BET Announces Its Top
100 Videos of the Century - and the Number One Video is ... Not "Thriller" WASHINGTON--(ENTERTAINMENT
WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1999-- Incredible 12-Hour Countdown Show Scheduled to Air Friday,
December 31, 1999, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. (EST) As Black Entertainment Television (BET)
approaches the celebration of its 20th anniversary and as the 20th century comes
to a close, the cable network's music programming will ascend to new heights on
New Year's Eve with the announcement of the century's top video. And believe it
or not, the number one video is not Michael Jackson's Thriller! BET will air its
Top 100 Videos of the Century on Friday, December 31, 1999 from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
(EST). The program will re-air in its entirety on January, 1, 2000 (check local
listings for telecast times). Although Michael and sister Janet Jackson are well-represented
throughout BET's top 100 countdown, neither of the talented siblings from Gary,
Indiana can lay claim to BET's number one video of the century. However, these
two Jackson wonderkids account for nearly 15% of the century's top videos on the
BET list. Knowing that Thriller will not receive top billing, viewers are left
to wonder what could possibly be a more important, more creative and groundbreaking
video. And as the mystery looms, Stephen Hill, BET's Vice President of Music Programming,
provides an answer guaranteed to whet the appetite of any music and entertainment
enthusiast. "Our number-one choice for the video of the century is arguably the
most important video of the century," says Hill. "At the time it was created,
this video was, without question, one of the most controversial and groundbreaking
moments in history. Our choice for numero uno extends beyond the boundaries that
'traditional' music and entertainment countdowns have provided for viewers and
listeners throughout the years. When the nation sees the video that BET has deemed
supreme, it is sure to be a hot topic of discussion and debate for a long time."
BET has been a launch pad for hundreds of African-American artists throughout
the past two decades. Many of yesterday's and today's top rap, jazz and R&B artists
attribute their success largely to the exposure BET has provided them. BET's top
100 videos of the century is chock full of these artists, including such world-renowned
legends as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, RUN DMC, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder,
Lauryn Hill, Boyz II Men, Public Enemy, TLC, The Sugarhill Gang, Tupac Shakur,
Notorious B.I.G., and many more. Black Entertainment Television (BET), a subsidiary
of BET Holdings II, Inc., is the nation's only 24-hour television network providing
quality programming targeted toward the African-American audience. BET reaches
more than 58 million cable households according to Nielsen media research. Visit
BET on the web at www.msbet.com --30--tia/ny CONTACT: Black Entertainment Television
Michael Lewellen, 202/608-2003 E-mail: [email protected] or Wesley Mallette,
202/608-2028 E-mail: [email protected]