The BET Awards are undergoing “a total overhaul” as the show is retooled as a tribute to Michael Jackson, the network said Friday. The telecast is being lengthened, performers are being added to the lineup and additional guests are expected to attend, said Debra L. Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive of Black Entertainment Television. “We're adding on,” Lee said from the Shrine Auditorium, where the awards will be presented Sunday. “We're trying to do the numbers we had already planned and we're trying to add on, so it may be a longer show than we anticipated.” At least 30 minutes will be added to the broadcast, she said. Jamie Foxx is set to host the show. Meanwhile, artists such as Beyonce and Ne-Yo, who worked on their performances for weeks, scrambled to change them last-minute to honor the King of Pop, said producer Stephen Hill. Other artists who had not planned to attend Sunday's show, such as Usher and Justin Timberlake, are rushing to Los Angeles to participate, Hill said.
