BET News Re-Launches With New Executive Hires and Premiere of Meet the Faith on Sunday, June 3, 2007 at 11 A.M. ET/PT

BET News Re-Launches With New Executive Hires and Premiere of Meet the Faith on Sunday, June 3, 2007 at 11 A.M. ET/PT

-- New Host, Ian Smith and Expanded One-Hour Format Marks Second Season Premiere --

NEW YORK, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to engage and educate BET's viewers on topics affecting their generation both at home and around the world, BET News has moved away from traditional nightly news formats to create concise, thought provoking, and news highlights throughout the day that resonate with the network's core audience of adults 18-34. Spearheading news' transformation is Keith Brown, Vice President of BET News and Public Affairs who was tapped to bring a new vision to the network. Under his leadership, news has undergone a major network re-launch and will continue to do so beginning with the second season premiere of MEET THE FAITH on Sunday, June 3, 2007 at 11 a.m. ET/PT with new host and New York Times best-selling author, Ian Smith.

(Photo:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070509/NEW137 )

"This year, we are making our biggest investment ever in original programming, and news is critical to that mix," said Reginald Hudlin, President of Entertainment for BET Networks. "We are committed to increasing our news coverage, and with strong shows like MEET THE FAITH and our hard- hitting news specials on issues ranging from the lack of progress in the Gulf Coast to the use of the N-Word, we are doing just that. BET News has been consistent in tackling relevant issues that affect the Black community and I am thrilled to have an experienced journalist like Keith Brown on board to guide our efforts."

MEET THE FAITH is a dynamic Sunday talk show that offers a fresh and provocative take on current events through deep moral discussion, coupled with an unexpected blend of guests and unconventional topics. On June 3, MEET THE FAITH premieres with "Unbreakable". This hot-tempered episode examines the state of marriage in Black America, the impact of infidelity on marriage and the ever increasing popularity of inter-racial families. Visiting the show on June 3rd will be Hollywood power couple, Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett; Lauren Lake (attorney and commentator); Thomas Lopez-Pierre (Owner, Harlem Club) and Dr. Ti-ye (relationship expert).

Following the premiere episode will be "Black Beauty," on June 10, where the world of plastic surgery is dissected and sliced open with author, Tia Smith; Beverly Hill Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Anthony Griffin; pastor, Juanita Bynum and nationally-syndicated "shock jock diva" Wendy Williams. On June 17th MEET THE FAITH will present a gripping hour of television with "Kids Who Kill," profiling Ismael Beah, a former child soldier from Sierra Leon, with guests Cle "Bone" Sloane, a former Bloods gang member, turned film producer; Geoffrey Canada, President of Harlem Children's Zone and Reverend Eugene Rivers.

Throughout the season, MEET THE FAITH will feature exclusive one-on-one interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Congressmen Charles Rangel, CNN's Soledad O'Brien, political activist, Al Sharpton, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan; and some of the most notable leaders and voices in our nation.

Joining MEET THE FAITH are two new executive producers: Eugenia Harvey and Adrienne Lopez. Harvey is an award-winning producer with extensive experience; her work as an investigative producer garnered major attention from her peers including an Emmy Award for Investigative Reporting and the Grand Prize Robert F. Kennedy award for her ABC News PRIMETIME LIVE piece with Diane Sawyer titled "True Colors." She also has served as Executive Producer at CNN and most recently as Director of Television and Broadband for Women.com, where she developed multi-platform programming for Hearst publications. Lopez is also a force not to be reckoned with, her 16 year career spans from accomplished author, talented producer, skilled attorney and consummate professional. She created the most successful Writer's Fellowship Program to date while at Nickelodeon; she's developed reality shows for Spike TV and most recently Turner Broadcasting announced her latest project "Big Shot," produced by Lopez, Jamie Foxx and basketball great Kenny Smith is going to pilot for their upcoming season. BET News is fortunate to have these remarkable, talented producers on board.

BET News has also produced significant documentaries dealing with social issues that impact our community and beyond; most recently by exploring various "hot-topics," such as, NAPPY HEADED WHO?, an inside look at the Imus Controversy; the use of the N-word with BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL; and questions of police brutality behind the Sean Bell murder with 50 SHOTS. BET News also took a look at the lack of progress in the Gulf Coast with SOS: ONE YEAR LATER, in addition to retrospectives on the lives of Richard Pryor, James Brown, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Upcoming documentaries include BROOKLYN GIRL FIGHT CLUB (bare-knuckle boxing in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and the stories of the women who participate); BLACK MEN: THE TRUTH (BET delves into the very soul of Black men to explore how they view themselves); and BROWN ON BLACK (an expose on the brutal violence between black and Hispanic gangs in the Los Angeles area, and the innocent victims caught in the crossfire).

Under Brown's guidance, BET News will consistently offer viewers News Specials that tackle relevant issues providing a trusted and authentic voice for our diverse audience. News will engage its viewers by providing commentary on issues affecting their daily lives while creating a two-way dialogue through the use of BET.com and BET mobile.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B), is the leading provider of media and entertainment for African Americans and consumers of Black culture on a global basis. The primary BET cable network reaches more than 84 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop - are brands that combine to serve a broader and more diverse audience than the core network. BET.com is the number one internet destination for the target audiences. BET Mobile delivers music, gaming, and video content to the target audiences on wireless devices across virtually all service providers. BET Event Productions is a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe. BET International delivers BET content to the consumers of Black culture around the world. BET Networks inspires its audiences to make a difference in their lives and communities with a series of impactful pro-social initiatives under the Touch BET umbrella.

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Photo: NewsCom:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070509/NEW137
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Source: BET Networks

CONTACT: Marcy Polanco, +1-212-975-3327, Marcy.Polanco@bet.net, or
Tricia N. Newell, +1-212-975-8230, Tricia.newell@bet.net, both of BET
Networks; or Mariah O'Hara of BWR Public Relations, +1-310-248-6177,
Mohara@bwr-la.com, for BET Networks

Web site:

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