The Powerful Finale of BET's 'Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is' Premieres as the #1 Series Telecast in Network History

NEW YORK, Dec. 12 -- It was a history-making night for BET, as the season finale of the network's critically acclaimed series KEYSHIA COLE: THE WAY IT IS triumphed as the #1 series telecast in BET history. More than 2.9 million viewers and 2.0 million households tuned in on Tuesday, December 11 to watch the special one-hour season finale, scoring a phenomenal 2.3 BET Coverage Rating.

KEYSHIA COLE now stands as the #1 series in BET history, with an average 1.53 rating, bringing in an average of 1.3 million households and 1.8 million viewers throughout its second season. The finale of KEYSHIA COLE posted gains of +52% versus the show's premiere episode and is BET's #2 telecast of the 2007-08 season behind the BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2007.

In the season finale, Keyshia and her mother Frankie receive the results of a DNA test to reveal whether a man claiming to be Keyshia's long-lost father actually is. Meanwhile, her manager Manny organizes a family reunion to bring together Keyshia's foster family and biological family, including two siblings she has only recently become acquainted with.

The finale of KEYSHIA COLE: THE WAY IT IS will re-air on Thursday, December 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, Friday, December 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and Saturday, December 15 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. BET will also air a marathon of the second season of KEYSHIA COLE on Sunday, December 16 from 6:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The finale will also air following an encore of the BEYONCE EXPERIENCE on Tuesday, December 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

From heart-wrenching therapy sessions and family pathos to handling the day-to-day life of a platinum-selling artist, KEYSHIA COLE: THE WAY IT IS gives one-of-a-kind insight into the world of one of music's most captivating and complex rising stars.

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