BET Expands to U.K.

NEW YORK, February 20: BET
Networks is launching its flagship BET channel in the U.K. on February 28,
reaching 8.8 million homes on Sky.

BET Networks is the
leading provider of media and entertainment for African Americans and consumers
of Black culture, currently reaching more than 87 million households in the
U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

"We're thrilled to be
able to bring high quality, Black cultural content to communities around the
world and deliver on our commitment to expand the BET brand
internationally," said Debra L. Lee, the chairman and CEO of BET Networks.
"For more than 27 years, BET Networks has been the leader in providing
premium entertainment to African American audiences, and we're so excited to
establish BET as the premier destination for U.K. audiences to enjoy content
that reflects the many viewpoints of the Black experience."

Michael D. Armstrong, the
senior VP and general manager of BET International, added: "BET has been building
a presence among our core target audience in the United Kingdom for more than
two years. For the U.K. version of BET, we will be giving BET's U.S. content a
regionalized look and feel that reflects the U.K. marketplace, and as we grow
and develop the channel, we look forward to partnering with the U.K. creative
industry to give BET an even stronger British accent."

The initial lineup of U.S.
content will include the acclaimed documentary series American Gangster, the countdown, performance and interview series 106
& Park, the reality shows College
Hill and Baldwin Hills, the current affairs offering Meet the Faith and the gospel talent search Sunday Best, among others. The U.K. feed will also feature BET
News specials, including Life and Death In Darfur: Jeff Johnson Reports and Hip Hop Vs. America.

BET will also be expanding
its pro-social initiative Rap-It-Up to the U.K. Since 1998, BET has partnered
with the Kaiser Family Foundation on the public-education campaign designed to
inform young people about sexual health issues, including HIV/AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases.

—By Mansha Daswani