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"BET" redirects here. For other uses, see BET (disambiguation).
Black Entertainment Television (commonly referred to by its acronym B.E.T.) is an American cable network based in Washington D.C., and targets young African-American audiences. Robert L. Johnson founded the network in 1980. 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. 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. BET now has several new shows happening in 2009. With a brand new strategy and new network BET is vastly changing. One new show is The Mo’Nique Show. Mo’Nique's show will consist of her funny stand up, guest, and much more [3]. It comes on Monday-Friday 11:00pm eastern time[4] . Another new show is Pay it Off, BET’s brand new game show. The host of the show will be plus size model, turned comedian, turned actress Kim Coles. BET has a lot more new shows including Still Standing featuring singer Monica, reality series, and a whole new network called CENTRIC . [5]
[edit] HistoryAfter stepping down as a lobbyist for the cable industry, Philadelphian 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.[6] 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 on January 25, 1980.[7] Initially, the network lineup consisted of music videos 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.[6] Network president Reginald Huldin resigned on September 11, 2008.[8] In the 1990s it made a partnership with Starz Media to distribute movies through the premium channel called BET Movies: Starz! which was co-owned until 2001. In 1999, BET was purchased by MTV's parent company, Viacom, for $3 billion, as was BET Networks which was responsible for the end of its partnership with Starz (Viacom owned Starz rivals Showtime and The Movie Channel at the time). The change took effect in 2000, and afterwards the network began adding more similar elements as MTV, which many[who?] accused the network of "selling out", adding the daily top video countdown show 106 & Park akin to MTV's TRL, airing many more reality shows such as College Hill, Baldwin Hills and Harlem Heights. [edit] Sister networksThe spin off channel BETJ, originally called BET On Jazz (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 renamed to Centric.[9] It features music, movies, reality shows and specials for adults. It is confirmed to show reruns of Soul Train and on November 24 The Soul Train Awards will make a return. They are in talks to have a new "Soul Train" next year (2010).[citation needed] [edit] CompetitorsBET'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.[10] 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".[11] [edit] International[edit] BET UKMain article: BET UK BET UK first transmitted on Videotron (now known as Virgin Media) and several other cable networks from 1993 up until 1996.[12] In May 2007 by Ofcom, BET International Inc was given a license to re-broadcast in the United Kingdom. BET UK is the first international version of the channel. BET is available on Sky Digital Channel 191 after launching on Wednesday 27 February 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 UK 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 [edit] CanadaBET 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. [edit] Criticism/controversiesPublic Enemy rapper Chuck D,[13] journalist George Curry,[14] writer Keith Boykin,[15] comic book creator Christopher Priest,[16] filmmaker Spike Lee[17] 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 such as words like "bitch" are 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 much 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 gratuitously sexual, violent, and profane content, was targeting children and teens.[18] 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.[19] [edit] Original series[edit] See also[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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