Black Entertainment Television

BET
BET logo
Launched January 25, 1980
Owned by BET Networks (Viacom)
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
1080p (Dish Network HDTV)
Slogan It's My Thing (former)
Home Of The Revolution (current)
Country United States
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
Sister channel(s) BET Gospel
BET Hip-Hop
Centric
Website http://www.bet.com
Availability
Satellite
Bell TV (Canada) Channel 576
DirecTV (USA) Channel 329 (SD/HD)
Channel 1329 (VOD)
Dish Network (USA) Channel 124
Shaw Direct (Canada) Channel 582
Sky Digital (UK/Ireland) Channel 191 (198 +1)
Freesat (UK) Channel 140 (141 +1)
Cable
Verizon FiOS Channel 270
AT&T U-verse
 Channel 155
Vidéotron
(Canada)		 Channel 124
Available on most cable systems Check local cable listings for specific channel numbers

Black Entertainment Television is an American cable network based in Washington D.C., and targets young African-American audiences. The network launched on January 25, 1980 by its founder Robert L. Johnson. Most programming of the network comprises mainstream rap and R&B music videos and urban-oriented movies and series.

Its urban music programming includes 106 & Park, a show taped before a live audience counting down the top videos requested by viewers and inviting rap and R&B artists to promote their music. The Deal is BET's flagship program for rap music, and the network also regularly shows a block of R&B videos under the banner BET Now (which no longer airs, except on the Canadian feed). BET has been the target of criticism and protests for broadcasting videos that are accused of promoting immorality.[1][2] Additionally, the channel shows syndicated television series, original programs, and some public affairs programs. On Sunday mornings, BET broadcasts a lineup of network-produced Christian programming; other, non-affiliated Christian programs are also shown during the early morning hours daily.

As of June 2010, BET no longer has any music video programming besides 106 & Park, The Deal and Video Gospel.

Contents

History

After stepping down as a lobbyist for the cable industry, Freeport, Illinois native Robert L. Johnson decided to launch his own cable television network. Johnson would soon acquire a loan for $15,000, and earned a $500,000 investment from John Malone to start the network.[3] With the fundings, Johnson needed a niche audience to build ratings, so he chose the African-American audience and named his channel Black Entertainment Television. BET began broadcasting as a block over the channel space of Nickelodeon on January 25, 1980.[4] It wasn't until October 1, 1983 when it became its own 24-hour channel.

Initially, the network lineup consisted of music videos, original programs (see Original Series) and reruns of popular black sitcoms. BET was mostly controlled by Johnson, who held 90%, while John Malone held the remaining 10%. Due to recently starting, and low rating, at the time, BET was losing money, but in 1985–1986, things turned around for the young channel.

BET launched a news program, BET News, in 1988, with Ed Gordon as the anchor. Gordon would later host other programs and specials on BET, such as Black Men Speak Out: The Aftermath, related to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and a recurring interview show Conversations with Ed Gordon.[5] In 1996, the talk show BET Tonight debuted with Tavis Smiley as host; in 2001, Ed Gordon replaced Tavis Smiley. In 2002, as part of a reorganization focusing on entertainment productions, BET cut its news staff and canceled BET Tonight along with other public affairs shows hosted by Gordon, Lead Story and Teen Summit.[6][7] From 2001 to 2005, BET had a daily evening news program BET Nightly News, hosted by Michelle Miller and Jacque Reid.

In 1991, the network became the first black-controlled company on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2003, the network was no longer a black owned business when it was bought by media conglomerate Viacom for $3 billion. In 2005, Johnson retired from the network, turning over his titles as President and Chief Executive Officer to Debra L. Lee, a former Vice President. In 2007, the network reached more than 65 million homes and expanded into other BET-related networks: Centric and digital cable networks BET Hip-Hop and BET Gospel. Network President of Entertainment, Reginald Hudlin, resigned on September 11, 2008. He was then replaced by Stephen Hill, who is also Executive Vice President of Music Programming and Talent.[8]

BET announced in March 2010 that Gordon would return to the network to host "a variety of news programs and specials."[9]

Criticism/controversies

Public Enemy rapper Chuck D,[10] journalist George Curry,[11] writer Keith Boykin,[12] comic book creator Christopher Priest,[13] filmmaker Spike Lee[14] and cartoonist Aaron McGruder (who, in addition to numerous critical references throughout his series, The Boondocks, made a particular episode criticizing the channel), all have protested BET's programming and actions. As a result, BET heavily censors suggestive content from the videos that it airs, often with entire verses removed from certain rap videos.[1][2] The channel also censors some of the programming it shows. Profanity is often censored.

Enough is Enough is a group led by the Reverend Delman Coates that has devoted much time to protesting BET under the grounds that many of BET's hip-hop videos are degrading.[1][2] It backed an April 2008 report titled The Rap on Rap by the Parents Television Council that claimed that BET rap programming, which they believed contained gratuitous sexual, violent, and profane content, was targeting children and teens.[15] Furthermore, scholars within the African-American community maintain that BET perpetuates and justifies racism by affecting the interpersonal beliefs others may generalize about African Americans, and also by affecting the psyche of its young viewers through its bombardment of negative images of African Americans.[16]

In a recent interview, BET co-founder Sheila Johnson said she herself is "ashamed" of what the network has become. “I don’t watch it. I suggest to my kids that they don’t watch it," she said. “When we started BET, it was going to be the Ebony magazine on television. We had public affairs programming. We had news... I had a show called Teen Summit, we had a large variety of programming, but the problem is that then the video revolution started up... And then something started happening, and I didn’t like it at all. And I remember during those days we would sit up and watch these videos and decide which ones were going on and which ones were not. We got a lot of backlash from recording artists...and we had to start showing them. I didn’t like the way women were being portrayed in these videos.”[17]

Sister networks

The spin off channel BETJ, (originally called BET On Jazz, and later BET Jazz), aired from the late 1990 until the fall of 2009. Programs on it included My Two Cents with Keith Boykin, Bryonn Bain, Crystal McCreary Anthony and Staceyann Chin, The Best Shorts hosted by Abiola Abrams, Living the Life of Marley about Ky-Mani Marley, My Model is Better Than Your Model with Eva Pigford and The Turn On hosted by Charlotte Burley. On September 28, 2009 BETJ was Centric.[18] It features music, movies, reality shows and specials for adults. It is confirmed to show reruns of Soul Train and on November 29, The Soul Train Awards made a return. They are in talks to have a new "Soul Train" sometime this year (2010).

They also operate two digital music channels, BET Gospel and BET Hip-Hop (formerly BET Jam Zone).

Competitors

BET's success, and the controversy over its content, has spawned a few smaller competitors aiming toward the African-American market. Although some like NUE TV (New Urban Entertainment Television) and Black Family Channel (formerly MBC) had little success, others like TV One have thrived and succeeded, mostly by eschewing BET's music-based programming for more family-oriented fare. However these networks are mostly watched by older African-Americans and BET continues to be mostly watched by the youth. A possible new arrival to Internet TV and broadcasting, The African American Channel, is making an attempt to enter the picture. Broadcasting and Cable magazine pointed out that The African American Channel could become a competitor of BET and others such as Black Family Channel and TV One in the not-so-distant future.[19] In 2008, rapper Master P, who claims to have a "great relationship with BET", announced the launch of Better Black Television, which he intended to meet "consumer demand for family friendly hip-hop content".[20]

International

BET International

BET UK first transmitted on Videotron (now known as Virgin Media) and several other cable networks from 1993 up until 1996.[21]

In May 2007 by Ofcom, BET International Inc was given a license to re-broadcast in the United Kingdom. BET International is the first international version of the channel and is available in Europe, Africa and the Middle East through satellite providers.

BET is available on Sky Digital Channel 191 after launching on Wednesday February 27, 2008 and on Freesat Channel 140 after launching on August 8. BET+1 is also available on Sky channel 198 and Freesat channel 141, and is Free-to-air. BET International shows a mix of content from the main BET channel and locally produced shows. An exclusive HD version of the channel was made to show the BET Awards 2009 on Freesat EPG 142

BET is additionally an associate member of the Caribbean Cable Cooperative.[22]

Canada

BET became available in Canada in October 1997 on most cable and satellite carriers. The Canadian feed is the same as the American feed, though sitcoms and films with rights belonging to other parties in Canada are replaced with a block of music videos without a BET logo appearing on-screen.

BET Awards

The BET Awards is an awards ceremony established by BET in 2001. The awards celebrates the achievements of African Americans in music, acting, sports and other fields of entertainment throughout the year. Usually held in Los Angeles (since 2002), it is also presented annually and broadcast live on BET. On June 27, 2010, the awards ceremony celebrated its 10-year anniversary.

Original series

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lee, Felicia R. (2007-11-05). "Protesting Demeaning Images in Media". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/arts/05enou.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eggerton, John (2008-04-09). "PTC, Enough Is Enough Campaign Take on MTV, BET". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6549701.html. 
  3. ↑ Johnson, Robert; Dumaine, Brian (2002-10-01). "The Market Nobody Wanted". Fortune Small Business. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2002/10/01/330571/index.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-08. 
  4. ↑ "Corporate Fact Sheet". BET Networks. http://bet.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=45. Retrieved 2008-09-12. 
  5. ↑ Johnson, Anne Janette (1996). "Gordon, Ed 1960—". Contemporary Black Biography. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2871200026.html. Retrieved July 2, 2010. 
  6. ↑ "BET sticks with news cuts". Broadcasting & Cable. December 23, 2002. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/145206-BET_sticks_with_news_cuts.php. Retrieved July 2, 2010. 
  7. ↑ Romano, Allison (December 6, 2002). "BET cuts programs, staff". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/145038-BET_cuts_programs_staff.php. Retrieved July 2, 2010. 
  8. ↑ Wiltz, Teresa; Farhi, Paul (2008-09-12). "BET President Resigns". The Washington Post: p. C7. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103380.html. Retrieved 2008-09-12. 
  9. ↑ Bland, Bridget (March 8, 2010). "Ed Gordon: Returning to BET News". Black Voices. AOL. http://www.bvnewswire.com/2010/03/08/ed-gordon-returning-to-bet-news/. Retrieved July 2, 2010. 
  10. ↑ "BET 2001 ; THE FISHTANK OF FOOLS". publicenemy.com. 2001-03-30. http://www.publicenemy.com/index.php?page=page3&item=31. Retrieved 2008-02-05. 
  11. ↑ "Viacom's BET Turns into ET". georgecurry.com. 2002-12-10. http://www.georgecurry.com/columns/viacoms-bet-turns-into-et. Retrieved 2008-02-05. 
  12. ↑ Keith Boykin (2002-12-18). "All Hail Bob Johnson". http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/000539.html. Retrieved 2008-02-05. 
  13. ↑ Christopher J. Priest (2001-02). "the ostracized negro". http://phonogram.us/viewpoint/ostracized.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-05. 
  14. ↑ Zap2it - TV news - Spike Lee Dismisses BET
  15. ↑ Moss, Linda; Umstead, R. Thomas (2008-04-10). "PTC Puts A Bad 'Rap' On BET, MTV". Multichannel News. http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6550323.html. Retrieved 2008-07-27. 
  16. ↑ http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/06/bet_vs_boondocks.html
  17. ↑ Grove, Lloyd (2010-04-29). "Sheila Johnson Slams BET". The Daily Beast. http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-29/sheila-johnsons-fight-against-hiv-in-dc/. Retrieved 2010-05-22. 
  18. ↑ BET, MTVN Unveil Centric - Soft Launch For Network Aimed At African-American Adults, MultiChannel News, September 28, 2009
  19. ↑ Goetzl, David (2007-09-17). "A Decent BET". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6478750.html. 
  20. ↑ "Master P Launching Cable Network". Broadcasting & Cable. 2008-08-15. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6587760.html. Retrieved 2008-08-21. 
  21. ↑ http://madnews.wordpress.com/2007/12/30/hello-world
  22. ↑ Member channels of the Caribbean Cable Cooperative

External links