I built Nagast TV around a simple question: where do independent Black creators go when the big platforms bury them?

The channel is part of my answer. It's free on Roku. There's no subscription, no sign-up and no credit card, and it runs around the clock. You add it once, and it's there whenever you turn on the TV.

Why I started it

I've spent a lot of my life around music and media, from producing in the music business to running an early online music operation around the year 2000. Over all those years I kept watching the same thing happen. Somebody makes something real, a song, a sermon, a comedy set, a documentary about their neighborhood, and it disappears. Not because it was bad, but because the people who controlled the screens didn't think it was worth the space.

That's why I care so much about what happens after something gets made: who sees it, who owns it and who gets paid. Making the work is only half the job. The other half is having a place to put it where it's respected.

Around 1999 and 2000, I was working Atlanta's independent music scene with Nina Easton's 404 Music Group, and our records were in Best Buy and other national stores through distribution. That taught me how the business works behind the shelf. Getting a record into stores is one thing. Getting credit and getting paid for it is another.

What you'll find on Nagast TV

The lineup is built around a few kinds of programming:

  • Culture and history. Stories about Black life, family and community that don't wait for February to be told. We treat Black history as year-round programming.
  • Faith. Sermons, gospel and ministry content for viewers who want that on the big screen.
  • Independent comedy. Comedians who are building their own audience instead of waiting for a network special.
  • Music videos. Official videos from independent artists, labels and managers, reviewed by a person before they air.
  • Local voices. People from the community with something to say, whether that's a business owner, a coach, an elder or a young filmmaker.

Some of it is polished and some of it is raw, and that's on purpose. We'd rather give real people a stage than copy what everybody else is doing.

Right now that includes a series from Professor Griff of Public Enemy: a collection of lectures he's given over the years. It's the kind of programming you won't find on most channels, and it's exactly why Nagast TV exists. ### How programming gets chosen

Every piece of content on Nagast TV is reviewed by a person on our team. Nothing goes on air automatically, and nothing gets on just because someone paid. We look at three things:

  1. Rights. The person submitting has to own or control what they're sending us, including the music, the footage and anything borrowed.
  2. Standards. We pass on graphic violence, hate speech and explicit sexual content. Explicit language may limit when something airs.
  3. Fit. We ask whether it serves the audience we're building, which is people who want Black stories told by the people living them.

Acceptance isn't guaranteed, and we'd rather be upfront about that than oversell it.

How to watch

If you have a Roku, adding the channel takes about two minutes:

  1. From your Roku home screen, go to Search.
  2. Type Nagast Entertainment.
  3. Select the channel and choose Add channel.

It will show up with your other channels. If you get stuck, our step-by-step guide on how to add Nagast TV to your Roku walks through it with every screen explained.

How to get involved

There are a few ways in, depending on who you are.

  • If you're a viewer: add the channel, watch it, and tell people about something you saw. Independent channels grow by word of mouth more than anything else.
  • If you're an artist with an official music video: submit it for review on our video submission page. A person reviews every one.
  • If you have a show, a film, a special or a story: tell us about it on the contact page. Tell us what it is, how long it runs, and whether you own the rights to all of it.
  • If you run a local business: community media runs on local support. Reach out if you'd like to be part of that.

Where we are right now

We're still early. New programming gets added as we sign creators and clear content, and some weeks the lineup grows faster than others. I'd rather tell you that than pretend we're something we're not yet.

What I can promise is that this channel will stay focused on the people it was built for. If you've got something you think belongs here, I want to hear about it.