Chief of BET Plans to Broaden Programming Appeal

[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Lynette Clemetson]
Debra L. Lee is the new chief of Black Entertainment Television and one of the most powerful women in media. At the annual winter gathering of the Television Critics Association, she will introduce a beefed-up creative team and original programming that, she said, signals "a new day" for BET. The shifts at BET coincide with an even larger transition at its parent company, Viacom, which bought the cable enterprise from founder Robert Johnson for $3 billion in 2000. Last week the entertainment conglomerate completed its split into two companies, the CBS Corporation and Viacom Inc. BET now accounts for a larger part of the slimmed-down Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, Famous Music and the stable of channels under MTV Networks including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. Viacom executives are hoping for even greater success from BET, which has maintained revenue growth of 20 percent a year over the last five years and had a 17 percent increase in viewers last year. Ms. Lee and her new team may have a limited grace period with their critics. The cable channel has canceled nearly all of its news and public affairs programs in recent years. In July, it cut its nightly newscast in favor of news briefs throughout the day. The moves have left many black public figures increasingly frustrated, even as they continue to work with the company from time to time. "There has been such a pandering to younger people," said the activist and writer Kevin Powell, 38, who covered the 2004 political conventions for the channel and appeared on many of its news programs. "I'm on the college circuit a hundred times a year, and people always ask me what is wrong with BET. We have to stop participating in the one-dimensional portrayals of ourselves. And BET as the premier television network for black people has to take the lead on that."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/10/arts/television/10bet.html
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* To Reach the Heights, First Be Male
[SOURCE: New York Times 1/9, AUTHOR: David Carr]
[Commentary] As some women in the media business found out last week, once you get through the ceiling, you find a secret glass treehouse suspended far above your head. That's where the men sit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/09/business/09carr.html
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