Robert “Bob” Johnson had a vision to start a Black television network. Back in 1980, Black Entertainment Television (BET) began airing as a two-hour block on Fridays on the newly named USA Network. Cable television was just breaking loose, and everyone wanted a part of the action. After years of successful
programming and gaining the ability to stand on its own, the BET Network began full operations in 1983.
Its original flagship show, Video Soul, also debuted in 1983, and eventually Donnie Simpson would become synonymous with the long-running music video series. The hottest names of the day stopped by to hang out on the show, which remained on the air until 1996. Other popular shows in the 1980s included Video Vibrations, Midnight Love, BET News, Rap City, and Teen Summit. Teen Summit was a talk show geared toward teens and featured the late Ananda Lewis. Bobby Jones Gospel became the longest-running program on the network, leaving the station in 2016 after more than 36 years on the air.
As the 1980s rolled into the 1990s, new programming emerged, including the long-running comedy series BET ComicView, which premiered in 1992. Kings of Comedy members D.L. Hughley and Cedric the Entertainer were among those who appeared on the ComicView stage as early hosts. Mad Sports, hosted by Joe Clair (also a ComicView alum), delivered sports updates in a hip-hop fashion. Reggae was hot in the early 1990s, and BET jumped on board with Caribbean Vibes, as well as the music video show Planet Groove, which served as a precursor to another show we’ll talk about soon.
The new millennium started off strong with the debut of 106 & Park, the show previously mentioned. This weekday Top Ten video countdown became a cultural phenomenon and remained on the air until 2012. After two decades on the air, BET introduced the BET Awards in 2001, quickly becoming one of the hottest award shows in entertainment. In the years that followed, BET launched the BET Comedy Awards, BET Gospel Awards, and BET Hip-Hop Awards. Other award shows aired on BET included the Soul Train Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and the Stellar Awards. The new millennium also saw the sale of BET, as creator Robert Johnson stepped away and Viacom took over. In the process, Johnson became the first Black billionaire.
As the decade transitioned, much like MTV and VH1, music videos were traded in for reality television and prime-time scripted series—many of them highly successful. Shows such as Being Mary Jane, BET’s version of The Real World titled College Hill, and comedies like Kevin Hart’s The Real Husbands of
Hollywood, along with the return of The Game (formerly canceled by The CW), dominated the network.
Reality series followed some of your favorite celebrities—and sometimes their entire families—including Keyshia Cole, DMX, Michael Vick, Lil’ Kim, Trey Songz, and Tiny & T.I.
In recent years, film director Tyler Perry has developed a close relationship with BET and its streaming partner, BET+, producing hit shows such as House of Payne, Assisted Living, All the Queen’s Men, Sistas, and The Oval.
In 2025, we saw the return of 106 & Park, sort of, with 106 & Sports, hosted by Cam Newton and Ashley Nicole Moss. The year prior also marked the return of ComicView after a 15-year hiatus. Will we see a full return to classic BET in 2026? Only time will tell.
