Exclusive new video series “Staying In Business” focuses on black entrepreneurs coping with COVID-19 pandemic
Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group digital news division — The Grio – recently announced a new video series for Facebook Watch. The Grio is producing and distributing an exclusive video series, Staying In Business. The Staying In Business video series features interviews and profiles of African-American business owners who reveal how they are adapting to unprecedented times in America, while focusing on how these black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs are struggling to survive during the current coronavirus pandemic.
Staying In Business premiered April 21 — simultaneously on The Grio Facebook page (www.facebook.com/theGrio) and on The Grio digital platform (www.thegrio.com).
“Staying In Business is a video series about perseverance in the face of tough times,” said Todd Johnson, Chief Content Officer at The Grio. “We want to shine a light on how black business owners and entrepreneurs are meeting the challenge of a coronavirus pandemic head on.”
“Black-owned businesses are under incredible pressure to survive, let alone thrive,” said Natasha S. Alford, Vice President of Digital Content & Senior Correspondent for The Grio. “With Staying In Business, we are proud to be highlighting the true resilience and innovation of African-American entrepreneurs.”
Byron Allen purchased The Grio in 2016. The Grio is a digital video-centric news community platform devoted to providing African-Americans with compelling stories and perspectives currently underrepresented in existing national news outlets. The Grio features aggregated and original video content, news articles and opinion pieces on topics that include breaking news, politics, health, business and entertainment. Originally launched in 2009, the platform was then purchased by NBC News in 2010. The digital platform remains focused on curating exciting digital content and currently has more than 20 million annual visitors.
Chairman and CEO Byron Allen founded Entertainment Studios in 1993. Headquartered in Los Angeles, it has offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Raleigh. Entertainment Studios owns 15 U.S. Big-Four network affiliate broadcast television stations and nine 24-hour HD television networks serving nearly 160 million subscribers: The Weather Channel, Pets.tv, Comedy.tv, Recipe.tv, Cars.tv, Es.tv, Mydestination.tv, and Justice Central.tv. Entertainment Studios also owns the Local Now streaming service, powered by The Weather Channel and content partners, which delivers real-time, hyper-local news, weather, traffic, sports, and lifestyle information. Entertainment Studios also produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 64 television programs, making it one of the largest independent producers/distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations. With a library of over 5,000 hours of owned content across multiple genres, Entertainment Studios provides video content to broadcast television stations, cable television networks, mobile devices, multimedia platforms, and the internet. The mission is to provide excellent programming to our viewers, online users, and Fortune 500 advertising partners.
Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures is a full-service, theatrical motion picture distribution company specializing in wide release commercial content. ESMP released 2017’s highest-grossing independent movie, the shark thriller 47 Meters Down, which grossed over $44.3 million. In 2018, ESMP also released the critically-acclaimed and commercially successful Western Hostiles, the historic mystery-thriller Chappaquiddick and the sequel to 47 Meters Down, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged. The digital distribution unit of Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, Freestyle Digital Media, is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, digital and streaming platforms. Capitalizing on a robust infrastructure, proven track record and a veteran sales team, Freestyle Digital Media is a true home for independent films.
For more information, visit entertainmentstudios.com or thegrio.com.
