BET Networks Recognizes the Achievements of Alicia Keys, Tyra Banks, Dr.
Cornel West, Richard Parsons, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and CEO Janice
Bryant Howroyd with 'THE BET HONORS'
Hosted by Cedric "The Entertainer," the Inaugural Event, Which Celebrates the
Lives of Leading African American Luminaries, Will Premiere Friday, February
22 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT
NEW YORK, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- BET Networks today announced THE BET
HONORS, an evening dedicated to recognizing the achievements and contributions
of distinguished African American leaders in their fields. Hosted by Cedric
"The Entertainer," THE BET HONORS will celebrate and recognize Alicia Keys
(Entertainment), Tyra Banks (Media), Dr. Cornel West
(Inspirational/Education), Richard Parsons (Corporate), the Honorable Maxine
Waters (Government) and CEO Janice Bryant Howroyd (Entrepreneur).
The inaugural event will take place at the Warner Theatre in Washington,
D.C., on Saturday, January 12, and premiere on the network during Black
History Month on Friday, February 22 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT. Additional
presenters and performers will be announced shortly.
"We are thrilled to present the first-ever BET HONORS and pay tribute to
the thinkers, trailblazers and trendsetters whose accomplishments serve as
inspirations for current and future generations," said Debra Lee, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer, BET Networks. "Each of these remarkable individuals
has made significant contributions to the Black community and American culture
overall, and BET Networks is proud to recognize them through this very
special, new tentpole event. We've done a number of significant shows in other
cities, but what better place to honor these individuals than in our home city
of Washington, D.C."
Stephen Hill, BET's EVP, Entertainment Programming, Music & Talent and
Lynne Harris Taylor, VP of Specials are the show's executive producers, along
with John Cossette of John Cossette Productions.
For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and
photographs, visit BET's press-only Web site at www.bet.com/pr.
About the Honorees
TYRA BANKS - Tyra Banks is a supermodel, host and judge of the reality
television show America's Next Top Model, and is currently hosting her own
Daytime Emmy Award-nominated talk show, The Tyra Banks Show.
JANICE BRYANT HOWROYD - Janice Bryant Howroyd is the chairman, chief
executive officer and founder of ACT*1, a personnel servicing company that
provides staffing, human resources and management solutions to Fortune 500
companies in many industries.
ALICIA KEYS - Alicia Keys is a Grammy Award-winning R&B and soul singer,
songwriter and pianist, who has sold more than 25 million records worldwide.
RICHARD PARSONS - Richard Parsons is Chairman of the Board and Chief
Executive Officer of Time Warner Inc., whose businesses include filmed
entertainment, interactive services, television networks, cable systems and
publishing. It was recently announced that he will be stepping down as CEO on
December 31, 2007, but will remain as Chairman.
CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS - Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) was
elected in November 2006 to her ninth term in the House of Representatives,
serving the 35th District of California, which represents a large part of
South Central Los Angeles, the communities of Westchester and Playa Del Ray,
as well as the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood and Lawndale.
DR. CORNEL WEST - Dr. Cornel West is a professor of religion and African
American studies at Princeton University, and is considered one of America's
most gifted, provocative and important public intellectuals. He has won
numerous awards, including the American Book Award, and has received more than
20 honorary degrees.
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 87 million households according to Nielsen Media
Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the
dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business
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 Event
Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET Home
Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment
including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, a service venture into the
lucrative world of ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices;
and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global
distribution.
SOURCE BET Networks
Jeanine Liburd, +1-212-846-7437, jeanine.liburd@bet.net, or Tracy McGraw,
+1-212-846-7879, tracy.mcgraw@bet.net, both of BET Networks
