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TheUrbanDaily:  We’ve seen the growing popularity of shows like “Love and Hip-Hop” and “T.I’s Family Hustle.” What are your thoughts on these shows and on the reality TV landscape in general in 2012?

Jubba: I think we’re just seeing a shift in reality to really follow what pop culture is doing and pop culture now includes Hip-Hop culture. Hip-Hop has become main stream. So when you talk about T.I. and when you talk about the Game and his show coming out, I think this is a direct reflection on what pop culture is looking for in their reality. TV One has this responsibility to our audience to make sure that the shows we put on the air are a positive reflection of our community whether it be Hip-Hop or otherwise.

We are seriously in competition with those other networks producing African American based content, including Bravo, VH1 etc., because they are obviously attracting the same audience that is our intended target audience. Our demo is around 25 to 54 years old with the sweet spot being around 40 with a composition of 60% women, and that’s who you’re seeing when you see VH1 or you watch Bravo, the audience that they’re attracting with the “Housewives” franchise. With even “Love and Hip-Hop” and like you said, “T.I and Tiny,” those shows, they attract our audience. So it’s a bloodbath out here trying to pull an audience to your network and make sure they’re watching your shows and and seeing women depicted a certain way. We’re cautious about that and that’s why you see a show like “R&B Divas” where we feel like we cater to our audience but we don’t enhance any stereotypes by having our women on our network fighting and jumping over tables. We feel really proud about that and we take our responsibility to show black women in a positive light very seriously because there’s just enough negativity out there already. We figure we can create an entertaining show that has just as much conflict as the other shows but we don’t have to have, as the kids say, the ‘ratchet’ stuff going on.

TV ONE’s Jubba Seyyid’s “Unsung” Wishlist & The Realness Of “R&B Divas”  was originally published on theurbandaily.com

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