Robert Johnson

In his one-and-a-half-hour interview, Robert Johnson discusses his early years in Washington, D.C. as vice president of government relations for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) during the rise of the cable industry following government deregulation. He recalls his concept for a cable network targeted at African American viewers and his efforts to secure funding for the proposed BET (Black Entertainment Television) network. He credits John Malone's association with the fledgling network, including providing initial funding, with opening doors to cable providers nationwide. He concludes by speaking about the tremendous growth of the network, culminating with the acquisition of BET by Viacom in 2000 and his then-pending retirement slated for January 2006. Karen Herman conducted the interview on September 15, 2005 in Washington, D.C.