Oakland's Watch Now Networks has launched a 24-hour streaming network for hip-hop content.
HipHopTV started streaming live on Monday at Hiero Day, a music festival hosted by Oakland's Hieroglyphics collective that features top California hip-hop talent and annually attracts tens of thousands.
The network, which plans original programming alongside showing music videos, live performances and other content, is viewable on computers, mobile devices, tablets and set top boxes such as Apple TV and Roku.
Oakland's Shawn Granberry, the founder and CEO, has a long history of promoting entertainment in the Bay Area. HipHopTV's vice president of artist relations is Ed Lover, the New York radio personality who hosted early hip-hop television series "Yo! MTV Raps" in the 1980s.
Another soon-to-be launched network called Premo, based in San Francisco, appears to be aiming for a similar multicultural and Millennial viewer and has partnered with Public Enemy frontman Chuck D for original musical programming.
However, unlike Premo, which plans a subscription fee of $4.99 per month, HipHopTV is free.
