Central City Productions

What Central City Productions does

Central City Productions, Inc. (CCP) is a privately held, Black-owned television production, syndication, and advertising sales company founded in 1970 by Don Jackson and headquartered at 40 East Huron, Suite 500W, Chicago. The company produces, syndicates, and manages national advertising sales for a slate of programming targeting African American audiences, anchored by the Stellar Gospel Music Awards (over 38 consecutive years), Black Music Honors, Black History Honors (Emmy Award-winning), America's Black Forum, Black College Quiz, and Mentoring Kings & Queens, plus annual and holiday specials such as Music of Hope, Living The Dream, Taste of the Holidays, Stellar Tribute to the Holidays, Stellar Makeover, and Celebrate The Soul 250.

The company's core operating asset is the Stellar Network, launched in early 2023 as the first Black-owned and targeted family-friendly 24/7 television programming network. Stellar Network programming is distributed through broadcast syndication, cable carriage on Charter Spectrum (Ch. 178 HD) and Verizon Fios (Ch. 776 HD), and OTT AVOD platforms Xumo Play (network 99951211) and Vizio WatchFree+ (Ch. 1295), with broadcast windows for the Stellar Gospel Music Awards also carried by BET and Bounce TV.

CCP monetizes through a B2B model: national television advertising sales managed in-house and barter-based syndication arrangements on flagship specials (e.g., 8-minute local / 8-minute national, 15/15 splits). The company operates with a lean team of approximately 15 people and is founder-controlled, with Don Jackson as Chairman & CEO and Jennifer Jackson as President & COO. No institutional investors, funding rounds, or public listings are disclosed.

Name

Central City Productions

Legal name

Central City Productions, Inc.

Website

https://ccptv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central City Productions is a Chicago-based, Black-owned television production, syndication, and advertising-sales company producing faith- and family-oriented programming for African American audiences, anchored by the Stellar Network and the 38+ year-old Stellar Gospel Music Awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production & Distribution

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

National General-Entertainment Broadcast Networks (MPABAAAA)

Keywords

• Television production services
• Broadcast syndication services
• Advertising sales management
• Cable television distribution
• African American programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advertising Sales: CCP produces, syndicates, and manages advertising sales for all of its programs. The company handles national television advertising across its broadcast syndication and cable/OTT network placements.
2. Program Syndication: Distribution of television programs through broadcast syndication, cable providers (Charter Spectrum, Verizon Fios), and OTT AVOD platforms (Xumo Play, Vizio WatchFree+) to reach audiences nationwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Central City Productions is a full-service television production, sales, and distribution company that produces, syndicates, and manages advertising sales for national television programs targeting African-American audiences. The company's portfolio includes the Stellar Network (a 24-hour Black-owned family-friendly TV network), flagship annual awards shows such as the Stellar Gospel Music Awards and Black Music Honors, weekly series, quarterly specials, and holiday programming distributed via broadcast syndication, cable, and OTT platforms.

Product overview

Central City Productions is a full-service television production, sales, and distribution company that produces, syndicates, and manages advertising sales for national television programs targeting African-American audiences. The company's portfolio includes the Stellar Network (a 24-hour Black-owned family-friendly TV network), flagship annual awards shows (Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Black Music Honors), weekly series (America's Black Forum, Black College Quiz, Blueprint For Success), quarterly specials (Mentoring Kings & Queens), and holiday programming (Taste of the Holidays, Stellar Tribute to the Holidays). The company also produces special event programming like Music of Hope, Living The Dream, Celebrate The Soul 250, and Stellar Makeover. Programs are distributed through broadcast syndication, cable (Charter Spectrum, Verizon Fios), and OTT platforms (Xumo Play, Vizio WatchFree+).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stellar Network: The first Black-owned and targeted family-friendly television programming network. The network brand is rooted in FAITH, FAMILY, and COMMUNITY. Its audience target is African American Women 25-54 and their families. The network exhibits a mix of general entertainment, lifestyle, documentary, gospel music, and special event programming.

Products and services

• Stellar Network The first Black-owned and targeted family-friendly 24-hour television programming network, rooted in faith, family, and community, targeting African American women 25-54 and their families with a mix of general entertainment, lifestyle, documentary, gospel music, and special event programming.
• Stellar Gospel Music Awards The first and oldest televised awards show honoring Gospel Music for over 38 years, celebrating excellence in gospel music.
• Black Music Honors Annual honors program acknowledging legendary Black music icons who have made significant contributions to African American music worldwide.
• America's Black Forum Weekly half-hour syndicated newsmagazine series hosted by political analyst Marc Morial, covering lifestyle topics dedicated to empowering Black Lives.
• Black College Quiz Weekly educational competition testing the historical and cultural knowledge of HBCU students competing for scholarships while showcasing African American history and culture.
• Black History Honors Emmy Award-winning docu-entertainment special celebrating African American culture and legacy museums with gospel music as its backdrop.
• Mentoring Kings Celebrates mentoring initiatives and activities of Black male celebrities, business entrepreneurs, educators, political and community leaders.
• Mentoring Queens One-hour quarterly docuseries hosted by Emmy and NAACP Image Award-winner Loni Love, celebrating African American female mentors.
• Music of Hope Annual celebration of hope, family, and uplifting gospel music performances featuring renowned gospel artists.
• Living The Dream Musical tribute celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with historic gospel music performances.
• Celebrate The Soul 250 Two-hour music and storytelling program marking America's 250th anniversary through Juneteenth and Black cultural influence, hosted by Yolanda Adams.
• Stellar Makeover Style revolution series honoring community heroes with transformative makeovers, hosted by Rickey Smiley.
• Taste of the Holidays Holiday special featuring uplifting and inspirational songs by Stellar Awards-winning artists with host and artist reflections of family gatherings around Thanksgiving.
• Stellar Tribute to the Holidays Annual celebration of the holiday season with Christmas carols, family remembrances, and uplifting messages of hope.
• Blueprint For Success Inspiring weekly series highlighting African Americans making an impact in business, entertainment, leadership, and innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38+ consecutive years of Stellar Gospel Music Awards broadcasts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Charter SpectrumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCharter Spectrum distributes the Stellar Network through its cable platform on Channel 178 HD (Stellar TV HD). This is a primary distribution channel for CCP's flagship network targeting African American audiences.
• Verizon FioscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVerizon Fios distributes the Stellar Network on Channel 776 HD, providing cable access to the family-friendly Black-targeted programming network.
• Xumo PlaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorXumo Play hosts the Stellar Network as an OTT AVOD platform (network 99951211), extending reach to streaming audiences beyond traditional cable.
• Vizio WatchFree+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVizio WatchFree+ distributes the Stellar Network on Channel 1295, providing another OTT AVOD distribution channel for Black-targeted programming.
• BETmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBET serves as a broadcast partner for the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, with a window of airing to be announced. This is a significant distribution partnership for CCP's flagship awards show.
• Bounce TVmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBounce TV serves as a broadcast partner for the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, with a window of airing to be announced. This network partnership extends reach of CCP's flagship awards show.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CLEO TV: CLEO TV is a relatively new multicast network dedicated to multicultural and women-focused entertainment. Comparable as a smaller, targeted cable/OTT network competing for similar Black-family audience demographics.
• Powermove/HBCU network ecosystem (HBCUGo): HBCUGo is a streaming network offering HBCU sports, original programming, and cultural content. Comparable as an emerging digital-first platform targeting the African American audience that CCP's Black College Quiz also addresses.

Direct peers

• Black Entertainment Television (BET): BET is the dominant cable network targeting African American audiences with a mix of music, film, and lifestyle programming. Directly comparable to CCP's Stellar Network given their shared Black-targeted entertainment positioning; BET even partners with CCP to air the Stellar Gospel Music Awards.
• OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network): OWN is a cable network targeting African American women 25-54 with lifestyle, faith, and scripted content — the exact audience segment CCP programs for on Stellar Network. Both compete for Black-family CPM advertising budgets.
• TV One: TV One operates a cable network focused on African American audiences with entertainment, lifestyle, and gospel programming. Directly comparable to Stellar Network in audience, content mix, and distribution model.
• Bounce TV: Bounce TV is a free broadcast network targeting African American viewers and is a broadcast partner for the Stellar Gospel Music Awards. Comparable in audience and Black-targeted programming strategy.
• Revolt TV: Revolt is a Black-owned music and culture-focused cable/OTT network serving younger African American audiences with hip-hop, news, and lifestyle content. Comparable to Stellar Network as a Black-owned media platform with multi-channel distribution.
• Aspire (Magic Johnson network): Aspire is a cable network founded by Magic Johnson programming Black-targeted entertainment, uplifting films, and faith-friendly content. Directly comparable to Stellar Network given shared Black-targeted, family-friendly positioning.

Broad incumbents

• UP TV: UP TV (previously Gospel Music Channel's sister network) is a cable network offering uplifting, family-friendly entertainment. Comparable to Stellar Network's faith-and-family programming approach, though less Black-targeted.

Others

• Hallmark Channel: Hallmark operates a portfolio of family-friendly cable networks with holiday tentpoles (Countdown to Christmas) and faith-adjacent uplifting originals. Comparable as a reference point for monetizing family-friendly advertising and holiday-special IP, though serving a broader general-audience demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Central-City-Productions-97829855854
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-city-productions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central City Productions