With all due respect to the notions of fairness and preserving diversity of programming to all markets, it is time to realize that race is no longer a relevant means of stratifying or measuring audiences. What exactly, in 2008, is a "Black" channel? While there are issues that do indeed directly impact the lives of African Americans, these issues are centered on socio-economics, and revolve around societal notions of class distinction, not race. These issues need to be addressed by the media as a whole, not further isolated by creating divisive distinctions of color. Race no longer plays a deciding role in the food Americans choose to eat, the music Americans listen to, or the media Americans choose to consume. Americans did not choose their President based on race, but rather because he is the right man for the job, with the ideas that the majority of Americans feel are the right ones for us to pursue as a nation. For years, it has been the major media in America that have clung to notions of race as dividing lines in our society. There is profit in creating false notions of race as means of defining demographics, but the game is changing. Once advertisers realize there is more money to be made by ignoring such outdated, racial stratification, there will be no further need for defining anything as "Black" or any other color. Those who own and operate major media production and distribution channels in America need to wake up and realize that people do not choose their media based on anything except quality, and that quality has nothing to do with targeting audiences based on delusional ideas about race.

If Bob Johnson wants to start a new channel with cable must carry rights, why doesn't he simply buy a bunch of Class A stations in major markets and work with the FCC to get Class A must carry rights. If he gets must carry for a .2 for African Americans, why not for Scientologists, Canadians, etc.?