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The response to BET’s lack of coverage was to ignore their airing of the always highly popular BET Awards.
My boycott started with BET years ago. The network, founded by Robert L. Johnson in 1979, and first hit the airways for two hours a night on Friday’s in 1980. Many thought that when BET became a regular staple on cable systems across the country, that African-Americans would finally have a place that would aptly describe the issues, activities, news and concerns of their community.
Instead, BET choose to give us rap videos, and more rap videos, and self-centered, materialistic programming about bling and bootys. In many ways, they have perpetuated stereotypes that African-Americans have fought to rid themselves of. And, their efforts to do serious news and events programs were half-hearted.
BET took the easy way out. They went for the easy dollar, focusing in on a generation of young African-Americans who were captivated by rap music and bling. They missed on a chance to do so much more serious work, where they would still have room for lucrative entertainment programming.
The African-American community desperately needed a venue to address the issues of the day. BET had a perfect opportunity to do it, but Johnson simply wasn’t willing to work that hard. Couple that with the African-American community not demanding more, or supporting the little issue oriented programing that they were doing.
Give Johnson credit as a businessman. He turned his garbage programming into an incredible profit, selling his company to Viacom for a reported $3 billion.
However, if Johnson would have chosen to work harder, and do more substantive work, BET would have a much more prominent role in network television, and been even more valuable network in the long run.
