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BET News Sits Down With 2008 Presidential Hopefuls for a Series of Specials Entitled 'WHAT'S IN IT FOR US?' Premiering Tuesday, January 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT
Premiere Special Features Senator Barack Obama, with the Second Installment
'WHAT'S IN IT FOR US? HILLARY CLINTON AND THE BLACK VOTE' Airing Tuesday,
January 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT
NEW YORK, Jan. 2 -- As part of BET Networks' 2008 national
election coverage, BET News sits down with the 2008 presidential hopefuls
for a series of compelling interviews titled "WHAT'S IN IT FOR US?" For the
premiere special, BET speaks with the man on a mission to become the first
Black man in the White House, Senator Barack Obama, in the half-hour
special WHAT'S IN IT FOR US? BARACK OBAMA AND THE BLACK VOTE, premiering
Tuesday, January 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The second special WHAT'S IN IT FOR
US? HILLARY CLINTON AND THE BLACK VOTE will air on Tuesday, January 15 at
10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
In the premiere special, BET News correspondent Jeff Johnson sits with
Senator Obama in a revealing interview that provides a rare glimpse into
the Illinois Senator's life, his family and his political aspirations as he
embarks on an impressive quest to change the complexion of politics
forever. Through this enlightening BET News special, viewers will hear
Senator Obama's thoughts on topics ranging from the U.S. education system,
the criminal justice system and immigration. It also explores what being
"Black enough" really means, the African American electorate and even the
Senator's personal thoughts on hip hop and what is playing on his iPod.
In the second special, Johnson sits down with Senator Hillary Rodham
Clinton, the woman who once stood before America in the East Wing and is
now looking to lead America in the West Wing and become the first female
Commander-in-Chief. Viewers will get a glimpse into Senator Clinton's
thoughts on her rivals, her passions, and what sets her apart. Also,
Senator Clinton's campaign ace has been husband Bill Clinton, and his
presidency endeared them both to African Americans. Will her husband's
influence and connection with the Black community be enough to earn her the
Black vote and give her a win?
From the Specials:
When asked about the questions if he is "Black enough," Obama said, "As
we've progressed over time, and people become more familiar with my track
record, then they feel like this is the guy I'm going to vote for not
because he's Black, but because he's got a track record and is working on
racial profiling, and giving health care to kids, and dealing with wrongful
convictions ... The other thing I've got to always say when people say,
'Are you Black enough?' is, 'Well, compared to whom?'"
Obama also expressed his taste in hip hop, both old school and new, as
well as the challenges the genre faces. "The thing about hip hop today is
it's smart, it's insightful, and the way that they can communicate a
complex message in a very short space is remarkable ... I understand people
want to be rooted in the community, they want to be down, but what I always
say is that hip hop is not just a mirror of what is. It should also be a
reflection of what can be."
These BET News specials are only one aspect of BET Networks'
integrated, non-partisan national election coverage. BET News will be
running a branded series of weekly and daily news briefs, and will have
special coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions. In addition,
BET will air special public service announcements emphasizing the
importance of voting and key election issues impacting its audiences, and
will include election/issue updates on BET shows, such as 106 & PARK.
Online, BET.com is developing a special election microsite with
features including blogs, polls, people on the street interviews and a link
to a voter registration site. BET.com recently named Barack Obama its
Person of the Year in the Politics category, and in his interview, this is
what he had to say:
"I did not run for the presidency to fulfill some long-held ambition or
because I believed it was somehow owed to me. I chose to run in this
election -- at this moment -- because of what Dr. King called 'the fierce
urgency of now.' Because we are at a defining moment in our history. Our
time is now. I believe it's time for this generation to make its own mark
-- to write our own chapter in the American story. After all, those who
came before us did not strike a blow against injustice only so that we
would allow injustice to fester in our time."
In the community, BET will hold a series of grassroots events to
encourage local voter registration and awareness. BET Networks is
partnering with a number of organizations, including Rock the Vote, the CBC
Foundation, Urban League, Black Youth Vote, Urban Radio Network, National
Coalition for Black Civic Participation, Hip Hop Action Network, Pan-Hell,
Joint Center for Political Studies, NAACP and National Urban League on
these community events.
The Obama and Clinton WHAT'S IN IT FOR US? specials are the first in a
series of BET News specials that will explore how life in Black America
would change if a particular candidate wins in 2008. Pamela Gentry of BET
serves as executive producer of WHAT'S IN IT FOR US?. Tiffany Tate and
Andre Showell are producers. Keith Brown is Vice President of News & Public
Affairs, BET.
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
http://www.bet.com/
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