Trivia... and maybe something to look forward to..

Trivia... and maybe something to look forward to...

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After stepping down as a lobbyist for the cable industry, Freeport, Illinois, native Robert L. Johnson decided to launch his own cable television network. Johnson would soon acquire a loan for $15,000, and earned a $500,000 investment from John Malone to start the network. ^{[ 2 ]} BET began broadcasting on January 25, 1980. ^{[ 3 ]} Initially broadcasting for two hours a week as a block of programming on the Nickelodeon (it wouldn't be until 1983 that BET became a full fledged channel), the network lineup consisted of music videos and reruns of popular black sitcoms . ^{[ 2 ]}

BET launched a news program, BET News , in 1988, with Ed Gordon as the anchor. Gordon would later host other programs and specials on BET, such as Black Men Speak Out: The Aftermath , related to the 1992 Los Angeles riots and a recurring interview show Conversations with Ed Gordon . ^{[ 4 ]} In 1996, the talk show BET Tonight debuted with Tavis Smiley as host; in 2001, Ed Gordon replaced Tavis Smiley. In 2002, as part of a reorganization focusing on entertainment productions,

In 1991, the network became the first black-controlled company on the New York Stock Exchange . ^{[ 2 ]} In 2003, the network was no longer a black owned business when it was bought by media conglomerate Viacom for $3 billion. In 2005, Johnson retired from the network, turning over his titles as President and Chief Executive Officer to Debra L. Lee , a former Vice President.

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( Excerpted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Entertainment_Television )

Steve... have you set your retirement date yet ???