Connie Orlando, head of programming at BET, is photographed at the network's Los Angeles office on June 18, 2019.
When Orlando was appointed executive vice president and head of original programming at BET in 2017, her vision was for the network to become “a vehicle” for storytelling around the black experience. As a network, BET continues to be a preeminent destination for black television viewers. For 17 years straight, the network has ranked No. 1 in the core demo of black adults 18-49 and has seen year-to-year growth in ratings and social engagement, according to Nielsen.
Orlando, however, credits BET’s commitment to applauding black entertainers and humanitarians as the stimulus behind its continued relevance. They went all in that first year. Beyoncé headlined opening night. There was a film festival, celebrity panels, wellness seminars, exhibits, a truncated version of the popular South L.A. food festival Taste of Soul and a celebrity basketball game in addition to music performances at multiple venues.
Recent BETX lineups have failed to deliver the buzz of earlier years when Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar topped the bill, and its viability seemed in question when the partnership between BET and AEG ended . And the festival has yet to figure out a way to bring audiences into the onstage action beyond a few live streams, which organizers worked to rectify for this year’s event.
How do you do it? All the personalities, talent and beautiful music under one roof. So I’m sending the only thing I can👇🏻