The BET Your Article Missed

I was disappointed to read The Post's article on BET ["Channel Changer," Style & Arts, May 4]. Like all networks, BET has its detractors. But Teresa Wiltz's story failed to balance the criticism with the reality of our efforts to diversify the network's programming and present a wide variety of images of African Americans over the past 28 years.

Most notably, while giving much attention to critics of hip-hop videos, Wiltz never mentioned that videos now constitute only about 20 percent of the network's programming, down from nearly 70 percent just three years ago. Nor does she mention that BET has won seven awards for its news programs in the past year; that BET won the NAACP Image Award for its annual "Celebration of Gospel" (the highest-rated religious program in television the past two years); that BET Networks received an Emmy Award for its long-standing "Rap-It-Up" campaign, which promotes HIV-AIDS awareness; or that the annual BET Awards show has been the No. 1 show in African American households for several years.

Perhaps most unfairly, the story focused on a few programming misfires -- what network has none? -- and failed to explore successes such as "Baldwin Hills," "Sunday Best" and BET News' "Hip Hop vs. America," all of which promote the diversity of the African American experience.

We are proving every day that BET can thrive as a business while offering the full range of images -- yes, including some that our critics would prefer to never see. We regret that The Post seemed to have made so little effort to acknowledge how we are changing, improving and serving the needs and aspirations of our viewers -- aspirations that are more often than not ignored by other networks.

-- Debra Lee

Washington

The writer is chairman and chief executive of BET Networks.