People have been able to hear Gia Peppers talk about big issues for years. Now they’ll be able to see her when she does.
Peppers’ issues-focused podcast “More Than That with Gia Peppers” is expanding to video this year, with a four-episode limited run on the Revolt cable network that debuts Tuesday evening. “More Than That” focusses on issues central to Black Americans and diverse communities and marks the latest effort by Madison Avenue to identify content, programming and media outlets that are backed by people of color.
“Each episode features a different topic that is very, very real in our community,’ says Peppers, an entertainment journalist and host. The goal, she says, is to spark a conversation with guests that can lead to solutions to a large number of issues ranging from food insecurity to higher education.
After three cycles being broadcast by 106 Black-owned radio stations across the U.S and attracting $12 million in advertising, “More Than That” will debut in video form, with segments that put Peppers on the ground in places like Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Supermarket giant Kroger is one of the sponsors.
In 2021, following the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd a year prior while in police custody, many marketers and advertising and media agencies were forced to ponder their role in keeping ad dollars from minority-backed media properties. The issues is a sensitive one, and some Black entrepreneurs like Byron Allen have tried to put large advertisers like General Motors under intense scrutiny. Others ranging from Interpublic Group to Target have tried to recalibrate their advertising outlays so they support a wider range of platforms.
“More Than That” was conceived by the large advertising and media agency Dentsu and produced by G{Factor Films, a Black-owned production company. TV series guests include Angel Gregorio, CEO, Owner of BLK + Forth and The Spice Suite; Devi Brown, CEO, Owner of Devi Brown Well-being; Jamila Norman, Owner, Patchwork City Farms; Amaris Jones, Chef + Owner, Chick’N Jones; and others to be named at a later date.
The TV program “is an expanded version” of the audio show, says Peppers, except that viewers can see her travel. “We were really struggling during Covid. We could not be together. Now, instead of talking about Black farming and Black farmers, we are able to go on Black farms. The conversations aren’t drastically different, but they are expanded and there’s more in real life to share.”
