Johnson, Ion To Offer Black TV Channel

Robert Johnson, the billionaire founder of the Black Entertainment Television, is looking to get back into television is a big way by programming at least one channel on the Ion Media's stations under unique "share-time" licenses. According to Federal Communications Commission filings, Ion and Johnson are forming Urban Television LLC, a venture owned by Johnson (51 percent) and Ion (49 percent), and asking the FCC to grant Urban share-time licenses that would enable Urban to broadcast its programming on a digital channel of Ion stations in 42 markets. Johnson and Ion contend that the share-time license would entitle the Urban channel to must carry in all markets.