BET NETWORK NEWS- BET HIP HOP AWARS AIRS OCT. 23, 2008!

News Release Issued: October 21, 2008 1:34 PM EDT

It's Must See TV on BET on Thursday, October 23 with the Premieres of the
'BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08' and the Critically Acclaimed 'AMERICAN GANGSTER'

Tune in to BET Starting at 7:00 P.M.* on Thursday, October 23 for "THE BLACK
CARPET" Pre-show, Followed by the "BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08" at 8:00 p.m.* and
"AMERICAN GANGSTER" at 10:00 p.m.*

NEW YORK, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- BET is the place to be on Thursday,
October 23, as the network premieres the hottest show in hip hop, the BET HIP
HOP AWARDS '08, as well as its critically acclaimed docu-drama, AMERICAN
GANGSTER. All the action starts with THE BLACK CARPET's coverage of the BET
HIP HOP AWARDS '08 red carpet at 7:00 p.m.*, with the main show starting at
8:00 p.m.* Rounding out the night is the premiere of the third season of
AMERICAN GANGSTER at 10:00 p.m.*

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-b )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO )

THE BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08

The BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 was full of non-stop, mind-blowing performances,
talented lyricists and incomparable collaborations, but above all, the night
was an empowering tribute to the upcoming presidential election, giving back
to the community and the reigning ladies of hip hop. With the ever-present
T-Pain serving as the surprise ringleader (with scheduled host Katt Williams
unable to attend), the third annual show was taped at Atlanta's Civic Center
on Saturday, October 18 and will air on BET Thursday, October 23 at 8:00
p.m.*

The show's most unforgettable moment was the ladies of hip hop medley,
featuring the reigning queens of the mic -- MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, The Lady of Rage,
Salt-n-Pepa and Spinderella. From MC Lyte's "Cha Cha Cha" to Yo-Yo's "You
Can't Play with My Yo-Yo," the performance was an inspiring reminder of how
amazing female MCs are and can be. Salt-n-Pepa brought the house to its feet
with a number of songs, including "My Mic Sounds Nice," "Shoop," "Big Girls,"
"Push It, and "Whatta Man" (which included a photo montage of a certain
presidential candidate and his wife!).

The BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 featured other sizzling performances and
collaborations, with ATL native T.I. kicking off the show with "What's Up,
What's Happening" and later teaming up with Swizz Beatz for "Swing Your Rag."
Nas showed off his lyrical skills with "Queens Get the Money" and "Hero,"
while Young Jeezy gave a high-energy rendition of "Crazy World." Plies was
joined by Ne-Yo for "Who Hotter Than Me" and "Bust It Baby," and Rick Ross
treated the crowd to "Here I Am" with Nelly and Avery Storm. Other
performances included N.E.R.D., Common, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, Soulja
Boy and one big surprise performance that viewers will have to wait until
Thursday night to see!

A star-studded line-up of the biggest names in hip hop made appearances at
the BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08, including 50 Cent, Kerry Washington, Keri Hilson,
Jim Jones, Derek Luke, Lil Cease, Big Boi, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Jamal Woolard
and Wu-Tang Clan members GZA, Raekwon, Masta Killa, U-God, Inspectah Deck and
RZA. Adding to the hype, rapper Jadakiss pumped up the crowd as celebrity
announcer, while the famed DJ Drama played all night.

AMERICAN GANGSTER

BET's critically acclaimed docu-drama AMERICAN GANGSTER returns for another
compelling season Thursday, October 23 at 10:00 p.m.* Gangsters have been
traditionally portrayed in films and television as European; AMERICAN
GANGSTER expands this theory by focusing on authentic, bona fide criminals
and sheds a different kind of light on the minds of America's worst
offenders. Narrated by Ving Rhames, this season returns to probe the lives
and crimes of America's most dangerous criminals, including "Monster" Kody,
Larry Davis, Mutulu Shakur and J. Edgar Hoover and COINTELPRO, among
countless others.

The first episode of AMERICAN GANGSTER will profile Larry Davis, who made
headlines when he wounded six NYC police officers in a dramatic 1986 shootout
after officers raided his sister's Bronx apartment to arrest him for murdering
five drug dealers.

For all BET HIP HOP AWARDS '08 information, please visit
http://www.bet.com/hiphopawards.

For more on AMERICAN GANGSTER, please visit
http://www.bet.com/americangangster.

*All times ET/PT

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA)(NYSE: 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 87 million households according to Nielsen Media
Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. 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; BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel and BET
Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET
Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; 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, an extension of BET network programming for global
distribution.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081021/NETU118-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: BET Networks