BET Taps Renowned Hip-Hop Director, Chris Robinson for RIP THE RUNWAY

NEW YORK, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- BET announced today that veteran film and hip-hop director Chris Robinson will direct BET's annual fashion and music fete, RIP THE RUNWAY at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, March 6, 2007.

One of the most sought after music video directors in the industry, Robinson recently made his feature film directorial debut with the critically acclaimed motion picture, ATL. Top artists such as: Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Usher and more have relied upon Robinson to bring a dynamic vision to their music. Robinson won the BET AWARDS Video of the Year category in 2003 for his work on Erykah Badu featuring Common Love of My Life music video and in 2002, for Busta Rhymes featuring P. Diddy and Pharrell's Pass the Courvoisier music video.

"Chris is a visually exciting movie and video maker and RIP THE RUNWAY is one of our most ambitious shows," said Stephen Hill, BET Executive Vice President of Music Talent and Programming. "It's unusual for a film director to oversee a television show like this, and that's what intrigued us. Chris is bringing a dynamic vision to the show that will have you seeing fashion in a whole new way. . . literally."

Robinson's expertise will guide this explosive hour of fashion and music that mixes and matches urban, high-end, and swimwear against a backdrop of electrifying musical performances. Featured designers include Mychael Knight, JORDAN BRAND, APPLE BOTTOM, AMAYA SWIMWEAR, BABY PHAT, G-UNIT CLOTHING, THE STEVE HARVEY COLLECTION, MONIF C., and LRG.

In addition to the latest in fashion, explosive musical performances will add fire to the catwalk including, soul singer Musiq Soulchild, rap newcomer Mims, Alabama rapper Rich Boy, R&B singer Lloyd, and Houston rapper Paul Wall. Viewers can also look forward to appearances by Nelly, Steve Harvey and 50 Cent as their clothing lines blaze the runway. See what happens when street meets chic in this year's sizzling premiere of RIP THE RUNWAY airing Wednesday, March 14 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on BET.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. , 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.