BET Wraps Up Black History Month With Debut of New Documentary Series THE COUSIN JEFF CHRONICLES Premiering February 28 at 7:30 P.M. ET/PT

BET Wraps Up Black History Month With Debut of New Documentary Series THE COUSIN JEFF CHRONICLES Premiering February 28 at 7:30 P.M. ET/PT

New Voice of Urban Consciousness Jeff Johnson Hosts First of Four Hard-Hitting Topics

NEW YORK, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its intensified commitment to original programming, BET will conclude Black History Month with the premiere of THE COUSIN JEFF CHRONICLES on Monday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. Hosted by acclaimed political expert and hot new voice of urban consciousness Jeff Johnson, this new quarterly forum challenges all concepts of reality by exposing social problems and volatile issues plaguing urban America. In its debut episode, Jeff tackles the disconnection between the leaders of the past and present with "The Bridge is Over," a two-part exploration into the divide between the Hip-Hop and Civil Rights generations. By speaking with experts, specialists and -- most importantly -- real people, Jeff gets to the heart of serious matters with a dialogue designed to enlighten us all.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/DCW044 )

In the first installment of THE COUSIN JEFF CHRONICLES, Jeff investigates the featured topic by posing a probing question: Have we gone from "let freedom ring" to "bling bling"? By speaking with the likes of Dr. Cornel West; Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia), hip-hop artist COMMON and candid interviews from the streets, barbershops and churches, Jeff defines the areas of concern and sheds light on how knowledge and communication can iron out most differences. Upcoming topics for dissection on THE COUSIN JEFF CHRONICLES include "It's a BIG Deal -- Black Youth and Obesity"; "Locked Out -- I'm Out of Jail, But Still Behind Bars"; and "Silent Millionaires -- The Story of Self-Made Millionaires Under Age 30."

Dubbed as the voice for a new generation, Jeff raises social and political awareness in young people by touching on subjects relevant to their culture and environment. Whether sharing his political expertise on BET or elsewhere, Jeff captivates audiences with his distinctive ability to fuel dialogue and examine various points of view. Jeff or "Cousin Jeff" was first introduced to BET viewers as a guest on the popular program RAP CITY. But Jeff is no stranger to political forums. He is the Vice President of Russell Simmons' Hip Hop Summit Action Network and the former National Director of the NAACP Youth and College Division. Jeff has been seen on BET TONIGHT, MTV and C- SPAN; and been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today and New York Times. He has lectured at colleges and universities around the country and continues to conduct leadership training sessions for young people and adults.

ABOUT BET

BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 79 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks -- BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services, including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production; and BET Books, the nation's leading publisher of African-American themed romance novels under the Arabesque imprint which also publishes compelling fiction under the Sepia imprint and inspirational fiction and nonfiction under the New Spirit imprint.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/DCW044
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: BET (Black Entertainment Television)

CONTACT: Marcy Polanco, +1-212-975-3327, marcy.polanco@bet.net, or
Tricia Newell, +1-212-975-8230, tricia.newell@bet.net, both of BET (Black
Entertainment Television)

Web site: http://www.bet.com/


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