Friday, June 15, 2012
Old-Skool BET vs Viacom version of BET: Which version is your favorite?
Current BET logo
I remember being a little kid growing
up in a small city that the only two TV channels that you could watch
to see the latest music videos were VH1 and BET ( our cable provider
at the time didn't have MTV on the channel line-up). In the early
90's, I remember VH1 would rarely show any black music videos unless
the artists were mainly pop mainstream like Michael Jackson, Janet
Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, etc. I
remember switching the channels between VH1 and BET back and forward
being that the only time that I will watch VH1 would be if they were
airing black music videos (at which were very rare).
During that time, my oldest brother
would have his TV on BET all day, everyday and his love for the
network did rub off on me as I suddenly start watching BET more often
than VH1 ( the only time that I did watch VH1 would be if they were
airing a Michael Jackson weekend marathon. I am a big Michael Jackson
fan). I love watching shows like Video Soul, Rap City, Comic View,
BET News, Teen Summit, Caribbean Rhythm on a Saturday afternoon, and
Black College Football during the fall seasons. BET have played a
major role of me learning about urban culture as well as building the
foundation of my love for music.
In 2003, BET founder Robert L. Johnson
sold BET to Viacom Inc. and I (as well were others) were starting
seeing changes concerning the network's shows lineup. After Viacom
purchase of BET, BET shows were getting cancel and were either being
replace by reruns or a movie spot for BET Star Cinema. Shows like
BET College Hill, Rap City, Comic View, Cita's World, BET Uncut,
Midnight Love, and specials like BET Spring Bling and the network's
airing of Black College Football games were being canceled from left
to right being the only two TV shows that has lasted since Viacom
arrival are 106 & Park, Bobby Jones' Gospel and the annual BET
Awards.
Although BET is still the most popular
network for black entertainment, I (as well as others) am not feeling
the watered-down version of BET. I don't think that Viacom has any
REAL knowledge of what is really BLACK ENTERTAINMENT. Viacom is
going by their perceptions in their mind of what they would
considered being BLACK ENTERTAINMENT by airing old TV reruns and
movies on a daily basis. While there are others that likes the new
version of Black Entertainment Television, there are many who are
wishing that BET would change their current model of airing old TV
shows and movies and starting putting more focus on creating more
music video shows, sitcoms, and specials.
The question is do you like where BET
Networks is going in the future or would you like to see BET Networks
going back to the roots of what had made the network a success
throughout the years of BET existences?
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