BET Continues Ratings Success With Second Episode of 'AMERICAN GANGSTER' Again Achieving Record Numbers

BET Continues Ratings Success With Second Episode of 'AMERICAN GANGSTER' Again Achieving Record Numbers

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second straight week, BET's new biography series AMERICAN GANGSTER, delivered record-setting ratings as the highest-rated second episode of a series in BET history with a 1.52 rating (1.3 million households and 1.7 million total viewers), making AMERICAN GANGSTER the top two original series telecasts of the 2006-2007 season. Narrated by award winning actor Ving Rhames and profiling "Freeway" Ricky Ross, last night's episode of AMERICAN GANGSTER is now BET's number three original episode telecast of all time behind the series debut of LIL' KIM: COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN which garnered a 1.7 rating (1.4 million households, 2.0 million viewers) and the series debut of AMERICAN GANGSTER, with a 1.6 rating (1.3 million households, 1.6 million viewers).

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061204/NYM072 )

In addition to its ratings success, the episode garnered tremendous critical praise. "I just want to tell you how proud I am of the work that you've done," stated Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D - California). "I did not know what to expect. But you captured the essence of what took place and all of the individuals who played roles in it. I want to thank you for telling the story. Because the LA Times, the New York Times and the Washington Post -- they got it wrong. BET got it right."

"AMERICAN GANGSTER is both a critical and commercial hit that has the support of political leaders, youth counselors and regular viewers who appreciate an honest portrayal of debilitating effects of crime on our community," said Reginald Hudlin, BET President of Entertainment. "I'm grateful to Nelson George and Frank Sinton for producing such a well researched, engrossing show."

Executive produced by Nelson George and Frank Sinton (Asylum Entertainment), along with Mark Rowland and BET, the series will profile an infamous crime figure each week through the use of archival footage, photographs and interviews with people familiar with the various cases. Featured experts include ex-members of these polarizing criminals' organizations, police officials from the time period, attorneys that represented the criminals and crime historians.

AMERICAN GANGSTER airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT. BET will air encore episodes of AMERICAN GANGSTER on Wednesdays and Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The third episode, which premieres on Tuesday, December 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT will profile Lorenzo "Fat Cat" Nichols (premieres Dec. 12, 2006)

It's one thing to sell drugs and get caught up in all of the violence surrounding that particular occupation. But it's quite another to kill a cop. That proved to be the undoing of Lorenzo "Fat Cat" Nichols, a Queens, N.Y. native who had gotten involved with the Seven Crowns gang as a young teen and who had already served five years in prison for armed robbery by the time he started dealing drugs at 22. Although Nichols didn't pull the trigger that killed NYPD officer Edward Byrne in 1988, his organization was held accountable. Those gunshots were heard around the world and the ensuing backlash would ultimately affect drug trafficking nationwide. This story reveals what was really going down in Southeast Queens during the days when Fat Cats loomed large and lawlessness was rampant.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 83 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, a service venture into the lucrative world of ring tones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061204/NYM072
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: BET Networks

CONTACT: Tosha Whitten-Griggs, +1-818-655-6712,
Tosha.whitten-griggs@bet.net, or Zabrina Horton, +1-818-655-6737,
Zabrina.horton@bet.net, both of BET Networks; or Mariah O'Hara of BWR Public
Relations, +1-310-248-6177, mohara@bwr-la.com

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

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