106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on
BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
(7:00 PM on BET UK). Since its inception, it was the network's #1
ratedNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
show. It is currently the only show on the BET network that shows music videos.
Location
The show was originally produced in Harlem, New York, and the title is derived from the original studio location at East 106th Street and
Park AvenuePark Avenue is a wide boulevard that carries north and southbound traffic in New York City borough of Manhattan. Through most of its length, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Avenue to the east....
. Viacom's acquisition of BET prompted a change in venue to the
CBS Broadcast CenterThe CBS Broadcast Center is a television and radio production facility located in New York City, New York. It is CBS's main East Coast production center, much as Television City in Los Angeles is the West Coast hub.-Overview:...
at 530 West 57th Street between 10th & 11th ave, in the
Hell's KitchenHell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
section of
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Hosts
A. J. Calloway and
Marie "Free" WrightAntoinette Marie Wright, better known by her stage name, "Free" , is an American media personality, television producer and philanthropist. She rose to fame as the first host of BET's 106 & Park...
were the original hosts of the show from September 11, 2000 until July 28, 2005, when Calloway (who was tearful on that particular episode.) announced that it would be his last show, as well as for Free (who spoke via phone), as the show was either presented by Calloway or Wright. Starting with the 2005–06 season it was then presented by
Julissa BermudezJulissa Bermudez is a Dominican actress. She is best known for her work as co-host on BET's most popular music video countdown show 106 & Park and former host of Jersey Shore: After Hours and related Jersey Shore specials....
and
Big TiggerDarian "Big Tigger" Morgan , also known as Big Tigg; is an American television and radio personality best known as the host of BET's Rap City and 106 & Park.- :...
(of another BET series,
Rap City) until the end of the 2005-2006 season, to which during that season featured celebrity guest hosts filling the place for either one or two of the hosts such as Mya and rapper Bow Wow. On July 6, 2006,
RocsiRaquel Roxanne Diaz better known by her stage name Rocsi, is an American television personality of BET's 106 & Park and hosts her own daily nationally syndicated radio show .-Early life and career:...
(real name Raquel Roxanne Diaz) and Terrence Jenkins ("Terrence J.") became the hosts after winning the BET New Faces contest.
Broadcasting history
Upon its premiere, the show ran for one hour (including commercials). In 2001, it was extended to 90 minutes. In 2008, the show was extended to two hours, but still reverts to 90 minutes depending on BET's scheduling for the day, particularly if a long movie is airing. The show celebrated its 2,000th episode on August 20, 2008. From July 25, 2011, to September 2, 2011, the show was extended to three hours.
The shows' 10-year anniversary special took place on October 6, 2010. Original hosts A.J. Calloway, Free, Julissa, and Big Tigger returned to the series to celebrate its decade-long tenure.
106 & Park Video Hall of Fame
Every video that was voted onto the countdown 60 times would be retired and placed into the "
106 & Park Video Hall of Fame". "You" By Lloyd ft. Lil Wayne have been retired as well as "Knock you down" by Keri Hilson ft. Ne-Yo & Kanye West. This normally occurred relatively frequently, and earned Bow Wow the permanent title of
Mister 106 & Park, and the late
AaliyahAaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
the permanent title of
Miss 106 & Park for having the most #1's of their respective genders.