Brouhaha Over BET Continues
The rap continues over the rap and music videos featured on Black Entertainment Television, or BET.
The Council of Presidents, a coalition of leaders from national African American college sororities and fraternities, are scheduled to meet this weekend to discuss continuing concerns over videos airing on the black-themed network that feature scantily clad women and rappers bragging about their money, jewelry and sexual prowess. The group has been worried about the impact of the videos on youth.
However, the discussion will fall short of a threatened boycott of the network to which the leaders are being linked, through a letter circulating on the Internet. That letter denounces BET and its founder and chairman, Robert Johnson, for not operating “in the best interest of the African American community,” calling his response to their concerns “not only unacceptable” but “... insulting.”
Among the nine groups named in the letter were the fraternities of Omega Psi Phi Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. and Kappa Alpha Psi Inc., and the sororities of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Inc.
Several of the sorority and fraternity leaders named in the letter said they did not endorse its tone or content. They called the letter an “early draft” composed by the National Pan-Hellenic Council, a group that consists of representatives of the nine Greek letter fraternities and sororities, and was never formally approved by the Council of Presidents.
Members of the Council of Presidents say they are not pleased that the letter was released. And while they continue to have concerns about BET’s programming of rap videos, no boycott is being planned, they said.
“To discuss a boycott right now is just ludicrous,” said Barbara Carpenter, the national president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.
Carpenter said that she and other Council of Presidents members met with Johnson in September about the videos. “He made it clear that he is a businessman, and that BET is a business,” said Carpenter. However, she added, Johnson wanted to continue a dialogue with the group, “and he said we could work together on some things.”
BET executives maintained that the network does not control the content of the broadcast videos, which are sent to them by record companies. The videos are not aired “when the content in our opinion is extreme,” and labels are regularly asked to make revisions.
Johnson reportedly told the leaders during the September meeting that they should talk with key record label executives to voice their complaints.
BET has often come under fire from those viewers as well as some in the black creative community who have felt the network has not lived up to their vision as an outlet for meaningful entertainment by and for African Americans. They say the focus has always been too much on music-related shows--in particular hip-hop videos that stress the materialistic and the sexual.
In defense of the network, Johnson has said BET has always been successful, financially and creatively. And although some predicted the network might change its programming strategy after being acquired last year by media giant Viacom, much of BET’s lineup still leans toward music shows aimed at a young audience.
BET President and Chief Operating Officer Debra Lee said earlier this year that the network is coming off its highest rated season, and that its research indicated that viewers want the network to “evolve, but not totally deviate” from its existing formula. She noted it airs a wide range of shows in addition to videos.
The Nov. 2 letter sent to Johnson said that the coalition raised concerns “about the type of videos shown on BET that have negative influences on our community, particularly our youth. We believe that these videos are an exploitation of African American youth.”
The letter also criticized what it called BET’s lack of support of black businesses, institutions and community leaders.
“Your response made it clear to us that your priority is to increase profits without regard to the negative impact on the African American community,” the letter said.
The letter concluded with the threat of a national boycott. “Additionally, it is our intent to communicate this boycott to Viacom and all BET advertisers.”
Kelli Richardson-Lawson, BET’s executive vice president of marketing and communications, said in a letter to the Council of Presidents and the National Pan-Hellenic Council that the network wanted to continue a dialogue about their concerns: “I truly look forward to working with you as we move forward in partnership. We are very proud of our company, and we want you, the leaders of the community, to be equally proud of the network that serves you.”
Said Carpenter: “We have let the Pan-Hellenic Council know in no uncertain terms that this letter should not have gone out. And the fact that Mr. Johnson is willing to have dialogue with us is very encouraging.”
