BET's 106 & PARK Celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- This Fall marks the 10-year anniversary of BET Network's wildly-successful music countdown show, 106 & PARK.  Since 2000, 106 & PARK has provided audiences and fans across the country with celebrity interviews, the hottest music videos, the biggest names in film and television and performances by the best entertainers in the business.  Hosted by Terrence and Rocsi, 106 & PARK has become THE destination for today's brightest stars including Jay Z, Diddy, Rihanna, Denzel Washington, Madonna, Beyonce, Chris Brown, Queen Latifah, Will Ferrell, Lady Gaga, Halle Berry, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Lebron James, Whitney Houston, 50 Cent, Sienna Miller, Will Smith, Drake, Katie Holmes, Trey Songz, Kirk Franklin, Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Lopez and many, many others.

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"Who would have thought that this little show that began September 11, 2000, with nervous producers and even more nervous first time hosts would turn into this highly successful, influential, game-changing daily energetic program about, from and to youth culture?" said Stephen G. Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials.  "We are proud to reflect and represent every day for our incredible audience that still, after over 2500 episodes, still fuels the show….for this show was built and still rests on the BET audience."

A powerful presence in the music industry, 106 & PARK is the #1 Music Variety Show on cable for 13 consecutive quarters among Adults 18-49, according to Nielsen and has been integral in launching the careers of numerous hip-hop and R&B artists.  Music executive Kevin Liles once told EW, ''There are five things you need to do to be successful -- Sign a superstar with a great image, have a great first single, get great word of mouth, get them on the radio and get them on '106 & Park.' Those things start projects.''

106 & PARK is the only music countdown show still standing and in addition to creating trends, the show also tackles significant issues affecting teens, i.e. "teen violence," "abusive relationships," "bullying," "education," "health and fitness" and many others.

To celebrate its 10 years on the air, 106 & PARK will premiere the following specials beginning Tuesday, October 5.  

* 106 & PARK: 10 YEARS & COUNTING / Tuesday, October 5 @ 10 – 11 p.m.*

For the FIRST TIME ever on the 106 & PARK stage, both past and present hosts throughout the years: AJ & Free; Tigger & Julissa and of course, Terrence and Rocsi WILL JOIN TOGETHER for sizzling reunion.  They will take us through the past 10 years of the show by sharing their insight and experiences as well as discussing the many ways the show impacted the music industry and the lives of countless recording artists and celebrities.

* 106 & PARK: THE CELEBRATION, 10 YEARS LIVE!!! / Wednesday, October 6 @ 6 – 8 p.m.*

106 & PARK: 10 YEARS AND COUNTING will be a LIVE 2-hour celebration full of energy, big names and even bigger performances to help celebrate 106 & PARK's milestone, 10 successful years in the industry.

FUN FACTS @ 106 & PARK -

• Once a video has been on the countdown 60 times, IT'S retired into the '106 & Park Hall of Fame.' This earned Bow Wow the permanent title of Mr. 106 & Park and Aaliyah the permanent title of Miss 106 & Park for having the most #1's of their respective genders.
• BET HOSTS: AJ Calloway and Free (2000 – 2005); Julissa Bermudez and Big Tigger (2005 – 2006); and Rocsi and Terrence (2006 – present).
• OFFICIAL 106 & PARK DJ's: DJ Enuff (2003 – 2004) and DJ Prostyle (2005 – present)
• Upon its premiere in 2000, 106 & PARK ran for one hour.  In 2001, it was extended to 90 minutes and in 2008, 106 was extended to 120 minutes.
• 106 & PARK celebrated its 2000 episode in August 2008.
• The title of 106 & PARK derived from the original studio location at East 106th Street and Park in Manhattan.  

*All times ET/PT

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), 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 98 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 businesses extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks - BET J, 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 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.

SOURCE BET Networks