BET's Music Matters Campaign Goes Into Full Gear and Heads to Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest Music Conference

BET & SXSW Will Sponsor the "BABY I'M A STAR!" Panel and BET's Music Matters Will Host a Showcase Featuring B.o.B., J. Cole, Marsha Ambrosius, Melanie Fiona, Miguel and Many More

BET'S Music Matters Showcase @ SXSW to Be Recorded and Available on iTunes March 19

Marsha Ambrosius and Melanie Fiona Co-Headline BET's Music Matters Tour II, March 16 in Dallas, Texas with Special Guest Anthony David

NEW YORK, March 14, 2011 -- BET teams up with South by Southwest Music and Media Conference (SXSW) to bring conference attendees two exceptional programs. On Thursday, March 17, 2011, BET is pleased to present the "BABY I'M A STAR!" panel followed by the hottest R&B / Hip-Hop music showcase to hit SXSW this year. The BET Music Matters showcase will feature B.o.B., J. Cole, Marsha Ambrosius, Miguel, Melanie Fiona, Big Sean and Dom Kennedy. Adding to the exciting news, Music Matters artists, Marsha Ambrosius and Melanie Fiona will embark as the next artists to headline BET's Music Matters Tour II kicking off in Dallas, Texas on March 16.

BABY I'M A STAR!: How to Get Major Exposure in a Multi-Platform Media Environment

Discover the secrets of how to become a star and strategically get your music to the masses � through TV, digital, records and live performances.

Moderated by BET's Senior Director of Music Programming, Kelly G., "BABY I'M A STAR" will include Stephen G. Hill, BET's President of Music Programming and Specials; Troy Carter, CEO/Founder of Atom Factory Inc and manager for Lady Gaga and Mindless Behavior; L. Londell McMillan, Publisher, The Source Magazine; Jaunique Sealey, EVP, Business Development, Atom Digital and Music Matters Artists, Melanie Fiona and J. Cole.

Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 2pm Austin Convention Center l Room 18ABC l 500 E Cesar Chavez St. BET MUSIC MATTERS SHOWCASE Featuring B.o.B., J. Cole, Marsha Ambrosius, Miguel, Melanie Fiona, Big Sean and Dom Kennedy.

Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 7pm Kiss N' Fly l 404 Colorado Street, Austin, TX

For tickets and information about BET's Music Matters Tour II, please visit: http://www.bet.com/MusicMatters/music_musicmatters_tour+II.

BET Music Matters II Tour Dates:
March 16
South Side Music Hall
Dallas, TX
March 17
SXSW
Austin, TX
March 18
House of Blues
New Orleans, LA
March 19
Varsity Theatre
Baton Rouge, LA
March 20
Arena Theatre
Houston, TX
March 22
1015 Folsom
San Francisco, CA
March 23
Harlow's
Sacramento, CA
March 26
El Rey Theatre
Los Angeles, CA
March 31
House of Blues
Cleveland, OH
April 1
Royal Oak Music Theatre
Detroit, MI
April 2
House of Blues
Chicago, IL
April 4
Theatre of the Living Arts
Philadelphia, PA
April 5
Irving Plaza
New York, NY
April 6
The Birchmere
Alexandria, VA
April 7
Ram's Head Live
Baltimore, MD
April 8
The National
Richmond, VA
April 11
Center Stage Theater
Atlanta, GA
April 12
Cannon Center for the Performing Arts
Memphis, TN
April 13
Limelight Entertainment Complex
Nashville, TN
April 14
Mansion
Montgomery, AL
April 15
Platinum of Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
April 16
Florida Theatre
Jacksonville, FL
April 17
Von Braun Center
Huntsville, AL
*All times are ET/PT.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary 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 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. 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; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.