Paramount Skydance BET has formed its first advisory board, saying the group of six “cultural icons, business leaders and industry visionaries” will help guide the brand’s “continued evolution as a force at the intersection of media, community and culture.”
The six members of the inaugural BET Advisory Board are: BET founder Bob Johnson. Queen Latifah, Grammy Award-winning artist, actress, producer, and entrepreneur. LL Cool J, artist, actor, entrepreneur, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Troy Vincent, NFL Vice President of Football Operations; Raymond J. McGuire, President of Lazard, a financial advisory and asset management company. George Cheeks, Chairman of Paramount Skydance’s TV Media Division.
According to a BET announcement, the advisory board will serve as a “strategic and cultural sounding board that will provide insight, perspective and accountability as BET continues to expand its reach and champion the voices and stories that advance culture.”
The move recently took a big turn at BET, which is owned by Paramount Skydance. Next month, BET will shut down BET+ and the streaming service’s content will be merged with its parent company’s flagship service, Paramount+. Additionally, Paramount acquired a 25% ownership interest in Tyler Perry’s BET+.
Last December, longtime BET executive Scott Mills announced his retirement after 23 years with the company, months after David Ellison’s Skydance Media completed its acquisition of Paramount Global. Lewis Carr, previously BET’s president of media sales, has been named president and will report directly to Cheeks.
Johnson’s appointment to the new BET advisory board marks his official return to the company, 20 years after stepping down as CEO. Mr. Johnson sold Black Entertainment Television to Viacom (the predecessor company to Paramount Skydance) in a stock deal worth $3 billion that closed in 2001 and made the media mogul a billionaire. He served as CEO of BET until 2006. Johnson then founded RLJ Entertainment, which operates British television and film streamers Acorn TV and UMC (Urban Movie Channel). AMC Global Media acquired RLJ Entertainment in 2018.
In a statement about the new advisory board, Carr said, “BET has always been more than just a platform. BET is a cultural institution charged with the responsibility to serve, reflect and advance our community. As we enter our next chapter, this board brings together leaders with the influence, perspective and integrity to help ensure we continue to uphold that responsibility as we build what comes next.”
