Black Entertainment Television, better known as BET, used to be a respected cable network that African Americans could be proud of because the channel was made for us, by us. However, BET has turned into a network that no longer offers innovative shows and mainly reruns movies from the 90's and early 2000's. Some people still watch BET, but for those of you who do not, here are four reasons as to why that is so.
1. BET is not black-owned anymore.
The purpose of BET is to provide black people with a network that showcases the beauty of African American culture. The network was founded in the '80s by an African American, Robert Johnson, but in 2003 BET was sold to Viacom, which also owns MTV and VH1. This immediately changed the look of BET in the black community. There has always been pride in being able to say that our black television network is actually black-owned. Now that statement no longer stands.
2.The shows are no longer entertaining.
BET plays the same shows over and over again.They even show reruns of shows from other networks such as Scandal. Viewers are most likely to see the same movie -- such as "ATL," "Baby Boy," or "Menace to Society" -- every few weeks. I'm sure you can name more. You may see more of the network's recent shows like "Being Mary Jane," "Real Husbands of Hollywood," or "Sunday's Best," because they have frequent episodes coming out. However, the storylines of BET shows are predictable, making them less entertaining.
3. The BET Awards
The most highly anticipated show on BET use to be the BET Awards. It was a wonderful awards show where black hip-hop, R&B, and pop artists from the past and present would come together and celebrate our music . The hype around it was great, and it was a perfect summertime show. Now, the BET Awards lack popular artists. The show still has great artists who perform, but the top names never show up anymore, like Jay-Z and Beyonce. After the BET Awards premiere, it will be replayed for weeks to fill in time spots that should be used for shows people actually want to watch.
4. The brand no longer represents us.
BET needs a new vision. The "trying to make it out of the hood" productions are no longer cutting it. The network does not do an effective job of showing black people from all walks of life. Yes, our community has people who are struggling, but we also have individuals persevering through that struggle by going to college or being successful in their careers. What happened to shows such as "College Hill" or "Baldwin Hills" that showed successful African Americans living their daily lives? BET does have empowering content like "Black Girls Rock" and the NAACP Awards, but they are only annual award shows. BET needs more shows of substance that can educate us on our culture while simultaneously entertaining us. The network should be showing black excellence, but the only thing some viewers see right now is the desperation to fill in time slots.
