Black Entertainment Network

LP Entertainment Brand Analysis

Nolan Pickens

Business Storytelling & Brand Development

Rafael Martinez Pratts

August 16, 2009

Black Entertainment Network

LP Entertainment Brand Analysis

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History
round by January 25, 1980 at One BET Plaza in Washington, D.C. But, not without the help of Tele-Communications Inc., CEO, John Malo

Corporate Background
Information
The BET Networks, is currently owned by Viacom Inc. They
staff 465 employees. While, their main headquarters is located
in Washington D.C., they also have offices in New York, Los
Angeles, C.A., and Chicago, IL. The company is public, bearing
the New York Stock Exchange ticker symbols: VIA & VIA.B.

http://bet.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=38

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Product Portfolio / Brand Hierarchy

BET Networks (Viacom), consists of multiple service areas that include:

BET BET provides contemporary entertainment for African Americans from an authentic,
unapologetic viewpoint of the Black experience. It provides hit music, entertainment
and news.

BET J BET J is for a multicultural audience delivering R&B, soul, jazz and world music along
with movies, riveting talk shows, concerts and in-depth interviews.

BET GOSPEL BET Gospel features a mixture of current and vintage shows and original gospel-
oriented programming.

BET Home BET branded DVD content includes off-network shows, acquisitions, original direct-to-
Entertainment video releases and exclusive BET Official CD/DVD 2-pack product line.

BET International BET International is licensing BET content to television broadcasters on multiple
platforms, developing distribution opportunities for 24-hour BET branded networks
and adding locally derived content to the US mix - all to serve consumers of black
culture globally.

BET Radio BET Radio Network is available in more than 50 markets nationwide and offers
Network stations and listeners a variety of programming that includes entertainment news,
celebrity interviews and special events coverage.

BET Foundation The BET Foundation is a non-profit organization created to raise public awareness to
the numerous health-related challenges within African-American community.

Rap-It-Up Partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation, RAP-IT-UP is BET’s call-to-action
public education campaign designed to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the
African American community.

BET Event BEP offers a full range of event production services, including event management;
Productions venue selection; talent recruitment; sound, light, and stage production.

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Annual Revenue

rvices 88, 600, 000 (02/09) subscribers and reaches more than 98 million households between the United States, Canada

4% from $3.86 billion dollars to $3.30 billion dollars. This decline in revenues was a direct effect of a subpar economic st

earnings from $454 million dollars to $277 million dollars. The diluted EPS was adjusted by $0.03, from $0.46 - $0.49 to a

al economy continued to be a challenge in the second quarter, the diversity of our revenue streams, sequential improvem

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 Market Research

BET Networks (Viacom), target market is centered in providing media and entertainment for
African Americans. The demographic of the brand ranges broadly from 18-54 years of age. Median
income, education, and lifestyle is undocumented. However, BET’s brand is widely varied and spans
across the globe, reaching audiences in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. An international presence
has also been established in the U.K. and Japan.

BET Networks (Viacom), have but a few competing interests in the market:

Networks Stock Exchange Price Change Growth (%)

Symbol
BET Networks (Viacom) VIA NYSE $25.48 0.13 0
(0.50%)
BET Networks (Viacom) VIA.B NYSE $24.20 0.1 (0.41%) 0
NUE TV N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Black Family Channel N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
TV One (Radio One & Comcast) CMCSA NASDAQ $14.81 0.14 7.1%
(0.94%)
TV One (Radio One & Comcast) CMCSK NASDAQ $14.01 0.09 7.1%
(0.64%)
Better Black Television N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

In the case of New Urban Entertainment Television (NUE-TV), it was in existence for as little as
two years (July 17, 2000 – October 31, 2002), targeting mature African-American audiences, before
permanently shutting down due to financial difficulties.

The Black Family Channel, an African American owned, cable television network, was in existence
for approximately 8 years (founded in 1999 – May 1, 2007). Dealing exclusively with gospel music, they
struck a deal and sold their programming rights to the Gospel Music Channel.

Better Black Television, a recently created broadcasting network, is set to launch in the year 2010.
The principal founder of the company is Percy Miller (rapper Master P). The company has yet to break-
ground.

Which leaves TV One, the cable television networking company based in Silver Spring, Maryland.
They, too, target an African American audience, but deal more in the way of “lifestyle and entertainment
–oriented shows. The company has been around for 5 years, having launched in January 2004. TV One is
co-owned by Radio One and Comcast.

The results of the market research conducted in this case, brings me to one conclusion. That, as it
stands, BET Networks (Viacom) is off in the running as the top cable television network in the country,
targeting an African American audience. The only other company to come close is TV One because Better
Black Television has yet to break-ground.
 Brand Messaging

www.bet.com).” Based on their broad array of digital networks- BET J, BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop, just to name a few

rks (Viacom) current President of Music Programming & Specials, touches on some very important company values resp

nd direct (p. 26).” According to Denning, it is this type of storytelling that is most effective. Stephen expresses his ideas an
 In conclusion, BET Network (Viacom), has come a really long way since its inception in 1980. It
started out with but a few employees and has since more than quadrupled in number. Its founder, Robert
L. Johnson, embarked on a mission to launch a company with a lowly $15,000 that would serve an African
American niche market. To no avail, the company would emerge to be one of the largest niche market
cable television networks in the country. Apparently, John Malone’s sage advice to “… get revenues up and
keep costs down” provided Johnson with just enough insight to garner him much success. Because by
2001, not only was the BET brand line far reaching, it was worth billions of dollars. Having expanded into
radio, movies, books, and the Internet., Johnson would reap the benefits of a very lucrative pay-off upon
his departure from the company. A pay-off that he would parlay into a wide range of other financial
interests like real estate, hotels, fast food, gaming, and entertainment as the first African American
billionaire.

Thereafter, Viacom would take the reigns and see to it that the company continue its forward
momentum and upward growth curve. As a matter of fact, it would be BET and MTV’s increased ratings
that would contribute to first quarter gains in ad revenues, while conversely serving as a bulwark in
mitigating some of the tension caused by the recession. In spite of fourth quarter declines, their ratings
would lend itself to Viacom’s growth in profits, which tripled overall. So, even in the face of difficult
financial times, BET Networks (Viacom) would prove itself as nothing less than a ‘premiere’ niche market
cable television network.
 References

Artists House Music. Retrieved August 14, 2009 from

http://www.artistshousemusic.org/videos/black+entertainment+television

BET Holdings, Inc. (1995). Retrieved August 14, 2009 from

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/BET-Holdings-Inc-Company-History.html

Black Entertainment Television. Retrieved August 14, 2009 from http://www.bet.com/

Denning, S. (2005). The leader’s guide to storytelling: mastering the art and discipline of business
narrative. Jossey Bass.

Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved August 16, 2009 from

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/915871/Black-Entertainment-Television

National Cable & Telecommunication Association. Retrieved August 14, 2009 from
http://www.ncta.com/OrganizationType/CableNetwork/1422.aspx

Viacom. Retrieved August 14, 2009 from http://www.viacom.com/Pages/default.aspx

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