WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- BET Networks, in partnership with Kaiser Family Foundation, today announced its plans to televise special programming to coincide with National HIV Testing Day, June 27th. The cable network will premiere the second winning film from the 2005 Rap-It-Up/Black AIDS short subject film competition entitled LET'S TALK, and a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) profiling HIV-positive youth encouraging testing.
On Sunday, June 25 at 12:00 p.m. ET/PT, the second winning 2005 film LET'S TALK premieres on BET Networks with an encore broadcast at 10:00 p.m. ET. Hailing from the city of Los Angeles, Michelle Lynne Coons was the second winner to get the opportunity to produce and direct her poignant screenplay, "Let's Talk," into a short film to debut on the cable network. Actor (All My Children and Half & Half) and community activist Lamman Rucker is also featured in this highly-anticipated production, which examines how to discuss the issue of HIV testing and deal with possible consequences of learning one's HIV status as two young people enter an intimate relationship.
The network will also unveil a new series of Rap-It-Up PSAs showcasing young people living with HIV called "Reality Check," developed in conjunction with The National Association of People Living With AIDS (NAPWA), debuting on June 25th; and a special slate of new PSAs currently airing that honor the outstanding work of 25 "HEROES" in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This special "HEROES" collection recognizes and acknowledges an extraordinary group of doctors, activists, public officials, celebrities and people living with HIV/AIDS -- commemorating the 25th year of the disease.
Since 1998, BET has teamed up with the Kaiser Family Foundation to produce unique and compelling programming specials and PSAs covering sexual health issues ranging from sexual identity and HIV/AIDS testing to interpersonal relationships. Previous Rap-It-Up short film winners WALKING ON SUNSHINE, TANGY'S SONG, and MULTITUDE OF MERCIES have all been recognized and awarded for their realistic depiction of HIV/AIDS in the Black community and its impact on BET viewers.
ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. , 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 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of businesses extensions: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; 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; and BET Mobile, a service venture into the lucrative world of ring tones, games and video content for wireless devices.
ABOUT RAP-IT-UP
Since 1998, the Kaiser Family Foundation and BET: Black Entertainment Television have partnered on an extensive public education campaign to inform young people about sexual health issues, including HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs). The partnership includes special programming, public service advertisements (PSAs), online content on bet.com, and a free resource and referral service. In 2000, the campaign launched a grassroots initiative to complement the on-air and online components of Rap- It-Up. Program elements include teen forums, mobile HIV testing events, and middle and high school curricula about HIV/AIDS. The campaign was nominated for an Emmy for Best National Public Service Announcements in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, and has received numerous other awards, including 12 Cable Positive POP Awards, a 2005 NAACP Image Award Nomination for "Walking On Sunshine," the 2002 CTPAA Joel Berger Award, and the 2002 Academy of Television Arts & Science TV Cares "Ribbon of Hope" Award.
ABOUT THE HENRY J. KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation dedicated to providing information and analysis on health issues to policymakers, the media, and the general public. It is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. Information on HIV/AIDS is available at http://www.kff.org/, and a daily news summary report on developments in HIV/AIDS is available on http://www.kaisernetwork.org/, the Foundation's free health information service.
