BET Awards Ratings Highest Ever On Jackson Tribute

NEW YORK — The BET Awards turned into an impromptu Michael Jackson tribute and preliminary ratings show that it will have the event's biggest audience ever.

Nielsen Media Research says the ratings from its 56 biggest markets showed Sunday's BET Awards were up 61 percent over last year. An estimated 10 percent of turned-on television sets were tuned to the BET Awards _ an unusually large number for a cable channel.

Nielsen says the show got a 5.8 rating in the overnight ratings. The awards ceremony has been held since 2001 and has never gotten more than a 3.7 rating.

Several celebrities, including host Jamie Foxx, paid tribute to Jackson.

The evening was capped by the emotional appearance of Jackson's sister Janet.

Comments

[time4change2009]

Sorry folks. But with all that has been achieved..­.and all that is still ahead to be done....BE­T has become an absolute embarrassment to us all through their constant promotion of the very worst stereotypical portrayal of we as a people. Time to demand CEO Debra Lee be removed and replaced by someone who is truly on the side of progress.

Greg Jones
National Director
Blacks4Barack.org

[wanttruth]

GOOD POST.

[madizmama]

i second that!!!!!!!!!!

[Texas4Obama]

It was the first and last time that I will watch BET.
The whole show was awful except for Beyonce's performance and Janet Jackson's remarks.

And what's up with an award show that only gives out awards to African-Americans?
If there was a show called 'The White Entertainment Television Awards' people would be up in arms!
It is time for American and the world to come together 'as one' and stop the promotion of 'separate groups' based on skin color.

[whitegayrepublican]

So we scrap CMT, Univision TV, Telemundo, and BET because you said so?

Whites only gentrification tactics is what prompted these mediums to get their own representation anyways; after all taxation without appropriate representation isn't that against our American and christian values?

Let's not be so colorblind and ignorant in this regard.

[ccmd]

funny you claim to have watched this awards show because clearly you missed the whole purpose. they were celebrating the very thing that you are complaining about. we struggled to get equal air time on television for years until mj came along and stood up to the bigots once and for all. during the early 80’s about 4 other artists tina turner, donna summer and eddy grant received air time on mtv. mj was the first black artist to receive heavy rotation on mtv (one video billie jean, then others would follow) but with much struggle. there were very few black artists to be seen on mtv and let alone on other networks (talk about equality). meanwhile we had to create our own media outlet. we had to create our own network that would reflect us and represent us. whites on the other hand did not. mj (a black man) populated mtv with billie jean beat it and thriller. so mtv actually has him to thank. the irony.

you claim reverse racism on whites on television we only have one channel compared to many channels with nud policy (cmt, lifetime etc). your ignorance on this matter is telling.

[spankies space]

I expected a show that reflected the work of professionals, who are used to making changes on the "fly". BET could have and should have done this much better. Where was the dignity?

[spankies space]

BET missed a great opportunity. This was unacceptable to MJ's legacy. What a shame. It seems as though everyone on the show was trying to promote themselves; how sad. This was not about them, but about losing Michael Jackson and remembering all the happy memories he gave us as an entertainer. The world is going to remember the "MOONWALK". MICHAEL JACKSON, THE KING OF POP BELONGED TO THE WORLD and the world is going to miss him.

Rest in peace Michael. You were truly one of the best.

[nton]

Atrocious but appropriate tribute - gives new meaning to the term "blaxploitation"- its all about the money and form over substance even when youre eulogizing or celebrating somebodys life. All the media and celebs started salivating when they heard about the MJ Google crash and realized they had something bigger than Princess Di or Ana Nicole or Britney or Rev,Wright that they could exploit ad nauseum. Tabloid life tabloid death.

[whitegayrepublican]

Watching this tribute for an enduring and grueling and IMO had to be the longest running "media train wreck" ever witnessed in current times. Just GOD awful!

[spankies space]

The very worse I have ever seen. BET should really be ashamed; this was not a fitting memorial to the legacy of Michael Jackson. What a shame. I suspect the ratings were so high because everyone wanted to see this "so called memorial" to the KING OF POP. Not what I expected.

[LuckyLT2]

*should*

[LuckyLT2]

Why are people making excuses for that B-S? So what "they only had a few days," that is no F'in excuse. COME CORRECT OR DON'T COME AT ALL!! Especially when your commemorating the death of an Icon, legend and the best talent to ever perform in America. I don't know who was responsible but he/she sould be FIRED. Ugh!!

[justwaitandsee]

Get a grip; it's not that serious

[cyoohoos]

But it was that bad....

[spankies space]

Yes it is that serious. This was advertised as a memorial to Michael Jackson. This would not have made it at the "APOLLO". I really thought it was going to be a thoughtful effort by BET.

[ObamacratInCA]

It is that serious. When you name your network "Black Entertainment Television," and the biggest black star the world has ever known dies, you should be prepared to honor his legacy, particularly since his body of work helped deliver enough viewers to even make BET successful (just as he did with MTV).

It's a shame that VH1, by just playing videos without commentary, honored his legacy in the days after his death, better than an entire show of black stars.

[DeeW]

I thought Janet looked lovely, and I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to do that. But I gotta say - Jamie Foxx, what the heck? Why did he have to get all divisive with the racial ownership stuff. Michael Jackson was all about bringing people together and not making distinctions. I'm not some over-the-top fan of MJ, but I did enjoy his music and I never saw him as someone who wanted to divide people based on their race. Jamie Foxx was over the top and even sounded angry - not sure what that was all about.

[justwaitandsee]

I think Jamie Foxx's anger is probably because of the way the media started reported it. When the news first broke CNN coverage was constant negative until Larry King. You had star calling in to chastise the negative coverage so in short I think that is where his anger is coming from. I admit I was the same way, 98% of the MSNBC was pretty good until TimRussert's Wife came on with her negative commentary and I quickly change the channel the man just died; there is a time a place for everything but this wasn't one of those thimes; and like I said CNN was all negative until Larry King show came on did it settled down in the right sobbering format.

[PReeseJinATL]

A huge FAILED opportunity for BET. So sad. Why couldn't they wait until they could pull together a more fitting tribute to an artist of his caliber?! Honorable mention only to performances by Ne-Yo, Maxwell and the O-Jays. I spent most of the night "waiting" for something good to happen and unfortunat­ely--NOTHI­NG! This was clear example of how down-hill that station and the music industry has gone. I do give big props to TV One for their outstanding show "Unsung" in whicn the life of Florence Ballard (The Supremes) was profiled.

RIP MJ - your music will live on........­..........­.......

[spankies space]

I'm with you PReeseJinATL.

[LuckyLT2]

D@mn!!! That is so unfortunate. BET=M.INST­REL SHOW!

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Yep.

[spankies space]

You are exactly right. No class. I thought the along with the artists were going to show humility and sorrow for this loss. All the talk about four days to re-tool the show. What a joke.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Lots of people saw that trainwreck.

I can't wait to see the real MJ tribute. I don't want to hear Jamie Foxx plugging his tour again.

He behaved like Joe Jackson.

[BrwnSknGurl4]

You nailed it!

[Mikes Sumondong]

Michael still rocks even if he's already dead! I'm sure he'd continue beating and making more records.

[mjtaylor22]

i THOUG NE yO'S PREFORMANCE OF lADY OF MY lIFE WAS EXCELLENT,
AND HE SHOUD DO A TRIBUTE SONG ON HIS ALBUM AS WELL

[wanttruth]

I co-sign. Ne-Yo was awesome! I also enjoyed Jamie Fox too.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Really? Neo was awesome? Yikes.

You liked Jamie Foxx's plugging his tour multiple times at an alleged MJ tribute?

It was a disgrace.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Really? Ne-Yo was awesome? Yikes.

You liked Jamie Foxx's plugging his tour multiple times at an alleged MJ tribute?

It was a dis grace.

[voter42]

My main reason for watching was to see Maxwell, and I was NOT disappointed!