BET Founder Robert Johnson Set To Purchase Media & Entertainment Companies

BET founder and former top man Robert L. Johnson hasn’t been entirely idle since selling the cable station to Viacom in 2003 for $3 billion dollars. Johnson has made a bold new move back into the world of media after agreeing to purchase the properties of Image Entertainment and Acorn Media Group, seeking to combine the two into a newly minted company titled RLJ Entertainment, Inc, reports Deadline Hollywood. Currently under the review of the companies’ stockholders, Johnson’s proposed purchase involves a series of stock options and promised payouts of current Image Entertainment and Acorn Media holdings. If everything goes according to plan, Image and Acorn stockholders will own 11% and 5% of RLJ Entertainment respectively. The deal’s completion is expected by the second quarter of 2012. In a statement, Johnson announced the impending deal and promised rapid expansion. “As Executive Chairman of RLJ Entertainment, I am looking forward to this unique business combination of Image Entertainment and Acorn Media Group,” said Johnson. “RLJ Entertainment will have a broad strategy for financial growth by providing content to all media platforms including broadcast and cable, DVD and Blu-Ray, digital downloads, and digital streaming.” Image Entertainment is a home entertainment company that has produced and acquired urban, independent, comedy and horror films for global distribution. Acorn Media Group is a leading media distributor of British television programming with an aim towards American and Australian audiences.

VIDEO: Diddy, Machine Gun Kelly & Flo Rida Perform At WrestleMania XXVIII

WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami, FL had plenty of Hip-Hop presence as the crowd received performances from Diddy, Machine Gun Kelly & Flo Rida. Flo Rida performed ‘Good Feeling’ and ‘Wild Ones’ as intros for The Rock. Machine Gun Kelly performed his single ‘Invincible’ with help from Diddy and Skylar Gray. Unfortunately, it did not go well as he was booed throughout the performance.

Taylor Swift & Other Stars Win At The ACM Awards

Taylor Swift faced long odds to win her second consecutive Entertainer of the Year awards at Sunday night’s 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony– but she did it. 22-year-old Swift became the second woman to win two consecutive Entertainer of the Year awards in the fan-voted category. Swift had to attend the ceremony solo, though, as the New Jersey teenage cancer victim who scored a date with the singer to the show was hospitalized over the weekend. According to a Facebook post, 18-year-old Kevin McGuire
 — who had tried to invite Swift to his prom — was admitted to the hospital on Friday night. Swift tweeted some well-wishes to her date, writing, “Just talked to Kevin McGuire … He’s not well enough to join me at the ACMs. Please keep him in your thoughts. I’ll make it up to you, Kevin!” Blake Shelton and wife Miranda Lambert, also won big. Shelton won Male Vocalist of the Year and Lambert earned Female Vocalist and Album of the Year for “Four the Record”. It was her third Album of the Year win, which ties her with such legends as Alabama and George Strait in the category. Last year’s “American Idol” winner, boggy-voiced country crooner Scotty McCreery, was named New Artist of the Year, while the original “Idol,” Kelly Clarkson, won two ACMs thanks to her collaboration with Jason Aldean on “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” The pair picked up Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year for their duet.

Rapper Lil Boosie Will Not Face The Death Penalty In Upcoming Trial

Lil Boosie’s Trial will start on April 30 and it is already getting more press than what was originally expected. During the trial, jurors will only be identified by numbers and not their names. Prosecutors also said that Lil Boosie will also face a mandatory life sentence if he is convicted of the murder and therefore, death sentence is already out the window. The decision to use an anonymous jury was used because of the high-profile nature of the case. Both prosecutors and Lil Boosie’s lawyers noted that there were no specific security concerns or safety threats. Prosecutors claim Lil Boosie, born Torrence Hatch, hired Michael “Marlo Mike” Louding to kill 39-year-Terry Boyd, in October 2009. Also charged in Boyd’s death is Adrian Pittman, 37 and Michael “Marlo Mike’’ Louding, who was 16 at the time of the slaying and is also accused of murdering five other men.