The last couple years have been rough ones at BET — protests, plummeting viewership, a crumbling reputation — but one can't help but think that CEO Debra Lee considers the just-announced departure of Reginald Hudlin, president of entertainment for the network, to be step one in digging BET out of its hole. Lee said Hudlin's departure was a mutual decision. Apparently, the Boomerang and House Party director wants to get back to his Hollywood roots. She also said that it seemed like "a good time" for him to leave.

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• I'm sure Debra Lee and Reginald Hudlin loved this episode of The Boondocks. [SB]

• Seriously, what is going on with our youth? [WYFF4]

• J.Lo might quit the music biz to be a mom. I totally, totally support that decision. [MG]

• Beanie Sigel gets a Lindsay Lohan/Nicole Richie jail sentence. We all know they have bigger fish to fry in Philly. [MTV]

Responding Sunday to the fervor surrounding his network's new, controversial show, Hot Ghetto Mess, BET entertainment head Reginald Hudlin said opponents have it all wrong and explains that the show, based on the Web site hotghettomess.com, shows negative images and videos of black people in order to promote self-reflection.

Why is it that the viewing public can understand that this is a horrible, harmful, and unproductive way to effect change in the black community and the BET brass can't? Because they are interested in ratings, and if people keep talking about the show, the ratings on July 25th will be sky high. So I'm going to stop. Until July 26th, at least.

[SJMN]