All Articles Tagged "BET"
“That Relationship Is Over”: TJ Holmes Talks Working With BET After “Don’t Sleep” Cancellation, And If They Really Gave The Show A Chance
After the news was made official earlier in the month that BET would no longer air Don’t Sleep on the network, TJ Holmes kept it pretty professional and optimistic about the shows axe and what his professional life would be like since the program was getting the boot. As we all know, Holmes left CNN to host the news program, and since then, been trying to fill in here and there at MSNBC, but has no official new job.
“I thank the audience and my fans for all of their support. I am proud of Don’t Sleep and I look forward to continuing to speak to broad issues affecting the national and global communities.”
“The network, they made a decision that they didn’t want the show to come back. That being the case, I don’t have anything else to do at that network. I was only there to do that show for the most part. So if they decide they don’t want the show on the air anymore, then there is no reason for that relationship to continue. So that relationship is over.”
“Initially, when they cut it from a nightly show to a weekly show, I was shocked. And that had a lot to do with the timing. We’ve barely been on the air for a month at the time, and you’re still trying to find your footing and figure some things out. So I was shocked by that. But again, they have every right to do whatever it is they want to do with their network. So am I disappointed, yes, but I’m more so disappointed by the fact that we don’t have that [type of show on the air]. It was always my intent, all along, that my heart was in it to step away from where I was to roll the dice and take a chance certainly at a place that is not known for that type of programming…But what drew me was the idea that I could speak night in and night out to the issues affecting my community.”
On whether or not he regrets walking away from CNN:
“Oh my God, never. Not a regret at all. I mean, mistakes were made along the way. So I’ll see things and can look back on where a mistake was made, but there’s not a regret that I have in life. You make the best decision you can with the information that’s in front of you and things work out, and sometimes they don’t, but as long as you can learn from it and grow from it you’re going to be alright.”
And whether or not he’ll take “Don’t Sleep” to another network:
“Throughout the rest of my career I want to make sure that I have some sort of an outlet or platform to speak to those types of issues. There are not a lot of places, frankly on television, that will make the space for that type of show. So doing it again, I don’t know, but I certainly want to have some type of a platform where I’m always able to speak to some of the things I spoke to on that show.”
Check out his full interview with The Huffington Post, where he discusses his own future and trying to get back to reporting the news ASAP over at their website.
Canceled: BET Gives ‘Don’t Sleep!’ The Axe, T.J. Holmes Says He Doesn’t Completely Regret The Show
Source: WENN
Eight months following its initial launch, BET has officially confirmed that Don’t Sleep! hosted by T.J. Holmes will not be returning for another season. According to Multichannel News, the series has been canceled due to its failure to draw a significant audience. The show started off strong, garnering 1 million viewers for its October 9th episode, but that success quickly diminished, averaging only 400,000 viewers before being transformed into a weekly show.
“[Don't Sleep!] delivered smart social commentary on significant issues important to African Americans with the nation’s most prominent thought leaders. BET remains committed to being a resource for our audience on issues that directly affect the African American community,” the network said in a statement.
Holmes maintains that he’s proud of what Don’t Sleep! represented and will continue to tackle issues affecting our communities.
“I thank the audience and my fans for all of their support. I am proud of Don’t Sleep and I look forward to continuing to speak to broad issues affecting the national and global communities.”
He also spoke to Journal-isms on Friday regarding his departure from the network.
“I’m a completely free agent. I will never, ever regret thinking that my heart was in the right place, a young Black man taking his skills to do something that was not being done for our community, that is, providing a daily news show geared toward African Americans. You learn from the mistakes, there are questions I should have asked, things that should have been cleared up, but reaching the Black community in that way was an opportunity I would love to have.”
It’s unfortunate that the show has been canceled. We wish T.J. the best in his future endeavors!
Considering how successful shows like Real Housewives of Atlanta and Love & Hip Hop are, would you say that we (the Black community) are to blame for allowing this show to be canceled?
M.O.M.’s Day: Group Teams With BET To Rally Against Gun Violence During Month Of May
A scene from Hadiya Pendleton’s funeral in February. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
The month of May is when we celebrate Mother’s Day but a group of mothers has taken the opportunity to shed light on gun violence. Mothers On A Mission Against Urban Gun Violence has teamed up with BET Networks and The National Action Network to host a month-long campaign during the month of May. The campaign’s purpose is to educate and empower mothers and women to unite against urban gun violence with a special 5-point call to action.
At the launch of the campaign, Cleopatra Pendleton, mother of slain 15-year-old Chicago student Hadiya Pendleton, delivered a passionate call to action.
“The day Hadiya was born my life began and the day she died I thought it was the end of mine, until I realized it was the beginning of my new life – as an activist,” she said. Pendleton pointed out that while Hadiya was the “. . . 42nd child killed at the hands of gun violence in 2013,” there have been countless others after and the numbers continue to rise.
Cleopatra Pendleton. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
M.O.M.’s “5 Point Call to Action” for mothers during the month of May:
1. Find a local anti-violence program in your area and donate time and/or money.
2. Work with other mothers to petition your local community center or church to stay open to provide conflict resolution and anti-violence programming for youth especially during summer months.
3. Contact elected officials and make your voice heard about gun violence.
4. Work with local organizations like National Action Network on programs like “Occupy the Corners.”
5. Mentor youth in your community.
BET and The National Action Network will leverage all of their platforms including on-air programming and social media and grassroots community mobilization to encourage women to speak out against urban gun violence around the country throughout the month.
Is Black Leadership Dead? The State Of Leadership In The Community And Figuring Out How To Revitalize It
Nikki Khan, The Washington Post
Is black leadership dead?
I find myself intrigued by that question ever since the election of Barack Obama brought about a public debate within some in the black community on whether or whether not he should be considered a black leader. Apparently, Bob Johnson, black billionaire and founder of BET, is just as intrigued, because earlier this month he released the data from his national survey, which he co-commissioned with Zogby, on how African Americans felt about President Obama, the economy, and if their lives were better off having lived under the Obama Administration’s tenure. According to RJ Companies, the website where the data is published, the opinions of 1002 randomly selected black adults were included in this survey and they were polled by both phone and online survey. However, despite the massive promise, the results of the survey offered very little in providing real measurable insight.
Among the non-surprises, this poll revealed that 91 percent of black folks see President Obama as favorable and 72 percent believe that his election has helped them individually. And because of this virtual non-reveal, certain members of the black media didn’t waste any time unmasking the data, including Glen Ford of the Black Agenda Report, who in post called the survey “pretty sloppy work,” which he writes, “didn’t really tell us much useful.” Writes Ford: “What have we learned? That a billionaire, Black or white, can spend all the money he wants asking poorly constructed questions for no other purpose than to remind people that he is still rich.”
I don’t know if I agree with Ford’s conclusion, as I’m pretty sure there is some purpose Johnson is trying to achieve outside of statistically stuntin’ on a Negro. But his point about question construction is noted. And as Ford, I too raise an eyebrow at this particular question from the poll, which asked respondents to choose which of the following people speaks for them most often. The multiple choices include the following:
1. Rev. Al Sharpton
2. Rev. Jesse Jackson
3. Congresswoman Maxine Waters
4. NAACP Chief Ben Jealous
5. Congressman James Clyburn
6. Urban League President Marc Morial
7. Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican Party
You do have to wonder why these particular people were selected out of all the black folks who have ever stepped on a soapbox and did or said something worth being called a leader. First, there are a couple of people on this list I wouldn’t call black household names. Likewise, with the exception of some small nuances in beliefs and Michael Steele – the list’s sole republican – I wouldn’t exactly call this list diverse. Although a polarizing figure, a list of leaders, which excludes Louis Farrakhan is ignorant of his influential reach within the community. I mean, the Million Man March anyone? Bueller? I guess then it should come as no surprise that while Sharpton received 24 percent of the tally, making him the winner of the leaders listed, the vast minority of people – 40 percent – decided that none of the leaders listed best represented their interest.
Problems with the question structure aside, there does seem to be an obsession with declaring a black leader in the community. With the plethora of social, economic and political problems affecting the community, folks understandably yearn for the days of messiah-like figures such as Malcolm X and the and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who could lead our community to greatness. And yet today, as blacks progress further economically and politically and are now welcomed in spaces that they have traditionally been excluded from because of the color of their skin in the past, there seems to be a less identified black leader or message coming from within the community. Or as Kirsten West Savali writes for NewsOne:
“The big reveal of Johnson’s poll is not that there are no clear leaders, but that there are no clear Black agendas from which clear leaders can emerge. When the goal of assimilation becomes primary, the fights of the every-day Black (wo) man become secondary. And the plight of everyday Black people, communalism, was at the heart of of those movements of yesteryear which required leaders to organize the masses. The time of sharing a common goal has faded into the current zeitgeist of simply sharing a common skin tone — and overwhelming pride that someone with like skin tone has become the face of the United States.”
I believe there is a lot of truth to what West- Savali writes. I also think though, that throughout our history in America (and more likely before our ancestors got to the shores), there has never been a clear black agenda or person (s), who represented the ideas and interests of the collective black experience. I’m willing to bet that anytime throughout the history of black folks in this country, a similar question about black representation would produce the same varied responses as what we see in the Johnson/Zogby poll. I know it would have been true for the era of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois; it was true of the era of Malcolm X and the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr; and it is true for today’s contemporary black leaders. And it is not necessarily centered on the question of should we or shouldn’t we assimilate, but the unresolved question about how to handle women and gay rights in addition to intra-racial class distinctions. Splits and disagreements within both the King-led Civil Rights Movement and the Malcolm-led separatist movement reflected the significance of these sub-contexts. These questions, as well as how black leaders at any given time choose to respond to them, added certain nuances that throughout history tend to make having a sole black agenda unlikely, in addition to increasing the chasm between us intra-racially even further.
Black leadership is not dead, just dormant. Truth of the matter is that there are lots of people of today, who by using traditional modes of organizing, could be considered leaders in a different time. In fact, many of the people listed in the question would qualify. However, times are changing socially. And a new style of leadership is needed to reflect what is a socially evolving community. The time is ripe for a leader to emerge, who can speak fluently and champion the cause of not just black empowerment but black empowerment through gender, sexual orientation and class equality too.
Bishop T.D. Jakes Heads To BET With New Talk Show, ‘Mind, Body & Soul’
Source: Christian Post
Bishop T.D. Jakes is the host of a new talk show, slated to debut on BET this fall. The television program, which bears the name of the Dallas megachurch pastor is titled, T.D. Jakes Presents: Mind, Body & Soul. The network recently announced the show, which they refer to as “better talk,” along with a couple of other originally scripted series that made the fall lineup. A brief description of the new program, found on the network’s wesite reads:
“BET brings better talk with spiritual leader, educator and humanitarian Bishop T.D. Jakes as host of a brand-new talk show. Covering a wide range of topics including health and wellness, finance and relationships, Bishop Jakes unearths deeper conversations on the topics that matter to Black America. The areas of wellness, love and relationships deserve better conversations and deeper insights. Count on Bishop T.D. Jakes to provide plenty of both every Sunday.”
According to the Christian Post, this isn’t the first time Jakes and the Potters House attempted to develop a program of this nature. Back in 2009 the ministry attempted to develop a show for CBS, but as a result of the country’s suffering economy, it was never brought to fruition. It’s great to see that Jakes, whose Dallas church is home to an estimated 30,000 members, didn’t allow the minor roadblock to deter him in the pursuit of his dreams.
T.D. Jakes Presents: Mind, Body & Soul is scheduled to air every Sunday beginning this fall.
With all of that being said, will you watch?
Source: BET
Sang! Tamar Reminds Us To “Be Grateful” At BET’s Celebration Of Gospel
Source: BET
You may have seen pictures of a pregnant Tamar draped in white circulating the internet. You may have even known that she was wearing that conservative gown to BET’s Celebration of Gospel. And Tamar wasn’t just in attendance, she sang. She wants all ya’ll to know that this baby won’t keep her off stage…though she probably won’t be pop, locking and dropping it for the next few months. Either way, at the Celebration she performed Walter Hawkins’ “Be Grateful.” And she slayed vocally. You can’t even count the runs in this song.
Check her out in the clip below.
Tell us, did she do that?!
Daddy On Duty: TJ Holmes Talks About Fatherhood And How Its Grounded Him
Kris Connor/Getty Images
From Essence
New dad T.J. Holmes is officially on diaper duty.
The former host of BET’s late-night talk show Don’t Sleep says he does his best to help his wife Marilee Fiebig with caring for their two-month-old daughter Sabine.
“I probably change more diapers than her because she breastfeeds and she has to do that,” Holmes told ESSENCE.com at the premiere of Free Angela. “So I do the thing that I can do and that’s change diapers.”
Awww, isn’t that sweet! Men don’t really like to help with diaper changes (it isn’t a woman’s favorite thing either) so it’s nice to see he’s become a pro at it. You can read the rest over on Essence.
What have been some of your most memorable moments as parents?
African Americans Are Confident About Life & The Economy Under Obama, Finds New Poll
shutterstock.com
Are you feeling good about the economy? Has President Obama boosted your confidence in the current social condition? If so, you are not alone. According to a new poll, African Americans feel secure about the direction America is taking under Obama.
The poll results were announced by Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). He commissioned a national poll conducted by from Zogby Analytics. The findings reveal African-American sentiment on a range of issues that include the state of national affairs, race relations, employment, and a variety of current political and social issues, reports Target Market News.
Looking at the data, 30 percent of African Americans felt they are better off financially than four years ago. Forty-eight percent said they were financially the same. Only 19 percent said they were worse off financially.
The poll also found that a majority—48 percent—said things were unchanged as far as the racial attitudes among non-African Americans toward African Americans. Meanwhile 19 percent said they were better off in this catagory, while 25 percent said things were worse.
“I commissioned this poll for a number of reasons,” said Johnson in a press statement. “First, for African Americans, this country has experienced the most historic political event and that is the election and re-election of the first African American president, Barack Obama. Because of this, I wanted to find out how African Americans today feel about Obama’s presidency and equally important, if they feel that their lives are better off having lived under the first four years of Obama and the prospect of an Obama Administration for the next four years.” Unemployment numbers released today show that there has been a drop in black unemployment figures, but it’s been matched by a drop in participation.
Despite the hardships economic setbacks and increased nationwide violence, African Americans are happy with Obama’s performance, discovered the poll. In fact, Obama received a 91 percent favorable rating by African Americans. Seventy-two percent believe that President Obama’s election has helped them while only four percent believe his election has hurt them.
Johnson also said he wanted to gauge the response by African Americans having experienced the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, during which African Americans have been the hardest hit. “Today, African Americans continue to have double the rate of unemployment and less access to capital, and whereas, African Americans were once the largest ethnic minority group and the dominant minority political voice, they are now confronted with the growing political influence of the Hispanic population, which may directly impact competition for jobs and minority business opportunities,” he continued.
You Mad? Duane Martin Speaks On Robin Thicke Leaving ‘Real Husbands,’ Calls Him The Bobby Brown Of The Group
Source: WENN
Last week we told you all there were rumors going around that Robin Thicke was out on BET’s hit reality show parody, “The Real Husbands of Hollywood.” Since that time, Hevin Hart has come forward to confirm the rumors are true, but he shut down whispers that his antics are what made Robin walk. Kevin told HipHollywood in a recent interview that, basically, Robin Thicke is a singer — not an actor or comedian — and he wanted to get back to doing what he does, which is sing.
Makes sense, right?
Duane Martin on the other hand tried to crack a few jokes at Robin’s expense that, truthfully, just came out awkward. When Hip Hollywood asked him his thoughts on Paula Patton’s husband leaving the show, he essentially called him the Bobby Brown and Eddie Kane (shout out to the Five Heartbeats) of the group, claiming one day he’ll come back begging to be on the show again.
Maybe it’s just me or maybe Duane was still in “character” when he did this interview, but his “Nights Like This” joke fell horribly flat and seemed to only add to suspicion that there was some real-life drama on the set of the “Real Husbands.” All I’m saying is I think a simple “we’ll welcome him back when he’s ready” would have sufficed, Duane.
Check out the clip here. What do you think? Are you sad to see Robin go?
Already?! ‘The Game’ Renewed For A Seventh Season
So, just last week BET’s (version of) “The Game” deputed for the sixth season and already the network has renewed the show for a seventh!
According to Deadline.com, during BET’s upfront presentation in Los Angeles, Mara Brock Akil, the creator and executive producer of the series, made the big announcement and let advertisers know the “hit” comedy series would be back again next year.
If you’re scratching your head at this news, we’re not surprised. As we told you last week, “The Game” opened up with decent season 6 numbers, but it’s clear the show is on a steady decline when it comes to viewers. As Shadow & Act pointed out, The first season of “The Game” on BET brought in 7.7 million viewers in 2011. In 2012, that number dropped to 5.3 million, and so far, we’re looking at roughly 4 million views for this latest debut. I’m thinking execs figure they can handle one more million-to-2 million drop in viewership before pulling the plug altogether.
I’m curious what those figures will look like by the end of this season though. I tried to get into last week’s episode, but it was hard. The best thing about it was Lauren London and I think that’s only because I’ll always have a special place for New New (ATL) in my heart — don’t judge me! The new guy, Jay Ellis, doesn’t seem bad, But I can’t rock with Brandy’s hood fabulous, ain’t never had nothing til now, character Chardonay. And because they’ve made the show so serious and much more of a drama than a comedy, any time Tasha Mack delivers a funny line, she just seems way too over the top for the scene. But hey, somebody must like it — 4 million somebodies to be exact.
In other BET news, “Let’s Stay Together” has also surprisingly been renewed for a fourth season, and a full season of Gabrielle Union’s new hour-long drama “Being Marry Jane” has also been ordered to season. The debut is expected in the first quarter of 2014 so we still have a while before we see D. Wade’s lady back in action. Maybe you can tune into “The Game” in the meantime?
