TNJ - July/August 2002 - Feature Story - -Network Fills Void For Black Products on TV By Tynisha Thompson

July/August 2002

Network Fills Void For Black Products on TV

April Silver has embraced the creativity of her peers, creating a company that represents young artists, inspiring them to represent their community responsibly.

By Tynisha Thompson

Jackie Turner, an independent television and documentary film producer of West Hempstead, NY, knows what makes viewers sit up and take notice. Turner’s knowledge in television has helped her become the founder and president of the African Shopping Network Inc., a company whose goal is to offer African and African-American products to television shoppers.

Armed with her passion for television and black business, Turner is poised to take over the highly profitable home-shopping industry by filling a niche in which African-American products and services have been all but ignored. This past February, the company aired the African Shopping Network, a shopping program devoted to African wares and products from African-American businesses.

Turner was inspired to launch the African Shopping Network after noticing an absence of African merchandise on television shopping programs.

“I realized late one night that other than the host, who was black, I didn’t see black people represented in the products or anywhere on the show,” said Turner.

So, instead of sitting around and doing nothing about the problem, Turner set out to turn her dream of a black home-shopping network into a reality, where African-American and African products are sold and shown, not as an afterthought but as the main event. Turner isn’t stopping there. Her goals for the company include publishing an African Shopping Network catalog, setting up a full commerce web site, and taking the network international to such places as Brazil, the Caribbean and Africa.

Turner, who has a master’s degree in communications from Queens College, had 16 years of experience as a producer before she started the network. Turner started out on her journey working with such noted professionals as Charles Schultz, veteran director Fielder Cooke and award-winning documentary filmmaker St. Clair Bourne, who became a major influence on her in college after she viewed his film, “Let the Church Say Amen.” Since then, Turner has produced programs for the American Red Cross, NBC, PBS and FOX 5.

It wasn’t until one night last October, however, that Turner decided to do her “own thing,” thus starting the African Shopping Network. After four feverish months of planning with her team of professionals, and with the determination to see her dream of an African-American shopping network come to life, Turner aired her program to viewers in New York and Fort Worth, TX, on February 2, 2002.

“I think it’s fantastic how Jackie has stepped up to the plate and leveled the playing field with the African Shopping Network,” said Vera Moore of Vera Moore Cosmetics, who appeared on the first program. “What it does is give entrepreneurs such as myself an opportunity to showcase their talents and expertise, and to tap into broader audiences,” said Moore.

One of the highlights of the ASN is a segment called the “Hot Spot,” which features young entrepreneurs seeking business investors. Alton Brothers of Alton Brothers Photography sees the potential in being seen on a program such as the ASN.

“What Jackie has done is to fill a void by showing African-American products to people who might never otherwise see them,” said Brothers.

According to Target Market News, black consumers’ total buying power reached $543 billion in 2001, despite the 9/11 attacks. This number is expected to reach $682 billion by 2006, according to Market Research.com.

“The total buying power of African-Americans is one of the strongest in the country, and home shopping is a billion-dollar-a-year industry. Black people want to benefit from these dollars, and they want to see representation on television,” said Turner.

Although ASN had plenty of success this past February, it did not make a huge financial profit. Turner’s focus is thus on improving the profit margin and she will be appearing on Channel 59 this summer, reaching about 19 million people daily.

“We are now in the process of securing investors. Our financing at this point is one of our major areas of concentration,” said Turner. But she is optimistic about the revenues for the future of the African Shopping Network. “Our target markets are people of all races. We are a multicultural-model-based show that believes that our products are valuable to all customers, regardless of race.”

Although the task of getting a shopping network off and running is no easy task, Turner remains motivated by her amazing team of people and her goals for the future.

“Most entrepreneurs are extremely driven. I am a visually creative person, so I see this clearly. Being an African American I strongly identify with my people, and I think that we have a lot to offer.”

Send a Network Journal Greeting Card With Music to a loved one or friend. In preparing to celebrate Black History Month (February) here in America, the theme of our greeting cards for the next two months will feature famous people of color from the last century.

The music to accompany the cards are Motown and Reggae songs.