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BET Didn't Brodcast Mrs. King's Funeral


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WHY DIDN’T BET COVER KING’S FUNERAL LIVE?

By: . EURWeb

Feb. 12, 2006

Network says, “We chose to offer a different kind of experience for BET viewers.”

Folks looking to watch live coverage of Coretta Scott King’s funeral Tuesday had several choices across the television dial – but not the obvious one.

While TV One and the Black Family Channel covered the service live, along with cable channels CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel, BET ran its usual music video programs during the noon to 3 p.m. block, opting instead to stream live footage of the funeral on its Web site.

“Was it an easy call? Absolutely not,” BET's senior vice president for corporate communications Michael Lewellen tells the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We weighed a number of different options. In the end, we chose to offer a different kind of experience for BET viewers.”

During its music video block, BET ran 60-second taped packages from the funeral by BET senior correspondent Andre Showell, while a 30-minute taped tribute to the late civil rights proponent was aired later that night.

Lewellen told Inquirer’s Gail Shister that BET’s decision to forgo live coverage was based on a desire not to replicate live coverage of the funeral being carried on other networks.

Lewellen said: “If BET erred, we erred on the side of giving viewers a different choice. …We wanted people to have access to this wherever they were - at work, at home, traveling, at school. The online experience would give them that.”

According to the Inquirer, BET had access to the funeral’s live pool feed through CBS Newspath, the network's 24/7 affiliate news service. BET and CBS are both properties under Viacom.

In September, BET was criticized for its lack of Hurricane Katrina coverage during the days immediately following the storm, when the issue of race had become a major story. Weeks later, BET hosted a telethon to raise money for the hurricane victims – a fundraiser cited by Lewellen as part of the network’s solid reputation of supporting its audience.

“This is the same network that preempted more than three hours in prime time in September and raised more than $12 million for Hurricane Katrina victims,” he said. “We use BET's brand and strength to reach our viewers in different ways."

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This is the same network that preempted more than three hours in prime time in September and raised more than $12 million for Hurricane Katrina victims

Oh wow... The telethon was wonderful, but how hard is it to preempt shows that were reruns, and in syndication? :paperbag:

Edited by MaxFly
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So what if they didn't show it? They're there to make money, if they thought the optimum business decision was to show an alternative (and hopefully get more money) then I say fair play... by the way that's not to say that's what I would have done if I was in charge, just a different viewpoint...maybe they made the wrong decision

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I was going to post this. I'm not shocked nor surprised by BET's decision. I find it unforgiveable that the major black cable network would rather show rap videos than the funeral of an incredible woman who gave her life to the struggle for civil rights.

This was not a regular celebrity. This was the funeral for CORETTA SCOTT KING! It's not about making money; it's about paying proper respect to a woman who meant so much to this country and the civil rights movement. She was an icon.

Shame on BET... but then again they're no longer owned by an African-American.

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they we're talking about this on WGCI how it was very disappointing to see, i wasn't too shocked actually b/c BET doesn't have the best programming nowadays so i rarely watch it...but i thought they did air it the other day or they're going to?...i thought i saw it in the TV guide, or maybe not....guess they got tired of the negative attention and decided to air it @ the last minute, which i find pathetic....after all the woman and her husband did for the African American community, and people in general it's just ridiculous

Edited by MissAshley
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