Soul of the South Television
Soul of the South Television is an African-American-focused regional broadcast network owned by SSN Media Group, LP. It primarily broadcasts in the Southern USA and secondarily in other high African-American populated cities in the north.
SSN TV uses the C.A.S.H. system, and a computer server “cloud-based system” originally constructed by the defunct Equity Broadcasting to send its feed to its affiliated stations. It sought affiliations from full power television stations, Class A TV, low power TV stations, digital subchannels and cable outlets.
Soul of the South announced plans to rename the network to Slang TV by the end of 2019, but as of January 2020, it has not been changed.
History
SSN TV was founded in 2011 by Edwin Avent, Carl McCaskill and Larry Morton. It purchased assets from the bankrupted Equity Media Holdings including the studio and production facilities of KKYK-TV and the C.A.S.H. system. It was planning to broadcast five hours of news per day with assistance from Independent News Network with four regional bureaus. It was also seeking to purchase TV stations. Expected original programming was: a hip hop music show; family reunion-featured programming; Drum Majors, concerning music at mostly black colleges; Radioface, an unscripted comedy; and Southern Soul Stories, a documentary series about southern African-American icons and southern events.By April 2012, SSN TV was working to get additional affiliates to reach 50 markets for a two wave launch.
Originally planned to launch in the first quarter of 2012 and moved to fall 2012, SSN TV instead launched on May 27, 2013 with an announced 30 market launch. However, according to RabbitEars.info, it only has 11 broadcast affiliates covering 14% of the nation.
SSN TV agreed to carry some games from the first season of the Fall Experimental Football League in October and November 2014.
In April 2015, SSN TV began dropping affiliates due to financial distress and began winding down operations. The network's social media channels had largely gone defunct in late 2015. By this time, it aired infomercials, reruns of D.C. Breakdown, and Independent Network News newscasts during the day.
In 2018, SSN TV was purchased by a group of investors led by Doug McHenry. In that same year, the network gained cable coverage on Comcast and Frontier's cable lineups. In April 2019, McHenry announced SSN TV would rebrand as Slang TV by the end of the year, with a shift to a schedule mainly featuring current-day African-American films. At the same time, HC2 Station Group, Inc. inked an affiliation deal with the refreshed network to bring the network to 29 new markets, covering 44% of the network's demographic.
Affiliates
Current Affiliates
| City of license | Station call letters | Channel location | FCC Licensee |
| Montgomery, AL | WDSF-LD | 19.5 | DTV America |
| Little Rock, AR | KKYK-CD | 30.1 | KYMA, LLC |
| Los Angeles, CA | KHIZ-LD | 39.6 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Hartford, CT | WRNT-LD | 32.2 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Orlando, FL | WZXZ-CD | 36.1 | L4 Media Group, LLC. |
| Atlanta, GA | WUEO-LD | 49.2 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Chicago, IL | WRJK-LD | 22.3/22.7 | Major Market Broadcasting |
| Indianapolis, IN | WSDI-LD | 30.5 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Baltimore, MD | WQAW-LD | 69.4 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Detroit, MI | WUDL-LD | 19.5 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Rochester, MN | KWJM-LD | 15.2 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| St. Louis, MO | WODK-LD | 45.1 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Charlotte, NC | WHEH-LD | 41.2 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Raleigh/Durham, NC | WIRP-LD | 27.6 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Canton, OH | WQDI-LD | 20.3 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Nashville, TN | WKUW-LD | 40.3 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Dallas, TX | KPFW-LD | 18.1 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Houston, TX | KEHO-LD | 32.3 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
| Milwaukee, WI | WTSJ-LD | 38.4 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. |
Former Affiliates
| City of license | Station call letters | Channel location | FCC Licensee | Replacement |
| Atlantic City, NJ | WMCN-TV | 44.2 | WRNN Philly, LLC. | Tuff TV |
| Austin, TX | KVAT-LD | 17 | Mako Communications | MiCasa Network |
| Baton Rouge, LA | WLFT-CD | 30.4 | Touch Family Broadcasting | Antenna TV |
| Beaumont, TX | KUMY-LD | 22 | Minority Broadcasting Company | Mexicanal |
| Columbus, OH | WCSN-LD | 32.7 | Columbus Television, LLC. | Youtoo America |
| Dayton, OH | WRCX-LP | 40.1 | Ross Communications Ltd. | AMG TV & Jewelry Television |
| Dover, DE | WMDE | 36.1 | Western Pacific Broadcast LLC. | Infomercials |
| Flint, MI ' | WHNE-LD | 14.1 | Tait Broadcasting | Station ID slate, later LATV |
| Fort Walton, FL | WPAN | 40.1 | Franklin & Hoynacki Communications, LLC. | Vibrant TV Network |
| Jackson, TN | WYJJ-LD | 27.1 | DTV America Corporation | Antenna TV |
| Jacksonville, FL | WTLV-TV | 12.2 | Multimedia Holdings Company | Antenna TV |
| Lafayette | KXKW KLWB | 32.1/50.3 | Wilderness Communications/Delta Media Corporation | 32.1 ThisTV ' |
| Live Oak, Fl | WFXU | 57.1 | Budd Broadcasting | Retro TV |
| Mesquite, TX | KATA-CD | 50.1 | Mako Communications | Shop LC |
| Milwaukee, WI | WMKE-CD | 21.1 | KM LPTV of Milwaukee, LLC. | Rev'n |
| Nashville, TN | WJDE-LD | 31.2 | Word Broadcasting Network | The Country Network |
| Santa Isabel, PR | W18DQ-D | 18.1 | TV Red de Puerto Rico, Inc. | Antenna TV |
| Missouri City, TX | KUVM-LD | 10.1 | Mako Communications | Silent |
| New York, NY | WDVB-CD | 23.2 | LocusPoint WDVB Licensee, LLC. | American Sports Network |
| Philadelphia, PA | WZPA-LD | 33.1 | Mako Communications | Silent |
| Sacramento, CA | KFMS-LD | 47.1 | HC2 Station Group, Inc. | 3ABN |
| Vicksburg, MS | WLOO | 35.2 | Tougaloo College | Heroes & Icons |
| Washington, D.C. | WWTD-LD | 49.1 | DC Broadcasting, Inc. | MBC |
| Westgate, FL | W16CC | 16 | Mako Communications | Silent |
| West Monroe, LA | KMCT-TV | 39.4 | First Assembly of God of West Monroe | Silent |
| Wildwood, NJ | WMGM-TV | 40.1 | LocusPoint Networks | Sonlife Broadcasting Network |
| Kansas City, MO | KCMN-LD | 42.7 | DTV America Corporation | 3ABN |
Corporate
SSN Funding, LP
SSN Funding, LP, also known as SSN Media Group, SOS Media Holdings, and doing business as Soul of the South, is a limited partnership that owns SSN Networks, Southern Soul Broadcasting, & Soul of the South Television, as well as formerly owning Media Gateway. The institutional investors include Arkansas Development Finance Authority, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Arkansas Capital Corporation.SSN Funding purchased the former Equity Plaza building from One Bank & Trust in December 2013 for the Soul of the South businesses. In May 2014, the building ownership moved from SSN Funding to Rock City Media LLC. Rock City Media was "a funding vehicle to support Soul of the South’s tax-credit financial package". By April 2006, the FBI started looking into the flow of government money into the Soul of the South venture.
Southern Soul Broadcasting
Southern Soul Broadcasting is the station operating unit operating stations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Tallahassee, Montgomery, Jackson, MS, Raleigh, NC, and its Little Rock full power flagship station.In February, 2015, KM LPTV, which operates stations in Chicago and Milwaukee, filed a lawsuit claiming breach of contract and not making required payments.
Media Gateway
Media Gateway is a TV outsourcing company owned by Matthew Davidge. The company provides TV control panel and news casts.Media Gateway had 60 television stations, three TV networks and two radio network as clients as of June 2017. Two of the three TV networks are Youtoo America and Soul of the South Network.
Jeffrey Lyle was chief technology officer for Soul of the South and co-owner of SSN Media Gateway, LLC with Dr. Sev Hrywnak of Chicago, an entrepreneurial podiatrist; Edwin Avent and two Little Rock businessman long-associated with the property, Larry Morton and Greg Fess. By June 2015, SSN Gateway Media Technologies had acquired Independent News Network. At that time, INN had hired Anne Imanuel, the wife of Mike Preston, the new director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, as an anchor. The Commission had a past due loan from the Soul of the South company group.
With financial difficulties, SSN Funding partners' ownership interest in SSN Gateway Media Technologies was purchased by Matthew Davidge, owner of client station WRDE, as of February 6, 2016. He also purchased from Rock City Media the former Equity Plaza, where SSN Gateway Media Technologies was based, to continue operation there, while taking over the mortgage. Media Gateway had 12 television stations, three TV networks and a radio network as clients as of June 2016. By June 2017, Gateway increased the number of TV station clients from 12 to 60 and added another radio network.