BET makes more changes
 

by Richard Prince
MaynardIJE.com

Black Entertainment Television is canceling two of its three regular news shows - "Lead Story" and "BET Tonight With Ed Gordon" - effective at the end of the year as it prepares for the acquisition of new programming, spokesman Michael Lewellen told Journal-isms today. The shakeup also means the future of the network's most well-known news personality, Ed Gordon, "is still to be determined," Lewellen said.

Effective immediately, approximately 40 positions across a range of company departments will be eliminated, or about 12 percent of the company's total workforce of 350 people nationwide, according to the network.

Gordon first started with BET in 1988. He is best known for conducting in 1996, for BET, the first one-on-one interview with O.J. Simpson after Simpson's acquittal on murder charges. Gordon returned to the network in 2000 to host "BET Tonight with Ed Gordon" after a stint with MSNBC.

The news panel show "Lead Story," which BET founder Bob Johnson has pointed to as "the only show in America where black policymakers confront black journalists . . . on issues important to African Americans," debuted with Gordon as host on Sept. 28, 1991. This season it has featured interviews with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and the chairmen of the Democratic and Republican national committees. The show was also a showcase for African American columnists and commentators.

Of BET's three regular news shows, only "BET Nightly News" will remain, Lewellen said. News and public affairs programming will now focus on special shows such as single-topic specials and town hall meetings. The network had to "adjust its programming schedule and the staff that supports them" to make way for recent programming acquisitions that include movies and other entertainment shows, he said.

"When we announce our new direction, all of our programming genres are going to be affected," Lewellen said.

"Our new focus will strike a better balance between original programming and an increase in acquired shows," added BET President and Chief Operating Officer Debra Lee in a statement. "This new strategy required us to examine our entire corporate structure and get a better sense of the size and scope of organization we need moving forward. It's always difficult to lose people as part of a business process, but these changes are our effort to support our new programming direction at BET."

Owner Robert Johnson sold BET to Viacom -- the giant media conglomerate that owns CBS, UPN, MTV, VH1 and more -- in 2000 for $1.5 billion. With Viacom ownership, it was said, BET could take advantage of greater news resources and could shake its image as primarily a purveyor of music videos and little original programming.

BlackAmericaWeb.com Staff

Worthwhile shows are being eliminated while Cita thrives. The acquisition of new programming means we will get some more half a$$ed talk shows, more repeats of Juice and Gang Related, and more time dedicated to bling bling videos with Puffy walking across the screen saying, "This is the remix." More video shows, different names, viola new programming. I'm not surprised though, afterall it's Bullshyt Entertainment Television.

With Viacom ownership, it was said, BET could take advantage of greater news resources and could shake its image as primarily a purveyor of music videos and little original programming. :rolleyes:

I highly doubt BET would take advantage of greater news resources or would be interested for that matter. In their eyes, they do enough with the Nightly News to claim diverse programming, then 30 mins later, right back to the videos. :rolleyes: But we all know their bread and butter comes from the music videos, that's why less effort is put into original programming, and it shows.

We all know stations are in it for the money, but don't hide behind the words: Our new focus will strike a better balance between original programming and an increase in acquired shows

Just say this instead, "Our new focus is to acquire more comedians to host talk shows because we want to appeal to what the younger urban viewer enjoys. To further create a balance, new actors and actresses will star in our movies. They can't act but what the hell, as long as they can read the script, it's original programming. Is the interview over, because I have to call Lisa Raye, oops I mean some people who can't act, oops I mean our list of entertainers. You gotta love BET and keep watching us. We have that black star power." :rolleyes:

Preach Afrochic,

I guess Ed Gordon was too conservative for the new BET! :rolleyes:

Broken record here
 

If there were a network (and I know it's a pipe dream) that was aimed at the educated middle class black population over 35 years of age, people wouldn't feel angry, disgusted, sad, et al, about BET axing news programming.

It's all about balance. There should be someplace to go for those of us who are too bloody old to watch booty videos, Cita, this and that.

Lead Story was a good program. It was refreshing to see black journalists sit down and discuss issues, even with Armstrong Williams in the mix. Some of AW's points were good but he also has a bit of shine in him, which is unnerving.

It really doesn't surprise me at all! BET has about as much Black Star Power as Vanilla Ice has with his 2001 remix of IceIce Baby! :D That comment about LisaRaye was so wrong...so so wrong...

LaDeia
"... time waits for nothing, use it wisely..."
- Annie V. Fizer

In the words of Chris Tucker, It cain't get no righter!:p

BET- has REALLY fallen off
 

This is a quote from a post on another message board...

IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE RECENTLY WITH BET'S DECISION TO CANCEL “BET Tonight with Ed Gordon," "Lead Story" and "Teen Summit.", I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY OF STARTING AN ONLINE PETITION.
TO GET THE COMPLETE STORY, GO HERE: http://www.blackpressusa.com/News/Ar...sp?NewsID=2674
THEN JOIN ME IN 'JUST SAYING NO' TO BET/VIACOM BY SIGNING THE PETITION.
YOU CAN FIND THE PETITION BY GOING HERE:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SayNOBET/petition.html
PLEASE...READ....SIGN....THEN PASS IT ON!

I AVOID BET at ALL costs anyway, and this is just further confirmation for me... Plus I turned past it one day and they were playing Justin Timberlake's new video


:eek: :eek: :eek:

Dag! BET has gotten rid of every INKLING of a show that resembles intelligent blackness!!

When I want to see R&B and rap videos...
 

I tune to the VH1 Soul Channel.

All videos, no BS. OK, maybe a few booty videos scattered here and there, but enough old school R&B and rap in the mix to make me think I was 15 again, dancing to that old school stuff.

VH1, hats off to you for having the insight to show videos WE actually like and can reminisce to.

BET, BOOOOOOOOO! Get off my set!!!!

Or too educated. :rolleyes:

BET=Busted Entertainment Television

A poster on another message board I am on called BET = Bamboozled Entertainment Television.

W.I.T.H. can't BET aquire all those black shows that no longer air on other cable stations (local stations)? If they are on the air it's like in the weeeeee hours of the AM.

For instance:

Good Times
227
Amen
Sanford and Son
Baby I'm Back
That's My Momma
Martin
A Different World
Fresh Prince
Generations -soap opera
In Living Color
The Royal Family
Frank's Place
Linc's
Remember Desmonds used to air on BET in the late 80's?

Heck, I'd appreciate seeing those old shows.

any others that I didn't mention that is worth bringing back to life?

one more off the TOP of my head
 

FAT ALBERT

http://www.yesterdayland.com/images/...day/sa1046.jpg

:cool:

yep.

Even the Jackson 5 cartoon. :o

They AXED Teen Summit as well
 

In a move that stuns viewers already critical of BET's current programming, the Black Entertainment Television channel's parent company VIACOM has announced the cancellation of all of BET's remaining news shows, which includes "BET Tonight with Ed Gordon," "Lead Story," and "Teen Summit." The backlog of episodes for "Teen Summit" will allow it to air through early 2003, while the other programs will be off the air by the end of the year.

Evolution 2003
 

Has anyone else seen BET's new commercial about the programming for the new year? While most of it was BLAH, there was one show that caught my eye: SOUL FOOD. I am EXTREMELY excited that BET has decided to air this show since I don't have Showtime and I will finally be able to see what the show is like. :D The other programming includes showing Malcolm X (ok who hasn't seen this movie?) and also a cartoon called Ms. Monie.

Hit the road jack
 

According to several sources, AJ from 106 & Park is being replaced with a rapper but I forget his name.

Re: Evolution 2003
 

Oddly enough, my mother had not until BET showed it recently for one of the first times. We were on the phone and she was like I finally got to see Malcolm X. :confused: We OWNED a copy of the movie. I watched it a couple of times, but not my mother. My mother is not a BET watcher but she watched it to see Malcolm X.

So BET did good. FINALLY!

Re: Hit the road jack
 

Whah?
:eek:

Free's screaming, boot-wearing 367 days a year azz, needs to get the cut too.

Re: Re: Hit the road jack
 

:mad: :mad: yes lawd. she does.

Gina 1201 mentioned the Ms. Monie cartoon. For those of you who have not seen "Hey Monie!" the acutal name of the show, it it comes on Oxygen (I think Oprah is part-owner of that network) once in a blue moon and it is not very funny to me. The main character is an Af-Am lady named Monie who seems to always be in search of a man. She does hang with some sisterfriends and she works in corporate America it seems. But like I said before, Oxygen shows it once in a blue moon usually late at night or in the wee hours (this is when I caught it) I am willing to bet however that if it were called "Hey Cindy!" it would be right on prime-time where you can easily catch it on TV.

And as for BET; in Saginaw there's a rumor that our high $$ azz cable company is planning on making BET part of the premium package. If it's true then that means that BET will no longer be part of the basic cable package. You should have seen some of my co-workers at school and the kids I work with get all upset about this. Then when I said that it would not bother me at all if the cable company made that move and good riddance to BET those kids looked at me like they wanted to revoke my Black Person License!!

CTFU!! CTFU!! ROFLMAO!!!!

Yes, Puffy does have that "This is the Remix" down pat, don't he :rolleyes:

I kinda stopped watching BET when they let Tavis Smiley go...:(

With all the booty videos, Comic View and more videos, there isn't much worthwile programming on the air besides the News, Lead Story and Teen Summit - speaking of Teen Summit, it seems as if Viacom wants to continue the trend of our youth to only be attracted to the "bling" and "booty" videos, and not the potential of absorbing positive messages from time to time.

Keeping the stereotypes of our culture alive by attempting to program our urban youth with that garbage.....

Serious mistakes are being made at that station - and WHY are they replacing AJ (106th&Park) with a RAPPER???:eek: :confused: :confused: :confused:

I'm thru venting for now, sheesh! I gotsta do some work.....

Hits from the Street
 

If you've noticed, his show is also gone. I read in a magazine that he did not want to continue the show because he was tired of doing it.

Re: Hits from the Street
 

Actually, I heard from one of my friends that Hits' show got the ax b/c there was a rumor going around that he had died!!!! :eek: :eek: I don't know what the story is, but that's what I heard, since the rumor was getting SUPER DUPER HEAVY ROTATION in Black people's close circles.

As far as the Lizard Man with his dreadrow cornlocks, YES he's getting the ax. It has been said that he's gonna be replaced by Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie aka "The Mad Rapper," who is half White. I hear that he's replacing AJ b/c AJ's too dark for BET (or is it WET; WACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION!!!!!!). Also, if you notice, Free isn't always wearing her afro as often as she used to. That's b/c WET thinks that her look is "too nappy" and needs to be straightened. Well, that's what happens when the owner of a Black company decides to sell to a racist White company (and yes, Viacom is blatantly RACIST!!!!!!) :mad: .

Re: Re: Hits from the Street
 

Hits is still alive and well. He was in Sister 2 Sister not to long ago, I believe.

Quote:

Originally posted by lil_sunshine As far as the Lizard Man with his dreadrow cornlocks, YES he's getting the ax. It has been said that he's gonna be replaced by Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie aka "The Mad Rapper," who is half White. I hear that he's replacing AJ b/c AJ's too dark for BET (or is it WET; WACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION!!!!!!). Also, if you notice, Free isn't always wearing her afro as often as she used to. That's b/c WET thinks that her look is "too nappy" and needs to be straightened. Well, that's what happens when the owner of a Black company decides to sell to a racist White company (and yes, Viacom is blatantly RACIST!!!!!!) :mad: .

I'm glad that the Predator is gone. I never liked him in the first place. Where D-dot comes in as a host is beyond me. :confused: I hope he's not in Madd Rapper mode all the time.

Alternatives are in the making
 

This link will take you to a comprehensive article about BET and about three other starter stations that are suppose to be on the air as soon as March 3rd or are in the making. There is one section titled, "BET NOT THE VOICE OF BLACK AMERICA," check it out.


http://www.msnbc.com/news/860538.asp?0ql=c7p


There is also a poll in the middle of the page.

Re: Re: Hits from the Street
 

That would have been nothing new for BET even before Bob Johnson sold to Viacom. BET has historically been criticized for being color struck. Shoot, as an undergrad in 92 (OHMYGOD I am old!) a BET rep came to talk on campus and got taken to task over the complete absence of dark skinned or even brown skinned people on the BET on air staff.

They were questionable then and they really suck now.

Re: Re: Hits from the Street
 

Naw, he's not dead. I caught the final episode of Hits. He just killed his character "Hits" off ("Hits" was spectating or refereeing a drag race and got hit by one of the cars). But the real person (I forgot his real name - I apologize) is alive and well.

As for 106 and Park - Don't care too much for AJ and does Free have other foot wear besides boots??? :rolleyes:

I thought BET News still came on.:confused: BET. BET. BET. What are we going to do with you? :( I need to get my digital cable back so I can have TV One.


Commentary: Absent from BET's Most 'Messed Up Moments?' The End of its Own News Shows
Date: Thursday, February 23, 2006
By: Gregory Kane, BlackAmericaWeb.com

You have to hand it to the folks at Black Entertainment Television: they never shift out of "Funny Negro" gear. They don't even do it during Black History Month.

So how did the folks at BET celebrate Black History Month? Why, by coming up with a show called "The 25 Most Bleep-Bleeped Moments in Black History," of course.

I guess those bleeps are substitutes for the words "messed up." Except that the word "messed" should really be replaced by the dreaded F-word that never has and never will appear on BlackAmericaWeb.com. So we'll have to settle for "messed up."

Comedian Paul Mooney hosted the show, and on it's scale, "messed up" was defined as black folks who went above and beyond the call of duty in bringing shame on the race.

"If they acted the fool," Mooney said, "they made this list."

That sounds more like "The 25 Most Embarrassing Moments in Black History" to me. When I think of "The 25 Most Messed Up Moments," I think of moments that were really messed up.

How about the "Mississippi Plan" of the 1870s, when white vigilantes, terrorists and Ku Kluxers shot their way into power in several Southern states, overturning Reconstruction governments in the process?

How about the terrorist uprising in Wilmington, N.C. in 1898, when white supremacists took over a city where black folks had achieved significant economic and political power? How about the race riots that destroyed Black Wall Street in Tulsa in 1921? What about the one that destroyed Rosewood, Fla., in 1923?

Hey, stop me anytime here. This list could go on a piece.

What about the one that didn't even happen in the United States -- the 1912 massacre in Cuba of 6,000 Afro-Cubans who were trying to form an independent black political party?

"This was a significant bloodletting," said USA Today columnist DeWayne Wickham on the "American Legacy" show on TV One. "It is probably the largest massacre of people of color, of people of African descent, in the American hemisphere throughout the history of our time here."

Those, dear readers, are truly "messed up" moments in black history. But when it comes to the embarrassing ones, the folks at BET still didn't get it right.

Mooney's choice for number one was Halle Berry's "make me feel good" scene from the movie "Monster's Ball." Mine would have been our invention and perpetuation of the Willie Lynch fiction.

The one those masterminds at BET chose was former District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry getting busted for smoking crack cocaine. But since BET was so determined to highlight embarrassing moments in black history, how did the network's canceling all its news and public affairs shows not make the list?

Talk about embarrassing. And downright insulting. "Lead Story" was a BET news talk show that regularly featured Wickham, columnist Clarence Page and George E. Curry, the former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine. It was an excellent show, but honchos at BET canceled it anyway.

Then BET bigwigs did the unforgivable: they deep-sixed "BET Nightly News," which aired at 11 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Now, I'd like to tell you the main reason I watched the show wasn't to ogle pulchritudinous anchor Jacque Reed, but you all know I'd be lying. I WAS watching mainly to ogle Jacque. But, as fine as she is, there was a lot more to the show.

This show gave actual news. There were times when I got good column material from watching "BET Nightly News." And where else could black folks see Congress of Racial Equality spokesman Niger Innis, a supporter of the Bush administration, debating black liberal Democrats?

When Hurricane Katrina hit and we needed a black television network to give us news about what was REALLY going on inside the SuperDome, there was no "BET Nightly News" to tell us. Cameras from a "BET Nightly News" crew might have caught police from suburban New Orleans forcing blacks and a smattering of whites back into the flooded city at gunpoint.

We need a black television network news crew to give us the skinny on the race war Latinos are waging on black inmates in the Los Angeles County jail system. White networks are either ignoring or underplaying the story.

When it comes to "embarrassing" or "messed up" moments in black history, folks at BET need look no further than their front offices for those who should be at the top of the list.

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site....itloud/kane223

Amen to the brother that wrote that! This is the same network that shows porn at 2:00 in the morning, then shows a religous show at 3. WTH?? BET has completely fell off. It perpetuates every single stereotype about black people, and on top of that it axed the shows that were constantly fighting and BEATING those labels about us. I don't watch the channel unless I can catch some soul food reruns and that's about it. They need to start over...we went back into time, def not forward.

Now I admit my memory isn't the best, but I seem to recall BET commercials featuring Jacque Reid and the idea of BET going to the "next level." The commercial had flashes of a remodeled news set and I thought it mentioned BET news programming along with other shows that would debut during the fall season.

Instead of full-fledge news, we get little vignetted versions. Pitiful.

Ah, but this is by design...this is what happens when 1) (white)Corporate media takes over, and 2) there is no "Fairness Doctrine." It's like what happened in ancient Rome: "Give us bread and circuses." In other words, don't give people anything of substance where they can make informed decisions and judgments about the world. Just keep them entertained. And ignorant.

I mean, all of cable TV "news" is like this. The corporations behind the media ownership daily tell Americans what should be important to them, instead of letting people figure it out for themselves. Which is why it's all Natalee Holloway, all the time. It's also why during Katrina, white people were "finding" food, while black people were "looting." They get to frame everything.

That's why I watch the BBC for news. I learned more about Darfur watching BBC than watching anything else.

Please note that BBC is the tool of the former British Empire and is presenting international news in that context. While it does give viewers a different view than the network news stations in the US, it is still not free from bias and propoganda.

Every news outlet is subject to bias and propaganda of its parent company. The well-informed person is one who takes his/her information from a variety of news outlets, analyzes it, and makes their own conclusions.

...either that or just hangs out at the barbershop on Saturday morning and let the ole heads run it down for you. :)

That may be, but IMHO it is the BEST medium for news in the world. Between the BBC and NPR, all my news needs are fully met. I don't care for news presented by Bugs Bunny (CBS), Woody Woodpecker (NBC), or Mickey Mouse (ABC), and definately not from Rupert Murdoch (FOX) or CNN. I want real news from real news sources. Most American news is IMHO at least 50% bulljive with a biased slant I can do without.

Besides, with BET news being canceled, I can't get my daily eye candy fix on with Jacque Reid (man, she could rock a denim jacket and still be professional) *wipes sweat off brow* :p :D

First time in a long time I thought about a pretty woman.

Anyhow, carry on...

Sho' nuff got THAT right....
 

So right. There may be some bias at BBC from a few 'propagandists' (Katty Kay, anyone?) but that's the exception and usually not the rule. ITN may be less biased (Independent Television News) and they're quite competent, too. Even The National on CBC (Canada) has news that's more reliable (though also not totally bias-free).

They've cancelled the news in this country. IMHO your only American sources for reliable news MIGHT be the News Hour with Jim Lehrer on PBS (except on Fridays when I'm throwing stuff at the TV when David Brooks is on) or C-SPAN. My concerns about the News Hour are relegated to who some of their "sponsors" may be (oil companies, big pharma, etc.).

I don't have cable so I can't watch C-SPAN NEARLY as often as I would like. I heard the Black State of the Union was on this past week on C-SPAN and it was on point.

^^^ C-SPAN is the reason I pay my cable bill every month! I absolutely love that channel!