Veteran promoting govt Louis Carr has been elevated to president of Paramount’s BET channel.
“For almost 4 many years, Louis has been instrumental in driving BET’s success and cultural affect,” George Cheeks, Paramount’s head of TV Media, together with CBS, wrote in a workers observe asserting a management change on the community devoted to Black tradition. “His deep expertise and confirmed observe report place him to expertly information the model into its subsequent period.”
Carr will succeed Scott M. Mills, who introduced Wednesday that he was stepping down after 23 years on the community, together with 4 as chief govt of the BET Media Group.
Mills spearheaded the creation of the BET+ streaming service to broaden the attain of the community’s programming in addition to the formation of BET Studios, which struck partnerships with such A-list creators as Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones.
Paramount has been restructuring divisions and slicing prices since tech scion David Ellison and his household purchased Paramount in August. Ellison and executives representing funding companion RedBird Capital Companions promised Wall Avenue that it will discover greater than $2 billion in price financial savings, a transfer that has led to greater than 2,000 job cuts this fall.
BET Studios will likely be folded into the bigger CBS Studios division however preserve its personal label. The transfer was designed, partially, to align BET’s tasks with different present manufacturing throughout the firm “whereas preserving BET’s distinctive programming model and perspective,” Cheeks wrote. As an alternative of working as a satellite tv for pc inside Paramount, BET division heads will work extra intently with others in Cheeks’ division and draw help from shared providers equivalent to finance, advertising and analysis.
Paramount’s new managers have described BET as one of many firm’s 4 pillars of cable programming, together with Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon.
Louis Carr was appointed president of BET on Wednesday.
(Paramount)
Carr, 69, has spent almost 4 many years on the community.
“He has generated billions in promoting gross sales and cultivated partnerships with category-leading firms equivalent to Procter & Gamble, Unilever, McDonald’s, and Apple,” Cheeks wrote. “His management has formed company methods for international manufacturers, pushed innovation, and strengthened BET’s function as an business chief.”
Carr relies in New York, and can report back to Cheeks.
Carr has written two books and served as a board member for the Advert Council, the Worldwide Radio and Tv Society (IRTS) and American Promoting Federation (AAF). He established the Louis Carr Internship Basis, putting undergraduate college students of shade in paid summer time internships to assist nurture a brand new technology of leaders.
“BET and its dedication to Black and Brown communities has been my life’s work,” Carr stated in a press release. “It’s a privilege to steer the model to the subsequent degree of excellence and affect.”
