Cable network has always focused on profits, not progress.
Should BET Be in the Business of Racial Uplift?
by Mark Anthony Neal | TheLoop21
For the record, I have been an observer and critic of Black Entertainment Television for nearly 25 years. Despite all the nostalgia for the days when Ed Gordon hosted a nightly news show, Melvin Lindsey (who co-created the Quiet Storm radio format at WHUR) served as a vee-jay and many felt blessed to see Madelyne Woods (see Phife’s recollection on Tribe’s “Electric Relaxation”) on the daily, the basic structure of BET’s programming remains the same—a steady stream of music videos, re-runs, and until fairly recently, late night infomercials.
Much has been made about the network’s new foray into original scripted programming, with the record setting re-launch of The Game and the debut of the romantic comedy Let’s Stay Together, with many, including network CEO Debra Lee, heralding a new direction for the network. But a new direction for you? The criticism of BET in that past, had little to do with its ability to capture its target audience and generate profits, but rather, has everything to do with the belief that BET should, instead, be in the business of racial uplift.
Read the Full Essay @ theLoop21
Should BET Be in the Business of Racial Uplift?
by Mark Anthony Neal | TheLoop21
For the record, I have been an observer and critic of Black Entertainment Television for nearly 25 years. Despite all the nostalgia for the days when Ed Gordon hosted a nightly news show, Melvin Lindsey (who co-created the Quiet Storm radio format at WHUR) served as a vee-jay and many felt blessed to see Madelyne Woods (see Phife’s recollection on Tribe’s “Electric Relaxation”) on the daily, the basic structure of BET’s programming remains the same—a steady stream of music videos, re-runs, and until fairly recently, late night infomercials.
Much has been made about the network’s new foray into original scripted programming, with the record setting re-launch of The Game and the debut of the romantic comedy Let’s Stay Together, with many, including network CEO Debra Lee, heralding a new direction for the network. But a new direction for you? The criticism of BET in that past, had little to do with its ability to capture its target audience and generate profits, but rather, has everything to do with the belief that BET should, instead, be in the business of racial uplift.
Read the Full Essay @ theLoop21
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