BET starts a weekly news program on Friday described as a cross between Keith Olbermann and Bill Maher with a fatal perspective.
Called "The Truth with Jeff Johnson" and spreading at 11 p.m. on Fridays, the programme stars a BET personality who has also been an activist for the NAACP and People for the American Way. Its debut is timed for the Democratic National Convention.
BET, the most-watched network aimed at blacks, will too air Barack Obama's lecture accepting the Democratic presidential nomination on Aug. 28 live, just like its competitor TV One. Neither network, even so, is spreading John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican convention the side by side week.
Besides election coverage and commentary on the week's news, Johnson said he wanted "The Truth" to address topics like the use of vouchers for private schools and health issues peculiarly relevant to African Americans.
BET has been criticized ofttimes in the black community for film editing back on news-oriented shows. But Johnson said a great deal of the criticism comes from people who don't watch BET, and don't see how news has been corporate into existing shows. BET was unitary of the few networks to cover up Darfur in depth, he said.
"I throw been bucked up by the direction we've been loss in," he said.
On the four nights of the Democratic convention, BET will run word specials focalization on how ex-convicts can't vote, on the
