Trump as a counterprogram for Congress address
Courtesy of Black Star Network
When veteran journalist Rolland Martin established a shop as anchor and manufacturer of a daily political news and analysis program on YouTube in 2018, he was advised by a middle -level YouTube executive that such shows pointed to black audiences, “Just doesn’t work on the internet”.
On March 4, 2025, Fast-forward, when Martin’s Black Star Network gave a six-and-a-half-hour live special called “The State of Under Union”, which was introduced as an alternative to addressed Donald Trump to address the Congress joint session. This telecast, originating from the small studio of Black Star at Washington, DC, is ranked fifth in all livestream coverage on YouTube related to Trump’s nearly two -hour speech. Martin found his niche in 2018. And in doing so, he has made one of the most expanders full black news and commentary operations.
Martin, at the age of 57, is a prominent example of a dedicated impressive person who cleverly exploited free digital distribution available through YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Roku and others. From his years, as a reporter and anchor for CNN and TV One, he is fully deployed to succeed as a digital media entrepreneur. His “Rolland Martin Unfiltred” and other shows on the Black Star Network produced approximately $ 2 million in advertising from YouTube alone.
Nevertheless, Black Star Network works with a part of the budget of Fox News, Associated Press or other mainstream news outlets. “Unfiltled” usually runs live at 6 pm, the show provides a survey of black academics, lawyers, workers, legislators, civil servants, experts, experts and entrepreneurs’ panels and provides a survey of headlines, comments and lively debate on a series of suppressing political issues and cultural trends. A small team of martin and producers conduct operations with professional-grade devices and operates operations with ring lights. The panelists are largely assembled through the zoom, but sometimes the DC studios or an event, which travels to the “unfiltated” covering.
Martin’s work has taken a furious motion against diversity, equity and inclusion protocols and health, welfare and medicade cuts in the last few months that will barely fall on weak black Americans.
Related Content: ‘Hope 2.0’: Journalist Rolland Martin’s Black Star Network thrives through YouTube, viewer donation
The single biggest hurdle for the development of black star network is a lack of support from major media procurement agencies that control Fortune 500 advertising budget.
“Black -owned media has been unable to grow adequately as advertising agencies and many media companies are practicing economic apartheid,” says Martin. “I am trying to achieve my talent in my show by companies and publishers at all times. I think?
Maga-fuel crusade is reducing programs that support black businesses and communities to refund decades of profit of decades of civil rights.
Says Martin, “We are looking at a potential economic disaster affecting the black community, because we are going to see massive disinvestment in black-owned businesses.” “You are going to see black law firms, black accounting firms, black engineering firms, architectural firms to see deals of those professional services. In black-owned media for us, we are not going to advertise, do not deal with us, do not deal with us, not custom materials deal with us, but they want to reach our customers.”
