Hi according to this media article BET is heading for the UK
BET Channel Heads for UK - WARC News - WARC.com

I imagine that it will go on fee paying sky if so i cannot see myself subscribing just to watch it. I may do though but i am not entirely sure.

I hope that they have decent debate and also lots of decent soaps to. I was just thinking the other day how i missed stuff like Brothers and Sisters. I also used to love stuff like A Different World and the Cosby Show to. I also did like other non black orientated shows as well. I appreciated having a mix. A lot of these sitcoms though today like Friends, Frasier and Seinfeld i just do not find them entertaining at all.

Now if people want to see a show with a black orientated dimension now they do not have to wait for the BBC to dish one out. I think that the BBC's stance on black programming has changed.

I am interested to see what BET will bring out and how this turn out. I wonder will there be as much interest in this as there is in the States?

I don't think its worth paying for.. I have BET and I don't hardly watch it. Its mostly rap videos and other bs ..................

Oh deep joy. Yet another reason to get rid of the idiot box from my home.

back when virgin was cable and wireless (which then became ntl) we had BET which became BETi (the I stood for international) It was in the early to mid nighties and i think it had an even mix of shoes. But then it was removed with no real explanation as to why. I always said Black folks should have protested. But it seems that since it was literally sold out it has gotten crap anyway. Would still be nice to have it though.

If anyone will get it, it will probably be virgin media, as they are in a real contest now to outdo sky in every way possible, plus it was on the previous owners service anyway.

Recently BET has SORT OF toned down the rap videos..And even with the rap videos there seems to be more of a target at university educated demographic or at least undertones of it. (i.e. topics on black greek organizations, filming at HBCU's, etc.)

Its been replaced by alot of the older sitcomes like Fresh Prince, Jamie Foxx, Cosby, Different World etc..They also have a bit more original programming like College hill amd "Meet the faith" (i think thats what its called)..But theres still alot of videos if thats your thing.

The only thing I watch is the BET awards and a few other specials.

I'm not happy about this at all....

We have enough issues with the corrosive influence that low-class, low-grade AA Culture is having on our youth. The last thing we need is it BET, AKA "Minstrel TV" polluting our airwaves with more low aspirational, misoginistic, anti-intellectual programming...

The whole channel exists to celebrate those negative elements of our community that we should seek to distance ourselves from. It hypes up every negative stereotype there is out there in a why that no other community would accept...

Unfortunately we have enough lost souls in the UK Black community whom will make this enterprise financially viable, on top of deleuded English who see these performing minstrels as "authetically black". We'll just have more people like that Emily from Big Brother who thing using the offensive N-word as no big deal...

Anyone who thinks that 'Def Comedy Jam' and it's ilk being broadcast in the UK is good, don't live in the world inhabited by other Black people when we see how this low-grade "entertainment" effects our youths and a stunts our communities development...

If we were really organised as a people, we campaign AGAINST this nonsense... Unfortunately, I know that although my feelings are probably in the majority of UK black folk, only a vocal minority will espouse this view....

The march of American Cultural Imperialism continues....

Preach, brotha preach!!! I'll say Amen to that.

Well obviously there is a demand for this "low-class, low-grade AA Culture", if you dont like it just turn off the TV. If you have kids get some parenting skills..You act like you have no control of its influence over you. The market will decide what happens to BET not your "ilk".

I understand the point made about the influences on the youth. People listened to their rap music years ago though with lyrics stronger than we get now
and it was not a real big issue. Most people could separate rap from real life.

I like some rap/hip-hop music Snoop dog and 2PAC and stuff like this is getting blocked now in the UK.

If it has an affect on today's youth it probably is a good thing that is being toned down but i don't know i think that it maybe going a bit OTT on this.

Do some people here in the UK watch US soaps like College Hill and if so how?

when I first read this in the news my first reaction was ...NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!..WTF..like channel U and MTV Base are doing fantastic job of indoctrinating the youth into thinking being a rapper/MC or video chick is the be all and end all to life...

I remember I ahd BET when I was in secondary school..it was on cable, channel 23 or something...and itr was mild compared to the drivel that is on there now...

Somebody said if you dont like it then turn your tv off....thats true...those of us who are sick and tired of SHITTy TV will...its the young, impressionable, misguided ones Im concerned with...

This same BET that was sold to viacom who went about making such changes as getting rid of the nightly news, increasing the amount of video played and bringing such quality programming such as Lil Kim's last days before she got locked up....

Im all for a balance of programming...sometimes you want to hear some music and just chill or dance....my question is when is BET going to take a break from dancing....???

BET's programming is not the problem ,as much as due to it being the only Black, major network, we expect it to be all things to all Black people. MTV is not expected to educate white people or stimulate their intellect. It doesn't need to, because they have several other channels geared towards those things, so white folks don't have to go off the deep end about what MTV is or isn't doing.

We need more than one Black network. It's name is Black ENTERTAINMENT television. It was not created to be serious and intellectual, so why anyone has ever been suprised that it isn't those things, or that it's focus has always been music/comedy and other things that constitute entertainment(lowbrow and base as it may be), is beyond me. Additionally, as much as people like to bump their gums about wanting to be intellectually stimulated when they watch t.v., the people that invest in these networks aren't fools, they see what people respond to and what they don't respond to(irrespective of what people SAY they want to see), and adjust their programming accordingly.

Oh come on. I'm saying Amen to the breddah in the other post. Is anyone SERIOUSLY telling me that BET is anything but culturally degrading!? Ok, they may have programs on there now but their audience is the same as 50 cents and thats saying enough.

Theres no issue dodging smart alec commentary, 'if you don't like it turn off the tv' type nonsence when we all know who'll be watching it and who'll be influenced by it. Ie; black youths and middle class crakkkers. Can't stand those gollywog shows they piss me off something nasty, even have kids rolling into my workplace repeating some next level of crap after watching it on Youtube not knowing how badly they're beign portrayed in it all.


In my honest opinion BET is nothing but an attack on our culture, the Amerikkkans have taken hold of it and are using it to chain down the African American population out there. If it comes over here i'll be up for a protest march and petitions against it... the same should gwan for its reach into South Africa as well, bwoy that channel will kick up some real hell.

Yeah... Lets all sit around with the family and watch;