Gospel Music Channell Marks Black History Month WIth World Premiere Concerts, Specials, And Vignettes On Gospel Legends

Original Programming - in HD - to feature biggest names in gospel music, including Yolanda Adams, Byron Cage, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond and Smokie Norful.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) February 5, 2007 -- Gospel Music Channel (GMC), the nation's first 24-hour channel dedicated to all styles of gospel music, announced today that it will mark Black History Month in February with a slate of Saturday night world premiere "Front Row Live" concerts, Sunday night specials, a special edition of the original series "Faith & Fame," and vignettes on gospel music legends. Allstate, Sunny D, Kraft and General Mills have signed on as sponsors for GMC's Black History Month programming, broadcast in high definition.

GMC's "Front Row Live" will present exclusive, world television premiere concerts by Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Byron Cage and Smokie Norful. "Front Row Live," which gives viewers a front row seat to gospel concerts from around the world, airs on Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET with encores on Wednesday nights.

On Sunday nights in February, GMC will present a slate of specials, beginning with GMC's premiere of the digitally remastered "Say Amen Somebody" on Feb. 4 at 9 p.m. ET. This award-winning 1982 documentary, sponsored by Allstate, focuses on two of the pioneers of modern gospel, Thomas Andrew Dorsey and "Mother" Willie Mae Ford.

On Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. ET, GMC will air the original special, "Hometown Gospel: Detroit," hosted by Grammy winner J. Moss. This special explores the rich history of gospel music in the Motor City, as well today's gospel scene there.

On Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET, GMC will present "Gotta Serve Somebody, The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan," an exclusive special in which today's top gospel artists, including Shirley Caesar, reinterpret the gospel songs of Bob Dylan from his critically acclaimed "Slow Train Comin'" and "Saved" albums.

On Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET, GMC will present the documentary special, "Mahalia Jackson: Give God the Glory," capturing the excitement of her triumphant European tour of the early 1970's, with performances and behind-the-scenes footage.

Jackson also will be featured in one of the short vignettes of gospel legends that GMC will air throughout the month. Other vignette subjects include The Staples Singers, Andre Crouch and Albertina Walker. They will be hosted by well-known gospel television host Dr. Bobby Jones.

On Feb. 4 at 10 p.m. ET, GMC will air a special edition of the network's "Faith & Fame" biography series, presented by Allstate. The special will examine the life and career of Grammy Award-winning singer Yolanda Adams, featuring performance video and an exclusive interview with the singer, who explains how she entered the music business after working as a teacher.

About Gospel Music Channel

Gospel Music Channel (www.gospelmusicchannel.com) is the first 24-hour, all music entertainment network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring and diverse music that is gospel. From the soulful sounds of artists like CeCe Winans, to the country gospel roots of Johnny Cash and Randy Travis, to the contemporary Christian music stylings of Kirk Franklin and Jars of Clay - Gospel Music Channel celebrates music that has a deep, spiritual place in people's lives. It embraces an audience that crosses cultures and captures generations delivering a fan base so large and passionate it deserves its own network.

According to the 2006 Myers Emotional Connections Study measuring viewers' emotional connections to nearly 50 emerging and mid-sized networks, Gospel Music Channel ranks first in "overall emotional connections with audience," first in "audience attentiveness to advertising," first in "feeling comfortable viewing with family" and third in "audience engagement with network."

From the soulful voices that fill the storied halls of Harlem to the contemporary sounds of today's Christian pop, rock, hip hop and R&B, gospel music has never been more diverse, and Gospel Music Channel has it all.

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