Comedians Protesting Bet’S ‘Comic View’

Sat., Sept. 11, 1999

Paul Brownfield Los Angeles T

An open letter signed by more than 100 comedians, including Jay Leno and Tim Allen, appeared in Hollywood trade newspapers and publications in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., on Thursday, protesting Black Entertainment Television’s stand-up comedy show “Comic View.”

The action, sponsored by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, is the latest move in an ongoing effort to pressure BET into better compensating comedians who appear on “Comic View.”

The action follows a “No Contract, No Work” order by AFTRA prohibiting comedians from working on “Comic View.”

Comedians who perform on “Comic View” receive a one-time-only fee of $150 and don’t get residual payments.

“As the show got hotter, they wanted the higher-end comics,” said Pamm Fair, associate executive director at AFTRA. “ In essence, they were spending money to do the show” because BET doesn’t pay the comics’ travel and lodging expenses. In addition to Leno and Allen, Richard Pryor signed the letter.

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