The Paley Center recently announced the next panel for its PaleyImpact program. Titled BET: Uniting Brands and Networks for Change, the panel will premiere live on Facebook Friday, July 31 at noon ET. 

The program will include talks with executives within the media and entertainment industry to discuss the racial inequality following George Floyd's death and how all brands and content providers can inspire, educate and inform to eliminate these issues. 

Participants include Scott Mills, president, BET; Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP; Kim Godwin, executive VP, CBS News; Dennis Williams, senior VP, corporate affairs and social responsibility at WarnerMedia; Damon Jones, chief communications officer, Procter & Gamble; and moderator Danielle Belton, editor-in-chief, The Root. 

“With the nation still grappling with the events of 2020 including the COVID-19 crisis and the murder of George Floyd, this timely and informative discussion with some of the most important names in media could not have come at a more crucial time,” said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center’s president & CEO. “We’re so proud to partner with BET to present this latest discussion in our PaleyImpact series.” 

The protests over the killing of George Floyd while in police custody have gripped the country and dominated TV news reports for weeks. Support for the African-
American community and calls for an end to systematic racism have come from all corners of the entertainment world through actions such as ViacomCBS’s 8-minute, 46-second blackout across all of its channels on June 1, signifying the time Floyd was pinned to the ground by a white Minneapolis police officer with a knee on his neck.

BET Networks president Scott Mills recently spoke with Multichannel News to address the issues of police brutality and racial inequity facing the country and the role of the ViacomCBS-owned outlet, and the media in general, in providing a voice for African Americans and a platform to advocate for change. Here’s an edited transcript of that conversation.

MCN: Over the years we’ve both seen protests over incidents of police brutality targeted at African-Americans, but George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests seem different. Why?

Scott Mills: I think it’s a fabulous question because I’ve been focused on that a lot myself and I think it’s a series of things. Part of me actually wonders if part of why society is responding to this differently has something to do with COVID-19. I think COVID-19 forced a lot of people to take a more human perspective on things and to think more about vulnerabilities, frailties, equity, inequality and disparities.

Coming out of that broad context, this extraordinary drumbeat of shockingly egregious murders that have been occurring recently has really influenced the way people have responded. We all know that the protests and the marches are a significant part of people wanting justice for injustices that have been perpetrated. But I also think they’re materially about people saying, ‘We want change.’ We’re seeing people act with such brazen impunity, and that leadership is completely absent on these issues. I think we’re seeing more people being more sensitive to the injustices that are perpetrated upon our community.

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MCN: Does the renewed discussion about the need for more diverse voices and representation within the media echo throughout the cable industry, even as distributors cut back their channel lineups?

SM: I think what we’re experiencing is a furthering affirmation of the importance of BET and scaled diverse media platforms. If you don’t have scale, you can program as much and as long as you want, but if you’re not reaching a large enough audience your message isn’t getting out there, and you may not have the standing to convene the people that you really need to convene. An example of that is BET’s securing of $17 million of commitments to COVID-19 relief efforts through [the April 22 special Saving Our Selves]. That was about BET using all of its resources and assets and extraordinary relationships with talent and advertisers. It’s not clear to me that but for BET, could any other platform have functioned at the scale we did that could get you to $17 million? We take that responsibility extraordinarily seriously.

MCN: How does BET take on the responsibility of not only bringing light to these injustices, but helping to facilitate change going forward?

SM: We understood that one of the important things was creating a platform that afforded African-American leaders the ability to communicate their views and perspectives around what was happening, why it was happening, what the failings were and what a course for a correction was. We sought to not have African-American leaders scattered across a bunch of different networks, but to be able to come together in a single place and speak to the African-American community. We’ve been able to do that with our news special Justice Now: A BET Town Hall, where we had the voices of leaders from the activist community, the political community in the political space and from the entertainment community.

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The second thing was this understanding that what we’re seeing on the streets is a function of people’s fear, anger, grief and anxiety. Our view was that we would have to create a safe outlet for that. We have to give people an opportunity to have a voice, to express their rage, to express their grief, to engage in community, as we did through our virtual town hall special.

The thing that we are particularly excited about is that we’ve invited President Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to come to BET and tell our community what they’re prepared to do in a presidential forum on Juneteenth, June 19. It’s not a debate — they wouldn’t be speaking simultaneously — but a presidential forum where they will have the ability to speak to BET’s audience … We think the opportunity for our community to hear from each of them is going to be an important catalyst for how people think about the election in November.

MCN: Has ViacomCBS been on board with everything that BET has and will continue to do with regards to providing a voice for the African-American community?

SM: So far everybody’s like, ‘Yeah, you’ve got to do it.’ With the COVID relief effort, we explained that we wanted to go out and raise money for African-Americans because we had this insight before anybody else was talking about it. We knew that African-Americans were going to be disproportionately impacted by the COVID virus. When I said to them that here are the 10 things that we’re doing to address the current crisis, everybody said, ‘Awesome. That’s the role you guys are supposed to be playing.’ So we have really amazing support.

BET Networks will develop an original scripted miniseries that will profile R&B/Hip-hop record label Uptown Records, the company said Tuesday.

The Uptown miniseries will feature the story of music mogul Andre Harrell’s creation of New York City based Uptown Records in 1986. The record label played a vital role in the careers of some of the most influential voices in hip hop, soul and R&B, including Heavy D & The Boyz, Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen, Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Father MC, Al B. Sure, Christopher Williams, Teddy Riley, Notorious B.I.G., Sean “Diddy” Combs, said BET Networks.

Uptown is scheduled to premiere on BET in 2020.

“We are proud to bring the story of Uptown Records to life and celebrate the indelible imprint the label has made on the industry, transforming the sound, face, and business of hip-hop and R&B,” said Scott Mills, President, BET Networks in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with music industry titan Andre Harrell and powerhouse producer Jesse Collins on the Uptown miniseries, bringing viewers premium content that reflects and celebrates Black excellence.”

Uptown is executive produced by Harrell (Honey, New York Undercover), along with Jesse Collins (The New Edition Story, The Bobby Brown Story) for Jesse Collins Entertainment.

BET Networks appointed Amy DuBois Barnett as senior VP and general manager of BET Digital.

Barnett, most recently had been chief content officer for the Grio and executive VP, digital, for its parent, Entertainment Studios.

In her new post, Barnett will oversee all aspects of digital content on BET non-linear platforms, business development and digital business operations.

She will be based in Los Angeles and report to BET Networks president Scott Mills. She succeeds David Wilson, who left the company.

Related: Liburd Named Chief of Social Impact and Comms at BET

“We are thrilled to welcome Amy to our Senior Leadership team, and look forward to her expertise and strategic leadership in digital engagement and a shared vision of bold culture-driven content,” said Scott Mills, president of BET Networks. “She will be a tremendous asset to our group, as consumers continue to turn to BET for best-in-class content and to discover what’s hot and what’s next on our multiple platforms.”

Before joining Entertainment Studios, Barnett led the development and launch of The Undefeated for ESPN. Earlier she was editor-in-chief of Ebony and worked at Teen People, Honey and Essence.

She has also been an on-air correspondent for CNN and appeared on new shows including The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Katie Show and Nightline, as well as programs on VH1, MTV and BET.

“I am energized to join the BET family and provide unsurpassed access to quality content for our audience to watch, share, stream and download,” said  Barnett. “I look forward to redefining the digital, mobile, and social TV experiences of this great global brand and working with internal and external partners to tell entertaining, engaging and empowering stories from Black perspectives in America and beyond.” 

Forging a deeper connection to video-enabled smart home hubs, BET Networks has recently introduced “BET Breaks” on Amazon’s Echo Show and Echo Spot devices.

The video-optimized version of BET’s flash briefing for those devices stream video highlights about what’s trending in Black and pop culture, including breaking news, the network said.

The BET Breaks Alexa flash briefing is currently offered in the U.S., Australia, Canada and the U.K.

“We’re excited to continue working with Amazon’s Alexa and expanding our ongoing efforts to offer fans even more multiplatform opportunities to access BET premium original digital content, whenever, wherever and on whatever devices they want.” Bobby Singh, head of digital at BET Networks, said in a statement.

Some entertainment-themed cable networks are betting on game shows to drive new audiences with escapist fun and comedic programming.

Game shows like BET’s Face Value, TBS’s Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker’s Wild and truTV’s Talk Show the Game Show offer a fun, less-expensive alternative to dark scripted dramas and often outlandish reality series that dominate cable network lineups, network executives said. Such shows also serve as comfort food for viewers weary of the constant drumbeat of the 24-hour news cycle.

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“I think that everyone right now is growing fatigued by current events and politics and are looking for an escape,” truTV senior vice president of development and original programming Lesley Goldman said. “Game shows in particular create an alternative universe — you’re really entering a world where there are really clear rules that you can play along with and temporarily get away from the real world.”

And Discovery Channel is reviving Cash Cab, the taxicab-based quiz show it aired from 2004 to 2012, with original host Ben Bailey once again picking up would-be contestants on the streets of New York. New episodes will begin airing Dec. 4.

Cable’s game-show fascination comes after a major push by the broadcast networks into the genre this past summer with new shows like CBS’s Candy Crush and Fox’s Beat Shazam, along with revivals of such classic shows from the 1970s and 1980s as ABC’s The Gong Show and Fox’s Love Connection.

A New Generation of Fans
While game shows have been a staple of television since the early days of the medium, the genre has found new life by appealing to a new generation of viewers looking for escapist programming that’s heavy on humor and celebrity stars.

“In the world that we live in, it’s just a fun way to decompress and escape and have some fun doing it,” Connie Orlando, executive vice president and head of programming for BET Networks, said. “In this climate, we’re striving to bring people from all backgrounds together to celebrate the things that unite us and not divide us, and I think game shows are a perfect reflection of that.”

Related: BET Sets ‘Black Card Revoked’ Game Show

TBS senior vice president of unscripted series and special event programming Michael Bloom said the network recently looked to the game show genre to complement its lineup of comedy programming and came up with a revival of the 1970s staple The Joker’s Wild, hosted by hip hop superstar Snoop Dogg. He said the series — which retains the format of the 1972-86 original, adding some hip hop flourishes and Snoop-themed questions and categories — gives its audience an opportunity to laugh and be entertained through a different programming lens.

“Fun and funny were the first two filters we applied to every decision we made for the series,” Bloom said. “We approached it by asking how we could take the original, easy, exciting show and add as many comedy layers as we could to it, and we were able to do that.”

So far the show is winning with viewers: Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker’s Wild drew nearly 1.2 million viewers for its Oct. 24 premiere — on par with the network’s average primetime rating for that week.

Other cable networks are looking to put their own stamp on the game show with new genre concepts. TruTV’s sophomore series Talk Show Game Show is a mashup of the two television formats that pits comedians and celebrities against each other. Hosted by comedian Guy Branum (Chelsea Lately), it places celebrities in various talk show-inspired challenges judged by a panel of comedians who award points while roasting the celebrity’s performances, according to the network.

“The key for us was finding a show with an original hook and a unique point of view that at the center featured a great personality behind it,” Goldman said. “It’s highly relatable and so fun for audiences to play along.”

Talk Show the Game Show, produced by comedian Wanda Sykes’s Push It Productions, will return for its second season in early 2018, according to Goldman. “It combines two genres that our audience loves, and creates a competitive environment where we get to see comedians and celebrities really let their hair down and have a ball,” she said. “It just attracts an audience that’s looking for some fun and satisfying arc and ending that they can walk away from. There are no winners and no losers — it’s a very concrete experience for our viewer.”

‘Face’ Up to’ Prejudice
BET’s Face Value challenges people’s own prejudices and biases by allowing celebrity contestants to make snap judgments about people they see based on their looks and mannerisms.

“Face Value is fun and engages people in lively debate, and over the course of the game the players and viewers realize that when they stop judging and start listening to others they find out each person is uniquely individual,” said BET’s Orlando. “It’s a unique mix of both the comedy and game show formats, and that mix makes for good television and appeals to audiences of all ages and all walks of life.”

The show is hosted by Black-ish’s Deon Cole and produced by Sykes, providing the series with name recognition that helps build viewer awareness. “It’s good to put a face that people can relate to and know to introduce these shows,” she said.

TBS also turned to a celebrity in Emmy-nominated hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg to host its remake of The Joker’s Wild. Bloom attributes the presence of Snoop Dogg to drawing in new viewers to the network — 30% of the show’s audience had never watched TBS, he said.

“Snoop is a prolific social media superstar, and he has stepped up and absolutely done a great job of promoting the show,” he said. “It’s unique to see a superstar like Snoop doing something like this. We’re glad he’s brought all of these new eyeballs to TBS.”

Executives said game show programming competes well in a very crowded television marketplace and will continue to find time slots on cable network programing lineups. TruTV’s next game show, slated for next year, will be a trivia-themed program that will help ordinary people pay off their student debt, according to Goldman. “Whether its celebrities or ordinary people, game shows are fun no matter who’s playing it,” she added.

BET has already green-lit a second game show, Black Card Revoked, based on the card game of the same name that tests players’ knowledge of the African-American experience from pop culture and entertainment to historical facts and politics. Comedian Tony Rock will host the series, which will debut in January, according to Orlando.

“We have found that our audience likes to laugh and decompress, and game shows are a great way to do that,” she said. “Our filters are always to be relevant, fun and radically bold, and game show programming checks off a lot of those boxes.”

In June, longtime BET executive Michael Armstrong was named to the newly created role of general manager for BET Networks, where he will be in charge of navigating the industry’s leading African-American targeted brand through a very competitive and often volatile media landscape. Armstrong recently spoke to Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about his vision for the 37-year-old network, which earlier this year was named one of the six brands that parent company Viacom will focus its resources on going forward. An edited transcript follows.

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MCN:How would you define the BET brand?
Michael Armstrong: The BET brand is a place where you can find innovative formats, content and programming for consumers of black culture worldwide. We’re now in well over 60 countries and more than 40 million households. We’ve got BET feeds around the world — Africa, France, U.K. and the U.S. — and we’re continuing to grow. So when you think about BET as a brand, we can’t just think of it as the U.S. brand — which is obviously our bread and butter — but about BET as a global brand, servicing viewers with a BET channel at almost every waking hour. When you think of BET as one of the flagship six brands here at Viacom, it’s because we’re a global brand that serves a global consumer.

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MCN:You mentioned BET as being named one of Viacom’s six flagship brands. Is that a comforting testament to the value of the BET brand, or does that put more pressure on BET to live up to lofty expectations?
MA: If you think about brands inside of today’s media world, the idea that you have to live up to expectations is a given. You’re constantly trying to make connections with your consumers. We are judged by how people are taking to the content that we’re offering them and how people are responding to the brand. We’re increasingly interacting with our consumers in digital and social, and responding in real time to what they’re saying.

MCN:Currently, there’s unprecedented media competition to reach the African-American viewer. Given that, how do you keep BET as a leading brand for its core African-American audience?
MA: I think the way that we win in that space is we just remain authentic to who we are, which is a platform that launches and incubates new stars. We’re doing that and will continue to do that with programming that we offer on a regular basis. There are always going to be hit shows [targeting African-American viewers] all across the dial — that’s just how this business works. But if we remain true to who we are on a consistent basis, we will continue to be the leading brand.

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MCN:What should viewers expect to see on BET going into 2018?
MA: We will continue to innovate in all areas of programming, including unscripted and biopics. We were very successful with the New Edition biopic and we are following that up with the Bobby Brown story. We also are excited about bringing back some of our favorites. The Quad was an innovative way to tell a story about a fictitious HBCU and all of the different things that happened on that campus, so we’re excited about seeing how that story continues to evolve. We also have a great new talent in Robin Thede coming for a late-night show; 50 Cent brought his comedic skills and identification of great talent to the network with 50 Central. So we have a platform that we use to continue to launch and incubate new talent, and we are super excited about what that’s going to mean for our future because people want fresh and new, not only content but also formats.

MCN:What do you see as the biggest challenges for BET going into the rest of the year and into 2018?
MA: The biggest challenges for any brand are really ratings and ultimately making sure that the programming that you’re creating is connecting with the viewer. So our challenge is to make sure that we’re creating innovative programming. We have a lot of faith in the upcoming slate for the network, as well as our returning favorites. So we’re going to just keep our foot on the gas and make sure that we’re listening to our consumers and giving them more of what they want.

BET-owned network Centric will rebrand as BET Her today (Sept. 25) to better reflect its outreach to African-American female viewers.

Having initially launched as BET Jazz before rebranding to Centric in 2009, BET Her will look to superserve African-American women, who watch more television than any other demographic group and want to see their images reflected on the screen, according to BET Her senior VP of media sales Michele Thornton.

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“There isn’t one place dedicated for black women to be entertained, inspired and empowered, and the BET Her brand defines that,” Thornton said. “BET is the biggest, most successful African-American network, and now her little sister is dedicated to black women in a really smart, fun way.”

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Along with a new look and new logo, BET Her will add a new Sunday morning block featuring faith-based stage plays, as well as tentpole specials, including an October breast-cancer awareness special. The network will also bring back original series From the Bottom Up for a third season, Thornton said.

BET has named longtime network executive Michael Armstrong to the newly created position of general manager, the network announced Thursday. 

Armstrong, who was previously Viacom International Media Networks' vice president and general manager for revenue and emerging brands, will now drive BET's strategy and operations in his new role, sadn the network. Armstrong, who will be based in New York and will officially report to BET Networks chairman and chief executive officer Debra Lee, will have direct oversight of content strategy and multiplatform scheduling, marketing, corporate communications and operations.

“Today’s announcement outlines key changes to our operating structure that further solidify our position as a thriving global brand,” said Lee in a statement. “Michael exemplifies the values of strong, dynamic leadership - and his vast knowledge of our industry and how our audiences connect with content is unmatched." 

In addition, Jeanine Liburd has been appointed to the new role of chef marketing and communications officer. Liburd, who previously was head of corporate communications, special events and corporate responsibility for the network, will add the responsibility of creative and brand marketing to her duties, overseeing all facets of creative brand development, consumer marketing and cross-business initiatives.

Also, Donna Blackman will serve as the liaison for all internal BET Networks departments with Viacom Media networks shared services, according to the network. 

“Known for their passion for our business and their strong experience in the industry, Jeanine and Donna have a proven track record of developing dynamic strategies that have accelerated growth, elevated brand awareness for BET and engaged consumers worldwide,” Lee said. “These appointments will strengthen our ability to drive growth in ratings and digital metrics, achieve strategic goals and deliver strong financial performance.”

BET Networks has broadened its TV Everywhere footprint with branded, dedicated apps for the Apple TV and Roku players and Roku TVs and optimization for the Google Chromecast streaming adapter.

The network said the launch of BET’s authenticated OTT offerings to those additional platforms coincides with the new seasons of Real Husbands of Hollywood, The Gary Owen Show, and Ink, Paper, Scissors, a reality series set to premiere on Tuesday (Oct.11).

RELATED: BET Adds Live Feed to TV Everywhere App

“We are proud to add Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku streaming devices to our ever-growing portfolio of BET Digital offerings and in turn expand our TV Everywhere footprint.” said Kay Madati, EVP and chief digital officer at BET, in a statement.  “As a leader in the digital space this expansion is an example of our commitment to hyper-engage our multiplatform users and audience with premium linear and digital content whenever and wherever on the devices and platforms they choose and love, in new, innovative, and seamless ways.”

BET launched its first network-branded TVE app in 2014.

BET Networks has acquired iconic music/entertainment brand Soul Train from InterMedia Partners and The Yucaipa Companies, the network said Monday.

The acquisition includes more than 1,100 episodes of the Soul Train R&B music variety series -- which was created and hosted by the late Don Cornelius and ran in syndication from 1971-2006 -- as well as 40 television specials, according to BET Networks officials.

BET Networks' Centric service currently airs the Soul Train Awards.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

BET Networks will look to expand the Soul Train brand to create other ancillary revenue opportunities ranging from live events to consumer products, according to network officials.

“BET Networks is honored to have acquired a brand with such a rich history and unique content that is forever relevant to all segments of our audience,” commented Richard Gay, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Operations at BET Networks in a statement. “With a Broadway play and a concert tour as examples of opportunities in the works, we look forward to finding engaging and smart ways to grow the brand while preserving its heritage and legacy in music, dance and fashion.”

Singer-songwriter Kelly Rowland — one-third of the legendary R&B trio Destiny’s Child, along with Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams — will look to mentor a new musical “girl group” in Chasing Destiny, a new documentary series premiering Tuesday (April 5) on BET. Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead caught up with Rowland to discuss her move into television as executive producer of Chasing Destiny, as well as her thoughts on its place in the slew of music competition series on television, such as The Voice. Here’s an edited excerpt of their conversation.

MCN Original Video: Content Spotlight on BET's 'Chasing Destiny,' With Kelly Rowland

MCN:What inspired you to createChasing Destiny?

Kelly Rowland: For me, it was filling a void in the marketplace. Growing up, I remember there were so many different musical groups, whether they were male or female, and I wanted to see that again. Right now there’s only Fifth Harmony, Little Mix (which I put together) and One Direction — and all of them are from these reality competition shows. I didn’t want to do that, but instead I wanted to do a show where people were following me on this journey, so it ended up being a documentary.

MCN:You mentioned that there are very few female singing groups. Why are there so few groups these days?

KR: I don’t think it’s so much the business as much as there are a lot of young and upcoming artists who just want to be solo artists … I think that they think that’s all that there is, but if you share the light you sparkle brighter. I came from a great group and, within groups, they have the opportunity to showcase comradery, to be great in what they are doing and to make an impact on culture.

MCN:How does your showChasing Destinydiffer from similar music or talent-discovery shows likeAmerican IdolorThe Voice?

KR: For one, there’s no cutting or elimination process — you’re just seeing the group evolve and come together. There will be moments where we’ll have girls that probably won’t stay, whether it’s because of themselves or they come in and say, “I’m not cut out for this.” They’ll also see that there’s a lot of work involved; you’ll never know what’s going to happen. The cameras are rolling and they catch everything in its most organic and authentic state.

MCN:Has the TV music-competition genre had a positive influence on the music industry in general?

KR: I think that when you have great artists like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood that come from shows like Idol, you’re excited for them, but they also started with something magical going in. They started with a great work ethic, they love music and it’s what they live and breathe. When you have great artists like them, you realize that shows like that could be something special. But when it’s expected to find a star overnight, that’s when it becomes a hindrance to the business.

MCN:You’re executive producer of the series and you’re also starring in it as well. Will you look to do more television projects along with your musical endeavors?

KR: Absolutely. It’s been a lot of work, but a lot of fun so far. I didn’t know it entailed so much work in terms of thinking about all the extra things that go along with producing a show, and the logistics of everything is a lot of work. (Laughs.)

MCN:Will we see your Destiny’s Child sisters on the show?

KR: We’ll see. I’m calling on everybody to be completely honest not only for their knowledge but to tell everyone out there about the music industry.

BET Networks has tapped former Oxygen programming executive Brie Miranda Bryant as it senior vice president of unscripted, original programming, the network said Tuesday. 

Bryant will be responsible for overseeing all unscripted development and production for the network, reporting to Zola Mashariki, the network’s executive vice president and head of original programming.

Most recently, Bryant was the vice president of development & production at Oxygen Media where she was responsible for developing such hits as The Preachers Franchise (LA Detroit and Atlanta editions), The Prancing Elites Project and Sisterhood of Hip Hop.

“Brie is a talented creative executive with a knack for identifying complex, real life experiences and transforming them into rich and nuanced stories that audiences can’t get enough of,” says Mashariki in a statement. “Her ability to stay ahead of pop culture trends makes her the perfect person to lead our unscripted team.”