Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Debra Lee Stepping Down as BET CEO & Chairman: ‘I Leave With Pride, Gratitude and Joy’

[videowaywire video_id=”2124CA239DF08BE5″]

Chief Executive Officer of BET Debra Lee attends the 2018 Modern Jazz Social at Museum of Modern Art on April 3, 2018 in New York City.
Chief Executive Officer of BET Debra Lee attends the 2018 Modern Jazz Social at Museum of Modern Art on April 3, 2018 in New York City.

*Debra Lee is ending her tenure at Black Entertainment Television.

After more than three decades at BET, Lee is stepping down from her post as CEO and chairman at the Viacom-owned cable network. Her last day at the company will be Monday, May 28, and she is not being replaced.

As previously reported, Lee had ceded day-to-day oversight of the African-American-focused channel to new president Scott M. Mills in December.

Lee, who first joined BET in 1986 as its first in-house counsel, was promoted to president and chief operating officer in 1996 and became chairman and CEO in 2005. The executive ushered BET into the scripted space with “The Game” and programming that highlights the black experience, including “Being Mary Jane,” “The Real Husbands of Hollywood” and, more recently, “In Contempt.”

During Lee’s reign, BET has remained the No. 1 network among black viewers for the past 17 years.

Lee next plans to focus on corporate and nonprofit boards and her work with the Time’s Up movement as well as the Recording Academy’s diversity and inclusion task force, among others.

Read Lee’s full statement, below:

In 1986 I joined BET Networks to be its very first in-house counsel. As a young corporate attorney I saw my role as the protector of the BET brand and its employees and today, more than 32 years later, I still see myself as the protector and defender of a brand that I have helped to grow as a top destination for audiences across the globe. I have called BET Networks home for over three decades and this team is part of my extended family.

In addition to the legacy I have built for BET Networks in the media landscape, I am also extremely proud of the legacy of values that I helped to instill at the network during my tenure. My belief that we can do well and do good has been a guiding principle and one that I hope you will continue after my departure. Together, we have built a world-class brand that connects with fans through the power of storytelling and we have attracted and nurtured top talent across the globe.

I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude to our parent company, Viacom, for their continued belief in the power of the BET brand and their unwavering support of my long and fulfilling career here. I would especially like to thank Bob Bakish for supporting me as I start the next chapter in this exciting journey.

I could not be prouder of the enormous amount of talent and creativity at BET Networks today and I will always be BET’s number one fan, rooting for each and every one of you as you continue to break barriers and share your authenticity with the world. I leave with pride, gratitude, and joy for a life-changing professional and personal journey. Continue to do it “for the culture” and much success to you all. You deserve it.

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