BET Networks Presents Extensive Coverage of the Historic Inauguration of President-Elect...

BET Networks Presents Extensive Coverage of the Historic Inauguration of
President-Elect Barack Obama, Including All-Day News Coverage and Star-Studded
Events
BET Special "YES WE WILL!: BET'S INAUGURATION CELEBRATION" Premieres Tuesday,
January 20 at 8:00 P.M.*

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuesday, January 20, 2009 marks a
defining moment in U.S. history, and BET Networks will be all over our
nation's capitol all weekend to celebrate the Inauguration of America's first
African American president.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO )
BET Networks announced that Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo, Anthony Hamilton, Anita
Baker, Joss Stone, Yolanda Adams and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater will be
performing at THE BET HONORS on Saturday, January 17 at the Warner Theatre in
Washington, D.C.Terrence Howard, Cedric The Entertainer, Samuel L. Jackson
and Hill Harper will also make appearances. As the kick-off to Inaugural
weekend, THE BET HONORS will be hosted by actress Gabrielle Union and will
honor the accomplishments of Tyler Perry, Mary J. Blige, Earvin "Magic"
Johnson, B. Smith, Judith Jamison and Congressman James E. Clyburn. This
year's show will premiere on BET on Monday, February 9 at 9:00 p.m.*
On Tuesday, January 20 at 8:00 p.m.*, Nick Cannon will host YES WE WILL!
BET'S INAUGURATION CELEBRATION, a one-hour special commemorating the massive
voter turnout and what African Americans are committed to doing in order to
implement the change initiated by Barack Obama's presidency. This televised
event will feature incredible performances by Chicago's own Common and Grammy
Award-nominated Jazmine Sullivan and live shots from BET's Inaugural Ball, and
will take a look back at the election and the significant campaign that led
the way to America's first Black president.
BET Networks will host its first-ever Inaugural Ball on Tuesday, January
20 at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, with a special performance by Wyclef Jean.
The Ball will be in support of the opportunities facing our next generation of
national and local leaders and highlight what all Americans can do to improve
the lives of children and youth in this country. To support these efforts, the
Ball will be held in partnership with America's Promise Alliance, the nation's
largest non-profit alliance dedicated to the well-being of children and youth
founded by General Colin and Alma Powell, who will both be present at the Ball
to speak about this historic opportunity to make young people a national
priority. Additionally, BET's Ball will support two institutions that are
committed to the education and advancement of today's youth in Washington,
D.C. -- Dunbar High School and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
"This is a weekend we'll all remember for the rest of our lives, in honor
of a historic achievement many of us never dreamed would happen in our
lifetimes," said Debra L. Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BET
Networks. "We're so excited about everything we have planned to celebrate
President-elect Obama's hugely significant and meaningful Inauguration, and
we're thrilled that we'll have so many wonderful friends joining us, including
General and Mrs. Powell."
"On this historic weekend -- as we welcome our new President and celebrate
the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Americans have a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity to ensure that our priorities reflect what makes this
nation unique and exceptional, and that is our children," said Alma J. Powell,
chair, America's Promise Alliance. "We're excited to partner with a dedicated
organization like BET to raise awareness of the tireless efforts underway to
make this nation a place where all our young people can succeed. When several
thousand teenagers drop out of school each day, and millions more are without
health care, we know we must do better and indeed we will."
BET News Coverage
Throughout the weekend, BET News will provide extensive on-air and online
coverage of the momentous Inauguration of the 44th President of the United
States. Through live coverage, news specials, extended news briefs, on-air
crawls, from the swearing in ceremony to the parade to the White House, BET
News will chronicle the significance of this day of celebration, reflection
and inspiration for its audience.
As thousands venture to the nation's capitol, BET News will document the
multi-level components that go into such a notable event. From the journey of
spectators to the integral inside circles of the campaign, BET will tell the
stories of a dream realized and document this unprecedented passage of power
as George W. Bush extends the presidency to President-elect Barack Obama.
On Tuesday, January 20, Hill Harper (BET J's The Best Shorts, CSI: NY) and
Rene Syler (former host of The Early Show) will co-anchor BET News' coverage
of the Inauguration Swearing-In Ceremony and Parade. Harper and Syler will be
joined by Jeff Johnson and the rest of the BET News team, celebrities,
intellectuals and iconic figures as they walk our audience through the
significant moments in our history that led to this day, and reflect on the
community -- both young and old. BET will broadcast from the following three
locations in Washington, D.C.: -- Rooftop on N. Capitol
-- Capitol Position on the ground
-- Ben's Chili Bowl - U Street Corridor

On Monday, January 19 and Tuesday, January 20, BET News will also feature:

NEWS SPECIALS
-- Specials: BET News will broadcast news specials throughout the day
focusing on this historic moment:

Monday, January 19
-- BET NEWS: KING TO OBAMA: This special examines Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.'s influence on President-elect Barack Obama.
-- 10:30-11:00 p.m.* (encores Tuesday, January 20 at 9:30 p.m. and
11:30 p.m.*)
-- BET NEWS: THE OBAMA EFFECT: From 6-year-olds to 106-year-olds, Black
people of all generations have been moved by our President-elect. A
cross-section of Americans of all ages reflects on this historic
moment.
-- 11:00-11:30 p.m.* (encores Tuesday, January 20 at 9:00 p.m. and
11:00 p.m.*)

Tuesday, January 20
-- 106 & PARK: PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION SPECIAL: Cable television's
top music countdown show will celebrate the historic day.
-- 6:00-8:00 p.m.*
-- YES WE WILL! BET'S INAUGURATION CELEBRATION: This special will
capture the excitement surrounding the historic Inauguration of
the first Black President, Barack Obama.
-- 8:00-9:00 p.m.* (encores from 10:00-11:00 p.m.*)

-- Extended News Briefs: BET News correspondents will file reports
uniquely relevant to its audience on the different events leading up to the
Inauguration. These reports will put the historic nature of this day in
context, while stressing the role the African American community played in
making it happen. These news briefs will also be available on BET.com's
broadband player, BET On Blast.
-- Inauguration Packages: BET News will present several 3-5 minute segment
packages between regular coverage, all of which capture the tone set by this
monumental occasion.
-- Additional BET News Specials: Inauguration coverage will also be
supplemented with encore telecasts of BET News specials JOURNEY TO THE WHITE
HOUSE, PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA'S VICTORY SPEECH and FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT.
-- Crawls and On-Air Messaging: Throughout the day, crawls will be
provided with up-to-date information on the events taking place and the large
anticipated crowds gathering in Washington, D.C. The crawls will also provide
up-to-the-minute updates as well.
BET.com Initiatives:
-- Next Stop: Inauguration: Users will be invited to go to BET.com to
discuss their journey to Washington, D.C. for the Inauguration. BET.com users
will have the opportunity to share their experiences as they come to witness
history in the making. The initiative will be supported via pictures, video
and short stories highlighting how they are going, why they are going, etc.
-- Kids for Obama: While visiting BET.com, users will be able to talk
about the special moments they shared with their children leading up to this
momentous election. Whether their child accompanied them to the voting polls,
has his/her own Obama t-shirt, or is a big Obama fan, users can upload their
favorite photos to the special kid friendly area "Kids for Obama" destination
on BET.com.
-- Obama & Me: Obama has toured the country and won the hearts and votes
of America. BET.com asks users to share any interaction or encounter they may
have shared with the President-Elect while he was campaigning in their town.
Users will be encouraged to upload their photos with Obama so the world can
see who he connected with during his campaign for President.
*All times ET/PT
For more on BET Networks' 2009 Inauguration coverage, please visit
www.bet.com/beheard.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the
nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public
affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary
BET channel reaches more than 98 million households and can be seen in the
United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan
Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse
group of businesses extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for
Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks - BET J,
BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge
entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded
offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET
Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless
devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and
oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
About America's Promise Alliance
America's Promise Alliance is the nation's largest partnership alliance
comprised of corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, policymakers,
advocacy and faith groups committed to ensuring that children receive the
fundamental resources -- the Five Promises -- they need to lead successful,
healthy and productive lives and build a stronger society. Building on the
legacy of our founder General Colin Powell, the Alliance believes the success
of our children is grounded in experiencing the Five Promises -- caring
adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective education; and
opportunities to help others -- at home, in school and in the community. For
more information about America's Promise Alliance, visit
www.americaspromise.org.
SOURCE BET Networks

Jeanine Liburd, +1-212-205-3011, jeanine.liburd@bet.net, Tracy McGraw,
+1-212-205-3013, tracy.mcgraw@bet.net, both of BET Networks; Colleen Wilber of
America's Promise Alliance, +1-202-657-0647, colleenw@americaspromise.org