BET acquires 'Soul Train' franchise

**alanh** · 04-05-2016, 04:00 AM

The LA Times and other press report that BET has acquired Soul Train. Great news! Let's hope that as well as other enterprises they start reruns of the classic period......and show them here in the UK too.

Here's the article:

'BET Networks has acquired the "Soul Train" franchise, which includes a popular award show and a wealth of videos and photos dating back to the groundbreaking music and dance show's origins in the 1970s. BET acquired the business from Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Cos. and InterMedia Partners. Financial details were not disclosed.

BET has televised the "Soul Train Awards" since 2009. In addition, the "Soul Train" library features performances by African American musicians, comedians and other celebrities who appeared on the weekly program.

There are more than 1,100 episodes of the classic "Soul Train" series and 40 television specials, including the "Soul Train Awards," which launched in 1987, and "Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards," among others. Over the years, the program showcased such talent as Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Smokey Robinson, Sly and the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston, Prince, Donna Summer, David Bowie, and Alicia Keys.

"We are very excited about the brand's library," Richard Gay, executive vice president for operations and strategy at BET Networks, said in an interview with the Times. "Clip licensing has become a robust business, and these are some of the most unique and rare clips around," Gay said. But the value of the property extends well beyond old clips from the TV show. BET executives believe there are ways to refresh the brand with new content that resonates with younger audiences, including the possibility of a new television show. "'Soul Train' means cool ... cool R&B music," Gay said.

The acquisition comes as media company Viacom has been looking to bulk up its ownership of content to increase revenue through program distribution, consumer products and other licensing opportunities. Viacom also owns MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. For example, producer Matthew Weaver has been developing a Broadway show based on the "Soul Train" variety show. Weaver also produced "Rock of Ages."

Once a mainstay on Saturday mornings, "Soul Train" introduced legions of TV viewers to African American culture. In 1970, radio entrepreneur Don Cornelius spent $400 of his own money to launch the dance show on a local Chicago TV station. The program soon moved to Los Angeles and was syndicated nationally.

Cornelius, who died in 2012, served as the host and executive producer of the program for two decades, welcoming viewers to "the hippest trip in America." "'Soul Train' was a pop culture destination before there was even the term pop culture," Gay said. "The 'Soul Train' brand means something to everyone from a grandmother to my 16-year-old son."
The "Soul Train" show ended production in 2006.'

**mr_june** · 04-06-2016, 01:19 PM

Were all the shows ever for sale or just a "the best of"? It would be nice if you could pick n choose which shows you wanted to purchase. There are too many show to buy at one time so they'd have to break it up by year or something else. I wonder how BET is going to handle this now. I'd like to have the shows with the original commercials in place. Lost In Space has a few shows like that in their recent blu ray release. Big difference in color and sharpness from what's being shown on TV or cable.

**reese** · 04-06-2016, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by mr_june

Were all the shows ever for sale or just a "the best of"? It would be nice if you could pick n choose which shows you wanted to purchase. There are too many show to buy at one time so they'd have to break it up by year or something else. I wonder how BET is going to handle this now. I'd like to have the shows with the original commercials in place. Lost In Space has a few shows like that in their recent blu ray release. Big difference in color and sharpness from what's being shown on TV or cable.

TIME-LIFE released a five or six dvd collection a while back that consisted of edited episodes. Some of them had the original commercials included, with the Johnson Hair Care products and so forth. Edited episodes were also running on the Bounce channel.

**mr_june** · 04-07-2016, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by reese

TIME-LIFE released a five or six dvd collection a while back that consisted of edited episodes. Some of them had the original commercials included, with the Johnson Hair Care products and so forth. Edited episodes were also running on the Bounce channel.

Thanks Reese. Do you know what was edited and how is the picture and sound on those releases?

**reese** · 04-07-2016, 01:27 PM

I have the dvd set. The quality and sound seemed fine to me. Re what was edited, I'm not sure if every episode was edited. To be honest, I haven't watched them in a while. But I recall one of the episodes being a 1979 appearance by Aretha Franklin. During the show open, she was shown singing an uptempo song, but that song wasn't included on the set. But the set also included everyone from Esther Phillips to Wilson Pickett to Al Green. It is really good.

Re the episodes shown on the Bounce channel, those were most likely edited for time as I believe commercial breaks weren't as long back then as they are now. For example, the first nationally broadcast of the series featured Gladys Knight and the Pips, Eddie Kendricks, the Honey Cone, and Bobby Hutton. When it aired on Bounce, I believe Bobby was totally edited out.

**mr_june** · 04-11-2016, 11:25 AM

I'd like to see the episode with Aretha. I have a lot of the episodes on DVD but would like to have it on Blu Ray with lossless sound. Perhaps they should put Time Warner in charge of releasing these to the public.

**reese** · 04-11-2016, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by mr_june

I'd like to see the episode with Aretha. I have a lot of the episodes on DVD but would like to have it on Blu Ray with lossless sound. Perhaps they should put Time Warner in charge of releasing these to the public.

I watched a lot of the Time-Life dvds yesterday and they were edited heavily. Sometimes rather badly. There were about three or four episodes per dvd. But songs were definitely cut out, as was some dancing, and sometimes even acts themselves.

For instance, there's a show featuring Martha and the Vandellas, the Intruders, and G.C. Cameron. On the original episode, The Vandellas sang DANCING IN THE STREET, BLESS YOU, and LOVE [[MAKES ME DO FOOLISH THINGS). The Intruders sang COWBOYS TO GIRLS and another number I can't remember. G.C. Cameron sang ACT LIKE A SHOTGUN, I believe.

But on the Time-Life dvd, the episode is reduced to the Vandellas singing DANCING..., the Intruders only sing COWBOYS..., and G.C. Cameron is edited out completely even though he is shown during the episode's open. Much of the Soul Train dancers are cut out as well.

Again,the quality is good, and it is nice to see the different commercials [[although many are repeated quite often). But if someone buys the current Time-Life dvds looking for complete episodes, they will be disappointed.