NEW YORK – BET and TV One, the television networks aimed primarily at a black audience, haven™t paid much attention to presidential inaugurations before. This time will be different. Both are planning extensive coverage for Jan. 20, when Barack Obama is sworn in as the nation™s 44th president.
Network executives said the installation of the first black president will be as much a celebration as a story.�”This is an opportunity to be the best we can be, � said Stephen Hill, BET™s programming chief. �”We see this as an opportunity to inform and inspire our audience. �BET will cover the swearing-in and parade from four locations, including ground and rooftop sites on Pennsylvania Avenue. Anchoring the coverage will be Hill Harper of CBS™ �”CSI: NY, � former CBS �”The Early Show � host Rene Syler, and Jeff Johnson, who hosts a weekly BET news program.
