BET's Hugely Popular On-Campus Initiative Created Exclusively for College Students Launches September 7 at Bethune-Cookman University
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2007 BET Black College Tour, the largest and only tour of its kind, returns to 14 historically black college and university campuses across the country for the sixth consecutive year. Together with its key marketing partners, BET will bring a day of entertainment, games, contests, product samples and consumer information exclusively for college students, hosted by popular BET on-air personalities Terrence, Rocsi, Lamorne, Alesha Renee, and Q-45, and featuring dynamic live performances from various Universal Records artists, including Swizz Beatz, Mya, David Banner, Q-Tip, Kia Shine and more. The 2007 BET Black College Tour kicks off September 7 at Bethune-Cookman University.
"The BET Black College Tour is a series of informative events that truly highlights the strong connection BET has with its audience," said Michelle Garner, vice president of BET Consumer Engagement. "The initiative is a unique opportunity for BET and its key marketing partners to support HBCUs around the country and reach out to college students in a highly organic manner."
This year's College Tour includes various contests, basketball competitions, games, music performances, product sampling and career and health information. Students will have an opportunity to participate in a singing contest sponsored by the upcoming Sony Pictures' Screen Gems release, "This Christmas," showcase their talent in the Playstation Video Skillz Challenge and obtain important health information at the Gardasil tent. As in previous years, the BET Black College Tour has a hefty lineup of sponsor- related events, which also include the McDonald's poetry contest, Pepsi Flow freestyle rap battle, U.S. Air Force 2-on-2 basketball competition, Verizon Wireless 3-point basketball shootout and free concerts by popular and up-and- coming Universal Records artists.
"We are proud to partner with BET as the music label sponsor for the 4th consecutive year," said Shanti Das, executive vice president of marketing for Universal. "This tour has been and continues to be an opportunity for established artists such as Swizz Beatz, David Banner, Marques Houston and Chamillionaire to get up-close-and-personal with college students as well as a launching pad for up-and-coming artists like Suai, J. R. Get Money, and Bottom of The Map."
"This is an outstanding opportunity to connect with our customers," said Lou Rossi, director -- advertising and sponsorships for Verizon Wireless. "The BET Tour provides an amazing environment for us to meet customers who depend on our service to stay in touch with their family and friends, as well as hear and see the latest music, games and entertainment options available through V CAST. Taking the Verizon Wireless network back to school with you is like having an inside track to the latest technology and the coolest mobile entertainment."
The following are dates and schools scheduled for the 2007 BET Black College Tour. For tour updates and exclusive behind the scenes footage of what
went down on each campus, visit our website, http://www.bet.com/blackcollegetour.
2007 BET Black College Tour Schedule
September 7 Bethune-Cookman University Daytona, FL
September 14 Jackson State University Jackson, MS
September 19 Kentucky State University Richmond, KY
September 21 Central State University Wilberforce, OH
September 26 Alabama A& M University Normal, AL
September 28 Alabama State University Montgomery, AL
October 3 Southern University Baton Rouge, LA
October 5 Grambling State University Grambling, LA
October 18 Bowie State University Bowie, MD
October 19 Virginia State University Petersburg, VA
October 26 Winston-Salem State university Winston-Salem, NC
October 31 Florida A& M University Tallahassee, FL
November 7 Texas Southern University Houston, TX
November 9 Prairie View A&M University Prairie View, TX
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:and) (NYSE:VIA.B) , is the leading provider of media and entertainment for African Americans and consumers of Black culture on a global basis. The primary BET cable network reaches more than 84 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop -- are brands that combine to serve a broader and more diverse audience than the core network. BET.com is the number one internet destination for the target audiences. BET Mobile delivers music, gaming, and video content to the target audiences on wireless devices across virtually all service providers. BET Event Productions is a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe. BET International delivers BET content to the consumers of Black culture around the world. BET Networks inspires its audiences to make a difference in their lives and communities with a series of impactful pro-social initiatives under the Touch BET umbrella.
Source: BET Networks
CONTACT: Anne Williams of BET, +1-202-608-2063, Anne.Williams@bet.net;
or Tracy Zamont of Universal Motown, +1-212-373-0702, Tracy.Zamot@umusic.com
Web site: http://www.bet.com/
