BNC, the nation’s first and only 24/7 national news network committed to covering Black and Brown communities, has appointed veteran local news executive Vickie Burns svp of content. The announcement was made today by BNC president and CEO Princell Hair.
“We are delighted to welcome Vickie Burns and her wide-ranging expertise to BNC,” Hair said in a statement. “Vickie has demonstrated effective leadership and strong journalistic instincts throughout her career and will be a tremendous asset as BNC continues to evolve beyond linear broadcasts and into multiplatform offerings that are accessible everywhere content is consumed.”
Burns was most recently an executive at New York’s CW affiliate, WPIX, having left the station at the end of March. Prior to her stint at PIX 11, Burns spent 26 years at KNBC in Los Angeles, working her way from show producer to vp of news.
Burns will now oversee all of BNC’s editorial operations.
“I’m proud and excited to join BNC at a momentous time in history when America is paying more attention to diversity, equity and inclusion. Those values are embedded into BNC’s cultural DNA and I see this as an opportunity to let underserved Black and Brown communities know that we see, hear and value your lives, your struggles, your triumphs and your stories,” Burns said in a statement. “Princell Hair and BNC’s leaders have attracted an impressive team on both sides of the camera and I can’t wait to get started and contribute to this amazing and timely enterprise.”
BNC is available in more than 52 million U.S. homes via linear agreements with Xfinity (Ch. 1116), Directv (Ch.342), Spectrum, Dish (Ch.360) and more. It can also be accessed on internet-connected devices through partnerships with Roku (Ch.173), Amazon Fire TV, Pluto, Tubi, Samsung, Vizio and other OTT platforms.