- I haven't seen this topic on this site yet:

"Viacom's BET Networks and MTV Networks are combining channel resources to create a new programming outlet, Centric, set to launch in October, targeting African-American adults, network officials said.

The new network will take aim at Comcast/Radio One-owned TV One in targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience, while also reaching out to other multicultural audiences.

BETN officials say it will launch with 45 million subscribers, a sizeable base for a new channel. BET Networks will handle its operations, with BET J executive vice president and general manager Paxton Baker (pictured) overseeing the new venture.

Multichannel News reported earlier this month that Baker would oversee a channel that combined BET J and MTVN's VH1 Soul, two existing digital networks that between them are in about 47 million homes, and that the announcement could come at BET's April 23 upfront in New York, which is when Centric is expected to be announced.

The story also indicated behind-scenes drama could cause those plans to change, though, and noted BET downplayed talk of combining the channels, indicating BET J would be "refreshed" instead.

BETN president and COO Scott Mills said Wednesday BET J and VH1 Soul are not merging. Mills said "we have within our universe today between MTVN and BETN existing distribution to deploy against the launch of this network ... we will work very closely with our affiliate partners to hopefully achieve this goal."

"What we're creating is a brand-new network targeted to adult, upscale, sophisticated and aspirational African-American and multicultural audiences," Mills said.

BET J (originally launched as BET on Jazz) and VH1 Soul are African-American targeted channels that complement each other with carriage on top U.S. distributors. BET J has key carriage on DirecTV and on No. 2 cable operator Time Warner Cable, while VH1 Soul and other MTVN digital channels have stronger Comcast carriage.

BET J, which features reality series and music content, is in about 27 million homes. VH1 Soul, with music video programming, is in about 20 million homes.

Potentially, Centric could start with BET J's distribution and annex channel slots allocated to VH1 Soul or possibly some other small MTVN service, rather than merging. In 2007, Gospel Music Channel's owners bought Black Family Channel, adding BFC's 16 million homes to Gospel's previous 10 million homes. Black Family Channel shut down.

Centric will initially feature entertainment/reality fare, but Baker said it could offer some news and public affairs programming in the near future.

Some original shows already slated for the channel include Model City, a reality show revolving around African-American models in New York City, and Keeping Up With The Joneses, which follows the exploits of a Houston-based female entrepreneur.

The network will also reinstate the Soul Train Music Awards, which has been off the air for several years. "The Soul Train brand resonates with older audiences, so by bringing that back we can really speak to that target audience of African-Americans," Mills said.

In addition, the new network will offer demo-targeted content -- including movies and music programming -- from MTV, VH1, BET and other MTV Networks outlets.

Centric's older-skewing content would complement BET's younger-skewing programming fare, while providing Viacom a viable competitor to the four-year-old TV One service, which currently counts some 47 million subscribers.

"We think that we have a unique way of serving that demo that no one else can in the space," Baker said.

Centric is the latest in a flurry of new African-American targeted network announcements over the past year -- although it's the first to have major entertainment media company backing.

In February, Houston-based upstart Black Broadcasting Network announced plans to launch an urban-targeted entertainment network later in 2009.

Last November, BET founder Bob Johnson teamed with broadcast network ION Media Networks on plans to create Urban Television, an entertainment-based network targeting the African-American community.

Last August, hip-hop mogul Master P (Percy Miller) unveiled plans for Better Black Television, a family-friendly network providing positive content.

And last April, former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) announced the creation of the Black Television News Channel, a 24-hour news service for African-Americans slated to launch sometime this year. The service has secured "a hunting license" with Comcast."

http://www.multichannel.c...etwork.php

- At this point there is nothing BET can do to redeem itself w/ me, BET will always be the station who turned down Little Brother because their music was "too intelligent" for the BET viewing audience

So this is for you BET:

Mstrustme said:

Pretty much.

Sounds dull. More reality show bullshit and The Soul Train Music Awards. If it were old episodes of "Soul Train" like WGN was showing, I'd be dying to get the channel, but The Soul Train Music Awards, hell naw, that's current shit and current shit is dull.

Who is Little Brother?

scriptgirl said:

- Rap group

Instead of having BET trying to form a separate new channel to compete against TV One, why not just go back to the programming they had before? They at least have stopped playing wack-ass rap videos with big-bootied video hoes, but they've replaced it with endless reruns of old UPN urban comedies. They need to bring back BET News, Teen Summit, and some of the public affairs shows that they used to have before they went all crappy hip-hop. That's the main reason Black people started watching TV One in the first place.

Paxton knows his shit though. He should get them off and running fa sho'.

Mstrustme said:

Is Little Brother good? I only know of Phonte doing a song with
Mint Condition and a female artist last year.
If Little Brother is anything like black thought or talib kweli
i can see BET downplaying it. BET has been marketing the
buffoonery since 1998.
[Edited 5/23/09 9:29am]

phunkdaddy said:

Yeah Little Brother is a socially conscious rap group, much like the Roots and Talib. And you saw how LITTLE promotion those two got after '99.

- I'm reviving this in light of how they proceeded w/ the BET Awards
[Edited 7/6/09 15:33pm]

I am dont with BET really after MTV took it over....TV1 have been far more intresting.

Timmy84 said:

Not only Talib, but also some of nas's and Common's videos too.

too little way too late, BET. ya'll should've stuck with the stuff ya'll had back in the day...just get off the air, man.

NastradumasKid said:

That's true too.

BSK3478 said:

I think BET just got the memo that there are African-Americans over the age of 25, so in response they decided to launch a crappy network to compete with TV-One, They have done very little to portray African-Americans in a positive light for the past 10 years. So, I doubt I'll give this new 'network' the time of day.

phunkdaddy said:

Most of their programming appears to be exploitative, superficial, gossipy garbage, just like most of the channels on TV, regardless of their intended demographic.

It somehow seems just a little more painful when the network bills itself as “Black Entertainment Television”.

Let the competition begin. In the longterm, I wouldn't bet against dumb.

BET had their chances and repeatedly and consistently blew them big time! I wouldn't watch their new channel, if they gave ME a show on it!

BET

Mstrustme said:

they only did it because it was a ratings goldmine for them, and there was the pressure, they just HAPPEND to have awards during that week, so they were, dare say, "lucky" with the MJ death as bad as that sounds, they benefited from it. I will only give them props to rearranging the show, however, they did very little in rearranging the network the last 15 years, with the exception of totally eliminating "culture" that wasnt based in "reality" shows like DMX and Keyshia Cole, i mean did they run anything that wasnt about someone getting out of jail, or getting pregnant, or getting arrested, or high?

BSK3478 said:

co-sign

I don't care.

So instead of putting half way decent shit on BET, BET is launching another network?

728huey said:

I agree with the bolded part of your post. Some of us were discussing this topic in the P&R forum and mentioned those programs, like Teen Summit, and public affairs show-one had a lady named Beverly who discussed social/economics/politics/health and community issues, which is what we need on stations targetting Black audiences, and they need to stop with the age limit crap. Since when after a certain age, particular issues aren't important to an individual as they grow older? What about health care/medical/economics/retirement information, that could be part of their programming for seniors as well? If you're going to target a specific community as a whole, then have something for the entire community.
[Edited 7/6/09 17:31pm]

Vendetta1 said:

They really think they can just throw up some fancy drapery and call the property "new", in the absolute wrong climate!

728huey said:

There it is!

vainandy said:

Co-sign on all points.

Funny, I was wondering what those "Centric" promos were that were on during that crappy awards show. Now I don't care.

The success of TvOne is based on the fact that it was like BET in its very early days. People like a combo of the old stuff (movies/tv shows), issues/news shows, and some music...BET had this and chose to do away w/ it. Besides, the channel is a refuge from stupid ass rappers and all that foolishness. They won't shake TvOne's audience, so why bother?

BET...your horse left the barn many moons ago.