Contact with Viacom and Black Entertainment Television - 7.11.2007.1

I tried to be fair. I tried to hear both sides. But there is a limit to what can be done. I am referring to my attempts to contact Black Entertainment Television for a comment on the massive and growing displeasure with [to say the least], and potential boycott of sponsors for, Hot Ghetto Mess.

Let me be clear. On Monday the 9th I started the process. I called Viacom and was directed to CBS. CBS stated that they no longer have anything to do with BET and then forwarded me to individuals at BET that could not comment due to company policy. I respect that they could not comment on the record. I was then directed to speak with the public relations department for BET. It turns out that it was for CBS. I was then directed to another person, who was also for CBS. Then I finally get BET to give me a number for their legal/corporate communications department. That’s in DC as opposed to NYC where their offices are. When I called that number I waited 4 minutes to get a human operator on the phone. I never got a human being to pick up. The call to DC was today, the second day in my efforts. I think I have been more than fair.


So let me state that I feel Mr. Sumner M. Redstone, who has controlling voting interest in Viacom according to the most recent 10Q, needs to fix his company. To be clear, while Mr. Phillippe P. Dauman is the CEO of Viacom (which owns BET) the voting rights and thus ultimate control lay with Mr. Sumner Redstone via his NAI company.

The fun part of this is I was a stockbroker and can read a 10Q. For those less familiar, essentially that is a document that public companies (ie. traded on the stock market) must file every 3 months, is available to the public, and states how much money was made, from where, how it was spent, and who is in charge. So when I stated previously that Viacom was ultimately responsible for Hot Ghetto Mess, and the general state of BET, I was incorrect. Ultimately it would be NAI and Mr. Redstone.

So I ask Mr. Redstone and Mr. Dauman a couple of questions. [Feel free to copy this post in part or whole and send it to Viacom, Mr. Redstone and/or Mr. Dauman]

• 1. Why is it that Black Entertainment Television (BET) is not allowed to comment except through its corporate communications which there seems no way to contact directly or with ease? Is there a reason that out of several people I have spoken with in 3 companies over 2 days no one can give me a number or name that can comment?
  
• 2. Why is it that Viacom owns MTV, VH1, Nick at Nite, Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks, among other properties and working relationships yet programming at BET fails to consistently provide diversity, quality, and/or positive content?
  
• 3. Why is it that divisions of the company are able to provide quality programs/content and BET promotes what I and other believe are caricatures of African Americans? I submit these examples: Spike TV – The original program The Blade Series, Comedy Central – The Dave Chappelle Show, Dreamworks – Hustle&Flow, Paramount Pictures – Dreamgirls.
  

Continued in Part 2...