BET facts for kids
Logo since 2021
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United States Canada |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | CBS Entertainment Group (Paramount Global) |
| Parent | BET Networks |
| Sister channels |
List
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| History | |
| Launched | January 25, 1980 (USA Network timeshare) July 1, 1983 (all-time channel) |
| Founder | Robert L. Johnson Sheila Johnson |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Service(s) | Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV, Philo, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Vidgo |
Black Entertainment Television, known as BET, is an American TV channel. It was the first TV network created especially for Black American viewers. It is owned by a company called Paramount Global, through its CBS Entertainment Group.
As of February 2015, about 88 million American homes could watch BET. This means about 75% of all homes with a TV could get the channel.
Contents
History of BET
How BET Started
After working as a lobbyist for the cable TV industry, Robert L. Johnson decided to start his own TV network. He got a loan of $15,000 and an investment of $500,000 from media executive John Malone.
The network was named Black Entertainment Television, or BET. It officially launched on January 25, 1980. A designer named Cheryl D. Miller created the first logo. It had a star to show "Black Star Power."
At first, BET only broadcast for two hours a week. It was a block of shows on another channel called Madison Square Garden Sports Network. This network later changed its name to USA Network. BET's early shows included music videos and reruns of popular TV shows with Black actors.
In 1983, BET became its own full-time channel. For many years, it still shared channel space with other networks. This was because there wasn't enough room on local cable systems. This changed when digital cable allowed for more channels.
BET News and Growth
BET launched a news program called BET News in 1986. Paul Berry was the first anchor. Later, Ed Gordon became an anchor in 1988. He also hosted other shows and specials on BET. These included Conversations with Ed Gordon.
In 1991, BET became the first TV company controlled by Black owners to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This was a big step for the network.
In the late 1990s, BET started to grow. It launched new digital cable channels. One was called "BET on Jazz," which later became BET Her. This channel showed jazz music programs, especially by Black American jazz musicians.
BET Joins Viacom
In 2001, a large media company called Viacom bought BET for $3 billion. Viacom is now part of Paramount Global.
In 2005, Robert Johnson, the founder, retired from BET. Debra L. Lee, who was a vice president at BET, took over as president and CEO.
After 2001, BET launched more music channels. These included BET Hip-Hop and BET Gospel in 2002. BET also started making its own original shows. These included reality shows and competition shows like Sunday Best.
In 2017, Viacom made new deals with filmmaker Tyler Perry. As part of these deals, Perry would create shows like The Oval and Sistas for BET. He also helped launch BET's new streaming service, BET+.
BET Channels and Programs
Spin-off Channels
BET has launched several other channels over the years. These include BET Her, BET Jams, and BET Soul.
In May 2019, a BET channel was launched on Pluto TV. Pluto TV is a free streaming service owned by ViacomCBS. In June 2019, ViacomCBS also launched BET+. This is a special streaming service for Black American viewers. It started in the United States in Fall 2019.
BET Gospel
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| Ownership | |
|---|---|
| Owner | CBS Entertainment Group (Paramount Global) |
| Parent | BET Networks |
| Sister channels | BET BET Her BET Hip-Hop BET Jams BET Soul |
| History | |
| Launched | July 1, 2002 |
BET Gospel is a TV channel in the United States. It started on July 1, 2002. This channel shows gospel and religious programs. It is a spin-off of BET. It plays new and old shows, plus original gospel programs. Since 2016, it has shown recent uplifting music videos and gospel-themed series.
Current BET Gospel Shows
- Lifted (music videos)
- Being
- Bobby Jones Gospel
- Lift Every Voice
- Celebration of Gospel
- It's a Mann's World
- Let the Church Say Amen
- The Sheards
- T.D. Jakes Presents: Mind, Body, & Soul
- Sunday Best
BET Jams
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| Broadcast area | United States and Latin America |
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| Programming | |
| Picture format | 480i SDTV |
| History | |
| Launched | May 1, 2002 |
| Former names | MTV Jams (2002–2015) |
BET Jams is an American TV channel that plays hip-hop and urban contemporary music videos. It launched on May 1, 2002, as MTV Jams. It changed its name to BET Jams on October 5, 2015. This happened as MTV started to show less music programming.
BET Hip-Hop
| Ownership | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Paramount Media Networks (Paramount Global) |
| History | |
| Launched | July 1, 2002 |
BET Hip-Hop is a music video channel owned by BET Networks. It is available only on digital cable systems. It mostly plays older hip-hop music videos from BET's library.
International Networks
BET Around the World
BET has also launched channels in other countries.
- United Kingdom: BET UK first broadcast in 1993. It launched again in 2008 and was available in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It showed a mix of content from the main BET channel and local shows. The channel closed in the UK on April 8, 2021. Its content moved to other streaming services.
- Canada: BET became available in Canada on October 17, 1997. Some shows are not available due to other companies owning the rights.
- France: BET France launched on November 17, 2015. It is available through various TV providers there.
- Asia: BET and BET Her also started airing in Singapore, Johor Bahru, and Batam in September 2022. They also began airing in Indonesia in April 2024.
See also
- Scott Mills
- BET Hip Hop Awards
- List of programs broadcast by BET
- New Urban Entertainment
- Rip the Runway
