NBC Universal has launched TheGrio.com, a site focused on news and video appealing to African-Americans. The company said the site would act partly as an aggregator, gathering content from resources stretching from NBC News to its owned-and-operated stations to msnbc.com.

Ford has signed on as the debut sponsor, as advertisers may be taking an increased interest in media aimed at African-Americans. Nielsen said Monday that ad dollars in the African-American TV sector increased 7.9% in the first quarter, while all other media segments showed no growth.

Beyond video -- some of which will be produced just for the site -- TheGrio has lined up contributors, including activist Al Sharpton and Chicago radio personality Santita Jackson.

NBCU said: "The site dives deeper into stories of black interest that mainstream news outlets currently only touch on."

David Wilson -- the site's managing editor and founder of Three Part Media, which is an NBC partner -- said: "TheGrio.com is the first video-centric news community site devoted to providing African-Americans with stories and perspectives that appeal to them but are underrepresented in existing national news outlets."

Crystal Worthem, multicultural marketing manager at Ford, said the company's sponsorship provides a presence "within a medium that directly speaks to the African-American consumer."

The site says the name "The Grio" has roots in West African storytellers who would maintain the "oral tradition and history of a village or family."