BET, the US TV network that targets the African American community, is planning a series of special programmes for the days around World AIDS day. They will broadcast a number of programmes about the disease, and its affect on the black community in America, plus air sister network MTV's Staying Alive concerts, which have been recorded in Cape Town and Seattle,
BET president/CEO Debra Lee told reporters: "In 2000, almost two-thirds of all women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS were African American. That's why it is imperative that BET continues to create and disseminate public awareness messages about HIV/AIDS targeted to our African-American community. Through various initiatives such as our Rap-It-Up campaign, special programming, and corporate partnerships, we will persist in our fight to educate African Americans and other minorities on the destructive effects of this global epidemic."