Playahata Satire

March Satire
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Playahata Times: Entertainment Section?

WEB EXCLUSIVEVP of Programming of BET, Stephen Hill Tells It All On Tavis Smiley

By Kelly Hudlin
During a recent taping of the "Tavis Smiley Show", VP of Programming of BET, Stephen Hill tells it all. Hill claims the ongoing probe by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, coupled with his reconnection to his faith in Jesus Christ led to this most revealing interview.
Hill entered into a plea agreement with the New York Attorney Generals office, that allows him to keep and estimated $700,000 dollars, in illegal payments. Hill controlled the playlist for the entire network. Spitzer's investigation covered a five year period, beginning with Hill's move from MTV in 1999. BET is currently in 77 million homes.
Tavis Smiley once again shows his journalistic skills in this exclusive 30 minute interview. Stephen Hill reveals that when he first made the switch to MTV he was instructed by Bob Johnson "to whiten the network up" Hill knew he was brought to BET due to the imminent sale to MTV parent company Viacom. The transition was easy Hill said "I simply copied MTV show's like TRL and Tom Green, 106 and Park was a no-brainer and 'Hits from the Street's' were done with low budgets, Bob loved it".
Hill admits his problem was catering to the Urban market. Hill broke down in tears and admitted "Destiny's Child and "Bills, Bills Bills" is his all time favorite but ironically was the beginning of his lavish life of payola. Hill admits "I knew it was time to come clean, after I moved D4l's "Laffy Taffy" up BET'S charts" he was bound to get caught.
Spitzer's office planted D4L's "Laffy Taffy" as a nationwide sting, Hill along with over fifteen hundred programmers took cash payments to make D4L the most paid for song in the history of radio. "I remember when I heard the song, I laughed" Hill said the lyrics were great but the drum machine was not a Kevin Liles track! Hill decided to tell all in a plea agreement and now spends 40 hours a week with his renewed Jehovah Witness faith preaching door to door against sexuality in New Jersey.
Stephen Hill admitted that Bob Johnson and Viacom, know that BET's core audience will fall for anything. "Radio and Video are about making money, developing stars and content is long gone. Hill told Tavis Smiley that the "industry has run amuck, pay for play is the rule now and I am tired of playing Kunta for Jimmy Iovine and the rest of the industry".
Tavis during the final minutes of this must see interview asked the Brown University Alumnus, "You have three pictures on your desk, Tiger, OJ and Michael Jackson, which one of those stars are your favorite"? Find out that and more when Tavis Smiley interviews Stephen Hill, VP of Programming on Friday March 31, 2006 on PBS.
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Kelly Hudlin is a freelance writer, from Chicago, best known for his short film "I saw it, I seen it, then I did it".
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