California Black Media

What California Black Media does

California Black Media (CBM) is a Sacramento-based non-profit organization that functions as a convener and newswire for more than 30 independent Black-owned-and-operated news publishers, multimedia platforms, and broadcasters across California. Founded by Hardy Brown and led since 2012 by Executive Director Regina Brown Wilson, CBM produces and syndicates impartial, fact-based coverage of California state politics, governmental affairs, and policy to its partner outlets — enabling those partners to concentrate resources on local reporting while CBM handles statewide policy coverage. The organization also serves as a channel for government, philanthropic, and civic communicators seeking to reach California's Black communities credibly, having executed campaigns on COVID-19 testing (with a network of 35 Black churches), the 2020 Census (securing over $50 million in funding with significant ethnic-media inclusion), and the 2021 gubernatorial recall election (with the California Secretary of State).

CBM operates three core surfaces: (1) the California Black Media Network as the overarching convening and advocacy layer; (2) the CBM Newswire, a content syndication and aggregation service distributing articles about California state policy, politics, and governmental affairs to partner publishers; and (3) the Media Partner Network, the curated set of 30+ print, digital, radio, and streaming outlets — including Black Voice News, Inland Valley News, L.A. Focus, Our Weekly, 102.3 FM KJLH, KDEE 97.5 FM, and KBLA 1580 — that republish CBM-syndicated content for their local audiences. The technology stack is described as having no specific proprietary technology platform; the newswire operates on a standard website CMS at cablackmedia.org. CBM's working partnership with Ethnic Media Services extends its coordination role into Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American owned publishers in California.

CBM is a non-profit organization; its revenue comes from philanthropic and grant funding rather than commercial media sales. Named funders include the James Irvine Foundation, California Endowment, California Wellness Foundation, California Health Care Foundation, Walmart, AT&T, Experian, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Evitarus. Go-to-market runs on two tracks: a community-led / convening motion (public-information campaigns, partner engagement, direct policymaker outreach) and a channel-partner motion (coordinated distribution through the Ethnic Media Services partnership). Customer segments are structured around (a) Black-owned media publishers receiving syndicated content and editorial support, (b) African American communities in California consuming civic and political news, and (c) policymakers and government entities using CBM as a reach channel for minority outreach. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with a grant-funded operating model.

Name

California Black Media

Legal name

California Black Media

Website

https://cablackmedia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

California Black Media is a Sacramento-based non-profit that convenes more than 30 Black-owned and -operated news publishers across California, syndicating statewide policy and political coverage through its CBM Newswire and a multi-format partner media network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Media Services

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Newspaper Publishers (513110), Media Representatives (54184)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

State/Regional Public Broadcasting Networks & Consortia (MPABADAC)

Keywords

• Ethnic media network
• Community journalism
• News syndication service
• Media advocacy
• Public information campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic/Grant Funding: California Black Media operates as a non-profit organization supported by philanthropic partners including foundations (Irvine Foundation, CA Endowment, CA Wellness, CA Health), corporations (Walmart, AT&T, Experian, Blue Cross Blue Shield), and government partnerships. Revenue supports public information campaigns, editorial operations, and network coordination.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

California Black Media is a non-profit convener and advocacy network for more than 30 independent Black-owned news publishers, multimedia platforms, and broadcasters across California. It operates the CBM Newswire, which syndicates thousands of news articles about California state policy, politics, and governmental affairs to partner publishers, and runs public information campaigns on issues such as COVID-19, voter awareness, and emergency preparedness. The organization also holds a working partnership with Ethnic Media Services to connect journalism across ethnic communities in the state.

Product overview

California Black Media is a non-profit news media organization that operates as a convener and advocate network for over 30 independent Black-owned media outlets across California. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a coordinated network of news services including a newswire (CBM Newswire) for article syndication and a media partner network connecting print, digital, radio, and streaming news organizations. The core offering is a coordination and advocacy service that strengthens editorial capacity and facilitates communication between Black Californians, policymakers, and community-based organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Black Media Network A convening organization and advocacy network connecting more than 30 independent Black-owned-and-operated news publishers, multimedia platforms, and broadcasters across California, providing coverage of California politics, governmental affairs, and policies that impact Black Californians. Targeted at partner media organizations, government agencies, and philanthropic partners.
• CBM Newswire A news aggregation and distribution service that syndicates thousands of news articles about California State policy, politics, and governmental affairs to CBM partner publishers. Targeted at independent Black-owned news publishers that need statewide policy coverage they cannot produce in-house.
• Media Partner Network A curated network of more than 30 print, digital, radio, and streaming news organizations serving African American communities across California, including outlets such as Black Voice News, Inland Valley News, L.A. Focus, Our Weekly, and 102.3 FM KJLH. Targeted at African American audiences seeking fact-based coverage of local, statewide, and community issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 media outlets in network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ethnic Media ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Black Media has a working partnership with Ethnic Media Services that connects the organization to journalism and conversations across various ethnic communities in California. This partnership also co-convenes Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American owned news publishers in the state.
• California Secretary of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, CBM partnered with California's Secretary of State to increase participation in the gubernatorial recall election, breaking convention by including a diverse spectrum of media outlets serving all demographics across the state.
• California Black Churches NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, CBM led a multi-million-dollar public service information campaign with a network of 35 Black churches across California to promote a COVID-19 testing program.
• 2020 Census Complete Count CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Regina Brown Wilson was appointed a commissioner for the 2020 Census Complete Count Committee and helped secure an historic investment of over $50 million with significant inclusion of funds for ethnic media.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Grio: Major digital Black media brand covering news, politics, and culture with national reach. Overlaps with CBM's audience of Black Americans interested in policy and politics, and competes for the same advertising and platform attention.
• Urban One (Radio One): Largest U.S. African-American-owned multi-media company operating radio stations (including KJLH 102.3 FM, a CBM partner), digital, and cable properties. Comparable mission serving Black audiences through radio and digital media at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• New America Media: Long-standing ethnic-media newswire and advocacy organization serving immigrant and ethnic communities, previously known as Pacific News Service. Comparable nonprofit newswire/news distribution model targeting similar community and foundation funder base.
• Black Voice News: Founding CBM partner outlet founded by Hardy Brown serving Riverside's African American community since 1972. Direct constituent of CBM's network and a long-standing California Black newspaper with similar mission.
• Ethnic Media Services: Strategic partner organization also convening ethnic media outlets across California, including Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American publishers. Directly comparable nonprofit media-advocacy model with overlapping mission, funders, and partner ecosystem.
• National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA): National trade association representing the Black press of America, with hundreds of Black-owned newspapers. CBM's California network of Black newspapers and broadcasters aligns directly with NNPA's constituency, and the two coordinate on national advocacy and shared content.

Emerging players

• BLAC (Black Ledger for Action and Community): National digital Black news brand providing state-level policy and civic engagement coverage. Comparable audience and editorial focus on Black communities and policy; competes for similar digital reader attention and foundation support.
• InvestigateWest: Nonprofit investigative newsroom covering the Pacific Northwest with a comparable mission of producing in-depth policy and accountability journalism through foundation support. Similar nonprofit news business model, though focused on investigative rather than convening roles.
• Word in Black: National collaborative newsroom launched by 10 major Black newspaper publishers to expand coverage of Black communities. Comparable focus on aggregating and amplifying Black-owned media content; competes for similar foundation funding and audience.
• Capital B (Capital B Media): National nonprofit local news organization launching local newsrooms serving Black communities, starting with Atlanta. Comparable nonprofit, foundation-funded model with overlapping editorial mission and foundation funder base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cablackmedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

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 California Black Media