BET Names Actor/Comedian Mike Epps as Host for The Fourth Annual 'BET HIP HOP AWARDS...

BET Names Actor/Comedian Mike Epps as Host for The Fourth Annual 'BET HIP HOP
AWARDS '09' Premiering on Tuesday, October 27 at 8:00 PM*

NEW YORK, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS '09 returns to
primetime this fall with actor/comedian Mike Epps as the new host. Taping on
Saturday, October 10 at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center in
Atlanta, this exciting annual special will once again celebrate the biggest
names in the game, on the mic and in the community. The BET HIP HOP AWARDS
'08 was full of non-stop, mind-blowing performances, talented lyricists and
incomparable collaborations and with this year's crowning tagline "And We
Don't Stop...," BET plans to relive it all again, plus more. Premiering on
the network on Tuesday, October 27 at 8:00 p.m.*, additional performers,
nominees and show talent will be announced later next month.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090903/PH70491 )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO )

"We are VERY happy to be coming back to 'The A' for the fourth go at the BET
Hip-Hop Awards," said Stephen Hill, President of Music and Programming, BET
Networks. "We embrace the opportunity to amplify all aspects of the hip-hop
culture; the music, the dance, the sense of community and as we have before,
we expect to do so with excitement...and with my man Mike Epps on board as our
new host, we'll do it with reckless abandon. And we don't Stop."

Standup comedian turned actor, Mike Epps got his first big break performing
on HBO's Def Comedy Jam, and soon parlayed his popularity into big screen
success with co-starring roles in Ice Cube features like "Next Friday" (2000)
and "All About the Benjamins" (2002). The Indianapolis native stood out in
Hollywood and has maintained a string of both comedy and dramatic roles on the
silver screen. Epps' most recent work includes "The Hangover" (2009), "Next
Day Air" (2009), and "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" (2007). Epps will star in
Showtime's one hour standup comedy special, Mike Epps' "Under-rated and Never
Faded-Live from Detroit" premiering on Saturday, October 3. Fans should also
look out for Epps' first hip hop comedy album, "Funny Bidness", featuring
collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock and Slim Thug. "Funny Bidness" will
be available in stores on Tuesday, October 27 -- the same day as the premiere
of THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS '09.

Last year's BET HIP HOP AWARDS drew an impressive 2.1 rating, which translated
into 3 million viewers and was the #1 hip hop themed telecast on TV for the
third consecutive year, according to Nielsen Media Research. The BET HIP HOP
AWARDS '08 was full of non-stop, unbelievable performances, talented lyricists
and incomparable collaborations. Lil Wayne, T.I., Nas, Keri Hilson, Keyshia
Cole, Ludacris, Nelly, N.E.R.D., Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Soulja Boy, Bow Wow,
Ne-Yo, Swizz Beatz, 50 Cent, Russell Simmons and many other top name
celebrities were all a part of last year's celebration.

This year, BET once again teams up with Cossette Productions, the famed
producers of the GRAMMY Awards(R) and the seven record-setting BET AWARDS
shows, to handle production of the telecast. Stephen G. Hill, BET President,
Music and Programming, along with Lynne Harris-Taylor, BET Vice President of
Specials, are executive producers of the telecast.

For more on THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS '09 please visit us at BET.com.

Tickets for THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS '09 are by invite only and not available
for purchase.

Interested media outlets, who would like to cover the BET Hip Hop Awards red
carpet arrivals, should visit the BET PR website at www.bet.com/pr for
important information on how to properly submit your media credentials
request. The media credentials deadline to submit requests is Friday, October
2, 2009.

*All times ET/PT

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.

SOURCE BET Networks

Marcy Polanco, +1-212-975-4048, marcy.polanco@bet.net, or Tricia N. Newell,
+1-212-975-8230, tricia.newell@bet.net, both of BET Networks