BET Media Group will take over operations of VH1 in a corporate shuffle ordered by parent company Paramount Global.
The decision means BET President and CEO Scott Mills will oversee operations of VH1, which is known for shows appealing to African Americans, including Basketball Wives, Black Ink Crew, and the Love & Hip Hop franchise, as well as Emmy-winning RuPaul’s Drag Race.
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Paramount President and CEO Bob Bakish announced the change in a Wednesday staff memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
“This strategic alignment will ensure that VH1 — a leader in multi-cultural programming and the second largest U.S. cable network for Black viewership — is best positioned for future success as a key part of the powerful BET ecosystem under the leadership of Scott Mills,” Bakish wrote.
“Scott and his team continue to drive the evolution and growth of BET by building an interconnected set of leading platforms – linear, streaming, digital and studios – centered around the Black Community, Black Culture and Content,” he added. “Their ability to create hit programming and experiences, invest in new talent and storytellers, leverage our capabilities in streaming and original production, and expand and deepen relationships with key commercial partners make them ideally suited to take on this brand and business.”
The memo said details on the transition will be announced later.
The BET Media Group includes BET, BET+, BET Studios, BET Her and BET Digital.
VH1 launched in 1985 and has been part of the MTV Networks family for 37 years. The channel was initially known as “Video Hits One” and focused on music programming and music videos from popular artists.
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