Lamothe’s Black Out to Premiere on BET

The Jerry Lamothe (Nora’s Hair Salon) movie Black Out will premiere on BET on February 1st, 2008 at 8 P.M. The film, which Lamothe also wrote, chronicles the 2003 blackout and how it changed the lives of estranged neighbors.

BET, TV ONE Could Use a Newscast

Deborah Tang is gone, but many are still lamenting the loss of the woman many rightfully credit as the Mother of Black Newscast.  As the one-time BET vice president of News, Tang led a revolution not just at the cable station, but one that rang across the entire nation.

Writing in the Washington Post, the prominent African-American critic Courtland Malloy wrote:

“Turn on the television news these days and you’ll see history being made. A charismatic black man and a savvy white woman are running neck and neck to become the Democratic nominee for president. But despite the rich racial and gender implications of Barack Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s candidacies, you won’t see much in the way of news analysis by African Americans — men or women.

Many are quick to point out that since Tavis Smiley’s ousting after the Viacom takeover of BET, the station’s programming is music-focused. But BET’s nemesis TV One is equally sans  newscast. Which brings one to ask: what gives? Are the cable networks’ heads afraid of starting a black-focused newscast? Who’s there to fear? Potential investors maybe? The Black Family Channel went kaput last year; are other non-conglomerate networks afraid of a similar fate? Are they afraid of rousing the ire of advertisers?

BET Honors Taping Tonight in DC

BET Honors, BET’s first ever award show honoring the achievements of African-American celebrities will be taping tonight in DC  and will be broadcasted on the network on Friday February 21st at 8 P.M. ET/PT.

In mid-2007, the network came under fire from critics who blamed it for perpertuating negative images and stereotypes of blacks. But CEO Debra Lee is optimistic and had this to say about the awards show:

“We are thrilled to present the first-ever BET HONORS and pay tribute to the thinkers, trailblazers and trendsetters whose accomplishments serve as inspirations for current and future generations. Each of these remarkable individuals has made significant contributions to the Black community and American culture overall, and BET Networks is proud to recognize them through this very special, new tentpole event. We’ve done a number of significant shows in other cities, but what better place to honor these individuals than in our home city of Washington, D.C.”

Among the presenters for the night: Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Wyclef Jean, Danny Glover, Kerry Washington, Vivica A. Fox and Hill Harper. Honorees include=Alicia Keys (Entertainment Award), Tyra Banks (Media Award), Dr. Cornel West, University Professor in the Center for African American Studies (Award for Education), Richard Parsons (Corporate Citizen Award), The Honorable Maxine Waters (Public Service Award) and CEO Janice Bryant Howroyd (Entrepreneur Award).