Hardware Podcasts

Live Episode! Black Entertainment Television: Robert Johnson

How I Built This · 14 Dec 2017 · 40m

What this episode covers

Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), explains how he leveraged his background in cable lobbying and the emerging satellite technology to launch a niche channel targeting African American audiences. He details securing initial funding from John Malone of Liberty Media, who provided $500,000 in exchange for a 20% stake, and describes BET's early strategy of using free, existing content like syndicated sitcoms and music videos to build an audience. Johnson discusses the company's 1991 IPO, its subsequent privatization, and the eventual sale to Viacom for $2.3 billion, which made him the first African-American billionaire in U.S. history.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Liberty Media, Anheuser-Busch, Procter & Gamble, Viacom
Products
Black Entertainment Television, USA Network, Good Times, Sanford and Son, MTV, PepsiCola, Colgate
Also
John Malone, Grambling State University, Jackson State University, New York Stock Exchange

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