Microsoft, Bet Form Joint Venture

BET Holdings Inc.’s Black Entertainment Television Inc. unit and Microsoft Corp. said they formed a joint venture to produce interactive programming on the Internet.

The joint venture, called MSBET Llc, will distribute a site targeting African-Americans on the World Wide Web that will replace Black Entertainment’s existing BET Networks site.

The joint venture is headed by President Barry Johnson.

Washington-based BET Holdings provides cable-television programming through its BET Cable Network. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft develops and manufactures computer software.