Today, BET’s programming centers around music, entertainment, and lifestyle. News casts and public affairs we found in the lineup among music and comedy programs. Upon its creation, BET focused on providing general entertainment catered to African American audiences. BET is the #1 African-American television network, and in 2015 had a viewership of 19.46 million.
It is known for its sponsorship of the BET Music Awards, an annual awards show honoring African American musicians, actors, athlete, and other entertainers. Geared towards a younger African American audience, BET features a lineup of sitcoms, dramas, made for TV movies, and stand-up comedy specials. The network has offices in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles, and is available throughout the United States, Canada, and France. Originally created in 1980 as a Nickelodeon programming block, BET occupied its own channel with 24-hour programming in 1983. It is owned by Viacom, and has several sister networks dedicated singularly to the broadcasting of music videos, such as BET Gospel, BET Hip Hop, BET Jams, and BET Soul. BET, or Black Entertainment Television, is an American cable and satellite access show.
