Television and Media - Black Entertainment Television :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Road of Black Entertainment Television The media is all around us, influencing most of our thoughts and buying habits. Most of the media bases its shows towards many diverse demographics as to bring in the most viewers to watch commercials between the show content. But some of the channels are demographic specific advertising directly to a single group in hopes of banking the entire future of a network on that single group. One channel has been extremely successful in this risky business venture, BET. BET stands for "Black Entertainment Television". If not all, then at least 75% of all commercials are made up of an all black cast. Many of these commercials follow the same exact script as others with an all white or mixed cast. Companies are doing a very smart thing in doing this duel advertising for all other networks and channels and BET. Historically and culturally, the majority of blacks support black businesses. The slight perception that a company is black friendly will earn that company several millions of dollars more in profits. Denny's long had the national perception to blacks across the nation as being racist when it came to being seated, the time to get an order placed after being seated, and the time to get the order after it was placed. Several civil rights leaders urged all blacks to boycott Denny's. After Denny's claimed that it was never and had never practiced racist tactics, Denny's produced a new commercial, one that featured an all black cast and it was run on BET. There haven't been any more complaints since. BET had probably played a large part of dissuading the racist views that were perceived during the time before the commercial had aired. BET also markets some shows directly to the black audience, especially their main target, the black male middle-middle class to the low-middle class. "Comic View" is a nightly stand-up comedy show that features black comics. Sometimes there is another minority on stage (Asian, Hispanic, etc.) but the majority of the time there are black comics on stage.