Softnotes is a multi-hour music television program created for BET. It debuted in 1987, and was created and produced by Alvin Jones (THE UNSEEN VJ), the former host of Video Vibrations . This program focused on the genre known as Smooth Jazz, mixing up R&B, Soft Rock, & Easy Listening videos. [1] This also showed the growing diversity of BET, and paved the way for other Jazz-dedicated shows like Sound & Style with Ramsey Lewis and Jazz Central. Eventually, the program spun off the BET on Jazz digital cable channel, which is currently BET Her. Softnotes remained on the air until 1991, and Paul Porter (Alvin Jones' successor for Video Vibrations) would host the remainder of the show until it went off the air in mid-late 1991.
Artists like Anita Baker, Kenny G, Najee, Jeff Lorber, Freddie Jackson, and others had their music videos shown on the program.
Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is currently owned by the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched as a program block on January 25, 1980, BET would eventually become a full-fledged channel on July 1, 1983.
Punk'd is an American hidden camera–practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003. It was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, with Kutcher serving as producer and host. It bears a resemblance to both the classic hidden camera show Candid Camera and to TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes, which also featured pranks on celebrities. Being "punk'd" referred to being the victim of such a prank. New episodes hosted by King Bach and DeStorm Power aired on BET.
Soul Train is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois, for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first and longest-serving host and executive producer.
BET Her is an American basic cable television network currently owned by the BET Media Group subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group.
Marie Antoinette Wright, better known by her stage name, Free, is an American media personality, television producer, choreographer, rapper, and philanthropist. She became known as the first host of Black Entertainment Television's 106 & Park until 2005. She was later as a disc jockey at KKBT 100.3 The Beat in L.A., serving as a morning drive co-host at WPGC-FM in Washington, D.C., and is the former co-host of The Ed Lover Morning Show on Power 105.1 in New York.
Yo! MTV Raps is an American two-hour television music video program, which first aired on MTV Europe from 1987 to mid-90s and on MTV US from August 1988 to August 1995. The American version of the program was the first hip hop music show on the network, and was based on the original MTV Europe show, which first aired one year before the American version. Yo! MTV Raps produced a mix of rap videos, interviews with rap stars, live in-studio performances, and comedy. The show also yielded a Brazilian version called Yo! MTV and broadcast by MTV Brasil from 1990 to 2005.
106 & Park is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest-rated show throughout its run. On November 14, 2014, BET cancelled 106 & Park, with an alleged shift to a digital-only format, with occasional specials during network event programming, though the last time it was seen in any form was the 2016 BET Experience, and the digital-only program never aired.
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of Soul Train, the program from which it takes its name, and features musical performances by various contemporary R&B and soul music recording artists interspersed throughout the ceremonies. The special traditionally used to air in either February, March or April, but now airs the last weekend of November.
Rap City, also known as Rap City: Tha Basement from 1999 to 2005, is a music video television program block that originally aired on the Black Entertainment Television (BET) network from August 11, 1989, to November 8, 2008. The program was an exclusive showcase for hip hop music videos, and features interviews with and freestyles from popular rappers, and often has guest DJs serve as co-hosts.
Clinton Raymond Holmes is a British-born singer-songwriter and Las Vegas entertainer, and TV announcer.
Video Soul is a two–hour long American music video program that originally aired on BET from June 26, 1981 to September 1996. The program was devoted to showcasing R&B and Soul recording artists and performers' music videos.
Bobby Jones is an American Gospel music singer television host, and radio broadcaster from Nashville, Tennessee and the host and executive producer of several cable television gospel music programs including the former Bobby Jones Gospel.
Video LP is a half-hour, live viewer call-in program that debuted in 1986 on BET. It primarily showcased R&B/Soul and Hip-Hop music videos. The original hostess was Robin Breedon, but the most well-known host was Sherry Carter from 1989 until 1992, when she moved on to co-host Video Soul from 1992–1996). Madelyne Woods also served as hostess for a short time.
Midnight Love is a late-night music video block on the BET network that originally aired from August 10, 1985 until September 3, 2005. The show's creator, Alvin Jones, occasionally in voiceover, alongside various music artists. It showcased music videos of R&B/Soul ballads and Quiet Storm songs.
Saturday morning preview specials were aired on television annually to present previews of each network's fall lineup of Saturday-morning cartoon children's programming. Similar to the model for their new prime time counterpart shows, television networks in the United States and Canada would film a preview special for the fall season. These would often air as part of the regular network schedule or be made available to their affiliates for airing at any time, especially to fill timeslots that contained programming canceled months before.
Video Vibrations was a 4-hour-long daily video block that showcased popular music videos. It was one of BET's early video shows. The show aired October 1, 1984 until 1997, when it was changed to Vibrations. It was developed to appeal to black audiences and show a wider array of black music than MTV or other networks at the time.
Soul! is a performance/variety television program that showcased African American music, dance and literature in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was produced by New York City public television station WNDT, and distributed by NET and its successor PBS.
Black Entertainment Television LLC is a subsidiary of American media conglomerate Paramount Global under its CBS Entertainment unit. BET oversees television channels and premium services aimed at African Americans, including its namesake cable channel.
The Afternoon Show is an Australian children's afternoon magazine television series that aired on the ABC from 16 February 1987 to 17 December 1993. It was the wrapper show for the afternoon children's programming block between 5:00 pm. to 6:00 p.m.