BET facts for kids
Logo since June 27, 2021
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United States |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Paramount Skydance Corporation |
| Parent | BET Media Group (CBS Entertainment Group) |
| Sister channels |
List
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| History | |
| Launched | January 25, 1980 (as a show on USA Network) July 1, 1983 (as its own channel) |
| Founder | Robert L. Johnson Sheila Johnson |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Affiliated Streaming Service(s) | BET+ |
| Service(s) | Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, Philo, Sling TV, YouTube TV |
Black Entertainment Television, better known as BET, is an American cable TV channel made for Black American viewers. It was the first television network in the United States to be aimed at this audience.
The channel is owned by a company called Paramount Skydance Corporation. BET shows a mix of original shows, movies, and music videos. As of November 2023, about 67 million homes in the United States could watch BET.
Contents
The Story of BET
How It All Started
A man named Robert L. Johnson had the idea to create a TV channel for Black Americans. At the time, he was working as a lobbyist, which is a person who tries to persuade politicians. He decided to leave his job to start his own network.
To get started, Johnson got a loan for $15,000 and an investment of $500,000 from another media expert, John Malone. With this money, he launched Black Entertainment Television, or BET, on January 25, 1980. The first logo for the channel was designed by Cheryl D. Miller and had a star in it to represent "Black Star Power."
When BET first started, it wasn't on 24 hours a day. It was a two-hour show that aired once a week on another channel called the Madison Square Garden Sports Network (which later became the USA Network). The show played music videos and reruns of popular sitcoms with Black actors.
Becoming a 24-Hour Channel
On July 1, 1983, BET became its own full-time channel. This meant it could broadcast 24 hours a day. However, in some places, it had to share a channel with other networks because there wasn't enough space on the cable systems.
In 1986, BET started its own news program called BET News. Paul Berry was the first news anchor. Later, in 1988, Ed Gordon took over as the anchor. He also hosted special shows, like one about the 1992 Los Angeles riots and an interview show called Conversations with Ed Gordon.
In 1991, BET became the first TV company owned by a Black person to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This was a huge achievement.
New Channels and New Owners
In the late 1990s, BET started to grow. It launched new channels, like "BET on Jazz," which focused on jazz music. This channel later became BET Her.
In 2000, a large media company called Viacom (which is now part of Paramount) bought BET for $2.3 billion. In 2005, the founder, Robert L. Johnson, retired. Debra L. Lee, who had been a vice president at BET, took over as the new leader.
Under the new ownership, BET continued to create its own original shows. These included reality shows and competition shows like Sunday Best.
In 2017, the famous writer and director Tyler Perry signed a deal with BET. As part of the deal, he began producing new shows for the channel, such as The Oval and Sistas. He also became a part-owner of BET's streaming service, BET+.
What's on BET?
BET is known for a wide variety of shows. This includes original movies, reality TV series, and award shows that celebrate Black artists and entertainers. It also continues to play music videos and classic sitcoms.
Other BET Channels
BET has created several other channels, often called "spin-off" channels. Each one focuses on a specific type of entertainment.
BET Gospel
Launched on July 1, 2002, BET Gospel is a channel that shows gospel music and programs related to religion. It features music video shows like Lifted and classic shows like Bobby Jones Gospel. Many religious groups also pay to have their services and shows aired on this channel.
BET Jams
BET Jams is a channel that plays non-stop hip-hop and urban music videos. It was originally launched on May 1, 2002, as MTV Jams. In 2015, it was renamed BET Jams and became part of the BET family of channels.
BET Around the World
BET has also launched versions of its channel in other countries.
- United Kingdom: A channel called BET International was available in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. It showed a mix of American BET shows and local programs. The channel stopped broadcasting on TV in 2021, but its shows can still be watched on streaming services.
- Canada: BET became available in Canada in 1997. For many years, Canadian viewers could watch the channel, but some shows were not available due to rights issues. The channel was phased out in Canada and was discontinued on January 1, 2025.
- France: A French version of BET was launched on November 17, 2015. It is available on TV and through different streaming services in France.
See also
In Spanish: Black Entertainment Television para niños
- Scott Mills
- BET Hip Hop Awards
- List of programs broadcast by BET
- New Urban Entertainment
- Rip the Runway
