Black Entertainment Television (BET) has struggled ever since its inception to be seen as a
legitimate, and reputable, source of entertainment and information for the black community. It's most fatal flaw, in my
non-expert opinion, was that rather than filling timeslots with quality black programming, it filled its schedule with
ANY black programming. The network has been panned by critics for perpetuating stereotypes and putting way too much
focus on music videos and other shows that glamorize materialism and exploit women. Hiring Reginald Hudlin as president
of entertainment and chief programmerseems tohave been a step in the right direction. Hudlin helmed such movies as
House Party and Boomerang, helped bring The Boondocks to television, and directed episodes
of The Bernie Mac Show and Everybody Hates Chris. More recently, according to Aaron Barnhart, BET insiders
planted questions in the audience at an event in Pasadena. Barnhart, rightfully so, felt that was more than a
little tacky. That's true, but at the same time it shows that BET knows how to play the game. Perhaps it will finally
become the channel it should have been all along, and if it has to play by the dubious rules of the television industry
to do so, I say right on.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-11-2006 @ 6:38PM
Dennis Moore said...
BET Is Truly A Bad Investment
After 25 Years A $3 Billion Black Media Enterprise
Still Makes Profits From Stereotyping Black Culture
By Dennis Moore - Publisher - BOOKSandWORDS.com
Some readers have wondered whether my criticism of certain elements in Black media was too harsh. In particular there was concern about my past references to BET (Black Entertainment Television) as the "Brain Empty Television" network. I respect and accept those concerns, especially if it means that more of us are taking the quality and substance of our Black media seriously.
But, there is the added details, and confirmation, to what was always a clear and present truth. BET President and Chief Executive Officer Debra L. Lee announced in spring 2005 the coming end of the BET Nightly News program. Not to mention that there was declining substance to their evening news show to begin with -- but now BET executives and Viacom (BET's media master and owner of CBS) decided that Black viewers are too stupid, incapable or inattentive to sit still and watch even 15-plus minutes of news and information -- clearly, as I remember it,
a return to the 70s mainstream philosophy of “niggaz don’t want or need news.”
As an unforeseen insult to Black media and journalism professionals, Ms. Lee attended a February 2005 gathering of the Washington Association of Black Journalists. Though she lightly and briefly affirmed BET's long-term commitment to Black news and public affairs programming, her brief and dubious facilitation and attendance (at BET headquarters) underscores the lie of that moment and the deceptions to follow -- the lie of Blacks being truly informed with just sporadic sound-bite news briefs.
Most production professionals know that news and public affairs programming are the least expensive and complicated of programs to produce. Hit or miss news briefs are no substitute for substance and context. Imagine what could be reported, with analysis, by a dedicated daily one-hour Black TV news program during and since the Katrina hurricane disaster, the ongoing Sudan genocide, the expanding Chinese political-economic influence in Africa, the rapidly changing dynamics of African American socioeconomic survival, or the emerging global renaissance of neo-Black arts and entertainment.
Nevertheless, the BET Nightly News' on and off-camera staff were provided a short journalistic leash for news coverage and analysis, and a low supply of financial oxygen for news production. BET's high-tech set design and video screens were no disguise for poor news quality. Even low-budget local public television stations are able to produce high quality daily news shows. Therefore, it's really a question of the will and commitment from BET's White owner and Black executives rather than financial resources or viewer demographics. Remember, BET was sold to Viacom for $3 billion dollars and has millions of Black and non-Black viewers.
Through all the self-serving happy talk and public relations rhetoric, the Black and White powers at BET have committed themselves to dumbing-down and deprogramming news and knowledge for Black viewers. When you have the so-called professional media people and millions of dollars that BET has in play, this dumbing-down and deterioration is no mistake. Moreover, due to the increasingly complex events and issues of local, national and global Black news, these actions are simply dangerous. The proof is in the programming, and the facts show that BET’s decisions are nothing more than calculated efforts to diminish Black intellectual growth while making more money.
Clearly, television is about show business, and the business of the show is mostly also making money from and for advertisers. But, as in many aspects of business, there has to be genuine accountability for decisions that don’t benefit the consumer of a business’s product. The bottom line for those of us that know we deserve better and more from Black-oriented media, is to actively seek and support other sources of quality Black news and entertainment (TV One, Black Family Channel, the Internet, etc.).
Surely, after 25 years, BET had numerous opportunities to get its news and entertainment act together. Now, more than ever, it's a sure bet that BET is truly a bad investment for our time, mind and money.
In Other Words . . .
Black media in America should be an accurate reflection of the best of Black culture and its diverse realities, as well as our hopes for a better future -- at least that was the dream of many back in the ‘70s. Unfortunately, in this new millennium, we have too few real examples of the Black media intended to enlighten and empower us. Truly "back-in-the-day" of thick Afros and deep thoughts, as a young local Black radio news reporter who was able to advance to radio news director, I believed a Black media renaissance was occurring to uplift the "Black community." In addition to Ebony, Jet and Sepia magazines, there was Black World, Encore and Emerge magazines, the national radio news networks of National Black Network, Mutual Black Network and Black Audio Network, public TV’s Black Journal news, Black Enterprise business news, and the many local versions of Black empowerment media.
But then came BET, and our hopes were lifted for a Black owned and programmed national television network that presented the best and most of what we would not see in mainstream US media -- taking us to the next level of enlightenment and empowerment. We had a dream. A dream that soon became a slickly produced nightmare when it was clear over time that BET really stood for Brain Empty Television. In an attempt to only make mo' money, the network deprogrammed quality along with its best news, information and entertainment assets. From Bev Smith to Tavis Smiley to Ed Gordon -- all became victims of booty-shaker bling-bling broadcasting. With the dubious exception of the now defunct BET Nightly News, what remains is disposable programming geared to the lowest common denominator of young and trendy Black pop-culture, and filled-out with other retread, rerun and throw-away content.
Robert Johnson, BET's founder and ex-owner, literally sold out to "The Man" (Viacom) for the money -- to pursue and buy his hoop team dreams. For BET's billions of dollars in worth -- over $3 billion to be exact -- this cable network had the ability to move to the next level of superior Black news, information and entertainment programming. If Johnson only had the will, BET easily had the financial power and collective talent to become a uniquely mo’ better and Blacker version of CNN, CBS, PBS and MTV combined. But, who ever said money and power makes you wiser? Nevertheless, there is some cause for optimism and hope to be found in the recently created TV One cable television network.
TV One's founder and owner, Cathy Hughes, seems to have built a quality broadcasting network from her tough days of sleeping and working on the floors of a small low-watt WOL-AM radio station in Washington, DC. Since the 1980s, Hughes acted on a pronounced awareness and will to emphasize substantive news and information, mixed with the best in Black music radio. Her mantra, “Information Is Power,” makes her one of the few among us who actually keeps their eyes on the real prize. WOL-AM soon grew into the 69 stations of the Radio One network, as well as the XM 169 satellite radio station.
Oh yes, no doubt, Ms. Hughes and her CEO-President son Alfred Liggins want to make money too -- and that's all good. We must never forget that media and show business is definitely about making money in order to support and grow the business. But, we can feel better knowing that some among us can successfully handle the challenge of providing enlightenment and empowerment while making a profit. The selling-out of BET, and the recent selling of Essence magazine to Time Incorporated, should not be mistaken as an ominous sign of the failing state of Black owned and operated mass media.
The dream still survives. From the airwaves to the Internet, there is a quiet revolution and new Black media paradigm quietly growing. A global evolution of information and entertainment dissemination that will once again redefine diverse aspects of Black culture -- expanding into mainstream global culture.
No doubt, there will be the usual efforts to imitate, co-op and control the real thing. As I have written in previous commentaries, Black culture and people have historically been catalysts for constructive change and innovation in global culture. Raising the bar across diverse venues of arts, entertainment, technology, sports, ideas, government, social movements, mass media, fashion, and world culture has been our instinct. We have a genuine gift for creating and developing the best of anything out of little or nothing. By recognizing, developing, owning and controlling the intellectual, cultural and financial assets of Black culture, this gift and asset -- this power -- can be a strategic tool for our enlightenment and empowerment. This is how our media can be a proud and realistic record of our cultural legacy.
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1-12-2006 @ 1:09PM
Duane said...
I think that the one thing most black folks tend to forget is what the "E" in BET stands for...
...it stands for Entertainment.
I will be the first to tell you that I do not like this stlye of entertainment for many of the reasons expressed by both you and the last commentor. But in the end, it is entertainment.
And guess what???
Many of our own children watch this stuff.
And guess what again???
It is our own producing this "entertainment".
Although BET is guilty of producing this minstrel-type of entertainment for the world to see, I also feel that we in the black community are just as guilty of expecting every black person that "makes it" to be a messiah-type figure. If we feel that they are not giving enough back to the community, we demonize them as sell-outs (I look to people like Oprah and Robert Johnson as examples). Too bad we do not have the same expectancy for many of our hip-hop artists who in many cases (not all) make their money off of black exploitation under the guise of "art" and "free expression".
BET, like any other channel (or business for that matter) is about one thing--making money. If there is a market for it, sell it and make a profit. This is what we call capitalism--and they deserve to partake in that system just like any other American. If we don't like it, we should come up with better alternatives--and we are (as you have mentioned TVOne--and I would also add The Black Family Channel)!
In the end, it is viewership that will drive the success or failure of any channel. TVOne and The Black Family Channel are no exceptions to that fact.
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