BET Networks to Air Live Political Expert Coverage on President Barack Obama's State of The Union Address Highlighting the Issues That Affect Black America

NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BET Networks brings to its multiple platforms expert analysis of President Obama's State of The Union Address of 2012 in a live on-air special "2012 State of The Union" Special premiering LIVE on Tuesday, January 24 at 9 PM ET/ 6 PM PT on Centric and BET.com. The special will re-air on BET at Midnight EST/ 9 PM PST. BET News correspondent Ed Gordon will moderate BET's State of The Union coverage LIVE from the Newseum in Washington D.C. Rev. Lennox Yearwood from the Hip Hop Caucus, Crystal Wright of the blog ConservativeBlackChick.com, former Special Assistant to the President Bush for Domestic Policy Ron Christie, and 2008 Obama campaign pollster Cornell Belcherwill be on hand to offer analysis. This one-hour special is part of a series of BET News specials the Network will produce bringing an African-American perspective to the 2012 Presidential Election cycle.

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Hosted by award-winning broadcast journalist Ed Gordon, "2012 State of The Union" Special will provide viewers with context and insight into the speech. Following the on-air special BET will continue the conversation on BET.com with a small group of invited guests who will provide perspectives on the speech beyond political observations.

Log on to BET.com/News for exclusive video content, up-to-date coverage and compelling specials. With frequent updates on a wide array of topics including politics, finance, entertainment and more—BET.com/News is your destination for the latest in and around the country. Also, join the conversation about the special on Twitter by using hashtags: #BETNews and #BETVOTE2012.

"2012 State of The Union Address" Special is produced by BET News.

ABOUT ED GORDON

Ed Gordon, a well-seasoned anchor, reporter, interviewer, radio host and Emmy Award-winning broadcaster first joined BET in 1988 and helped distinguish the channel's place among top television news divisions. During his tenure with BET News, Gordon became a significant force in television news reporting and interviewed an impressive and diverse slate of people including important world figures such as Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, President Bill Clinton, Academy Award winners Jamie Foxx and Halle Berry, as well as Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan, the late Michael Jackson and R&B artist R. Kelly.

Known for his stellar interaction with newsmakers from the worlds of politics, entertainment, and sports, his name is synonymous with the "big" interview. Ed Gordon's knack for landing exclusives and his no-nonsense style makes him one of television's most respected journalists. In addition to his work at BET Networks, Gordon has held impressive positions with major news organizations including contributing correspondent for the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes II and contributor for NBC's Today Show and Dateline. He also hosted News and Notes with Ed Gordon on National Public Radio and Our World with Black Enterprise, a weekly news program.  Gordon is also president of Ed Gordon Media, a multi-service production company. The Detroit native earned his bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Western Michigan University.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

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CONTACTS:
Luis Defrank
212-205-3156
[email protected]

LeToya Glenn-Bacon
212-205-3158
[email protected]

SOURCE BET Networks