BET Premieres the Eighth Annual 'Celebration Of Gospel' Hosted by Steve Harvey on Sunday, January 27 at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT

BET Premieres the Eighth Annual 'Celebration Of Gospel' Hosted by Steve Harvey on Sunday, January 27 at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT

John Legend, Patti Labelle, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Dr. Bobby Jones, Pastor Shirley Caesar, J Moss, Israel and the New Breed, as Well as the "Sunday Best" Top Five Finalists, Scheduled to Perform an Evening of "Spirit in Song"

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Be prepared to praise His name as BET gathers the brightest stars in gospel and R&B for the network's eighth annual CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL. Hosted once again by veteran comedian/actor and popular syndicated radio personality Steve Harvey, this inspirational affair will be taped at the historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 15. With a praise-filled "congregation" and a 24-piece orchestra led by world- renowned musical director Ray Chew, CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL premieres on BET Sunday, January 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Aptly themed "Spirit in Song," Celebration of Gospel promises a two-hour foot-stomping, hand-clapping revival filled with rousing performances by Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Mighty Clouds of Joy, J Moss, Israel and The New Breed featuring T-Bone, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Dr. Bobby Jones, and the top five SUNDAY BEST finalists. Additional performances and appearances will be announced shortly.

Free tickets are available to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis by submitting a request via BETRSVP@bet.net or calling (202) 608-2617.

CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL is produced by BET. To download a media credentials request form, please visit BET's press-only website at http://www.bet.com/pr.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)(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 87 million households according to Nielsen Media Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; 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 ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

CALL FOR MEDIA CREDENTIAL REQUESTS

THE EVENT: Aptly themed "Spirit in Song," this year's CELEBRATION
OF GOSPEL gathers musical artists from both the
inspirational and secular worlds for a rousing evening
of praise. The two-hour telecast features musical
performances, guest appearances and special salutes to
some of the greatest names in gospel history.

TALENT: John Legend
Patti LaBelle
Kirk Franklin
Yolanda Adams
Mighty Clouds of Joy
Dr. Bobby Jones
Pastor Shirley Caesar
J Moss
Israel and the New Breed featuring T-Bone
BET's "Sunday Best" five finalists

EVENT DATE/TIME: Saturday, December 15 at 6:00 p.m. PT

EVENT LOCATION: The Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Phone - (877) 677-4386

PREMIERE TELECAST: Sunday, January 27 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT

HOST: Steve Harvey

PRODUCERS: Marilyn Gill
Lynne Harris Taylor
Stephen Hill
Reginald Hudlin
Debra L. Lee

SHOW DIRECTOR: Tony McCuin

MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Ray Chew

MEDIA COVERAGE: Credentials requests for working media who wish to
cover the CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL taping may be
submitted to BET Corporate Communications by
completing a credentials request form and faxing to
(310) 481-3806 or emailing to betprla@bet.net. The
form can be downloaded from BET's PR website at

http://www.bet.com/pr. The credentials request
deadline is TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007.

COVERAGE
OPPORTUNITIES:
-- Rehearsal coverage on Friday, December 14
**pending talent availability**
-- Red carpet photo opportunities and interviews with
show host, performers and producers on night of
taping
-- Interviews with BET Network executives

ON-SITE MEDIA
PROVISIONS:
-- Red carpet arrivals
-- Post-event distribution of digital Images and
footage from the show
-- Limited media tickets during telecast

MEDIA CREDENTIALS
CONTACT: Voncella McIntosh
BET Corporate Communications

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: BET Networks

CONTACT: Media Credentials Contact, Voncella McIntosh, +1-310-481-3732,
+1-310-481-3806, voncella.mcintosh@bet.net, or Tracy McGraw, +1-212-846-7879,
tracy.mcgraw@bet.net, or Tosha Whitten-Griggs, +1-310-481-3812,
tosha.whitten-griggs@bet.net, or Zabrina Horton, +1-310-481-3737,
zabrina.horton@bet.net, all of BET Networks

Web site:

http://www.bet.com/
http://www.bet.com/pr

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