Showtime will not bring back its Vanessa Bayer-created comedy series I Love That For You for a second season.

The series, which debuted in May 2022, starred Bayer (a Saturday Night Live former cast member) as a childhood leukemia survivor who chases her lifelong dream of becoming a home shopping channel host. Along with Bayer, the series also starred Molly Shannon, Jenifer Lewis, Paul James, Ayden Mayeri and Matt Rogers.

Executive producers for I Love That for You include Bayer, Jeremy Beiler, Jessi Klein, Michael Showalter, Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle, Jordana Mollick and Allyce Ozarski. 

“I Love That For You has completed its run on Showtime,” the network said in a press statement. “We want to thank Vanessa, Jeremy and Jessi, along with the incredible cast and crew for their hard work and wish them the best going forward.” 

I Love That For You is the latest scripted series to be canceled by Showtime under new network head Chris McCarthy, following The L Word: Generation Q, American Gigolo and Let The Right One In. Showtime is set to be integrated into the Paramount Plus streaming service on June 27.

Paramount Global, following the combination of its Showtime and MTV Entertainment studios into a single studio and the consolidation of nine cable network teams into a single group, said it is eliminating 25% of the two units’ staff.

Most of the job losses come from the networks group, with some operations being shut down entirely, most notably MTV News. 

MTV News, like MTV, was once a cultural touchstone. There have been recent efforts to revive MTV News, but lately it has been shrinking in staff and relevance as cable viewership erodes.

Last week, Paramount reported earnings that were below Wall Street expectations and announced that it was slashing the dividend it pays shareholders in order to conserve cash is it tries to pivot towards streaming while its cable business erodes. Paramount shares plunged on the news.

In a memo to staff, Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks noted that “we continue to feel pressure from broader economic headwinds like many of our peers.”

The Walt Disney Co., for one,  is in the process of laying off 7,000 staffers as part of CEO Bob Iger’s cost-cutting plan.

McCarthy said that “as a result, we have made the very hard but necessary decision to reduce our domestic team by approximately 25%.“

“This is a tough yet important strategic realignment of our group,“ he said. “Through the elimination of some units and by streamlining others, we will be able to reduce costs and create a more effective approach to our business as we move forward.” 

McCarthy said impacted employees would be notified Tuesday by managers, followed by meetings with human resources staffers.

“To those impacted, we deeply appreciate the passion and creativity you have brought every day,“ he said. “I want to thank you for your many contributions. Our leadership team and HR partners are committed to ensuring this process is done with empathy and respect.”

The second season of Showtime’s Emmy-nominated drama series Yellowjackets isn't scheduled to debut until March, but that didn’t stop the premium service from renewing the series for a third season.

The series, which will debut its second season on March 24, ended its first season this past January as Showtime’s second most streamed series in its history, according to Showtime officials. 

“With Yellowjackets’ runaway success in season one and the pent-up anticipation for season two, we wanted to maximize the momentum by fast tracking season three now,” said Showtime and Paramount Media Networks President and CEO Chris McCarthy.

The series follows the lives of players from a high school girls soccer team 25 years after surviving a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness, according to the network. The series stars Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress.

Yellowjackets is executive produced by Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, Jonathan Lisco and Drew Comins. “The show’s ambition is only exceeded by its execution, and I thank the incredible creative team behind it, including Ashley, Bart, Jonathan, eOne and the Showtime team, for turning this into such a success,” McCarthy added.■

BET Media Group will take over the operations of cable network VH1 as parent Paramount Global looks to continue its business transformation, according to a company memo from Paramount Global president and CEO Bob Bakish obtained by Multichannel News.

The 37-year-old VH1, which initially launched as a music video service but is now home to unscripted reality programming — including the Emmy-winning competition show RuPaul's Drag Race — will be folded into the BET Media Group, led by Scott Mills, which also includes networks BET, BET Plus, BET Studios, BET Her and BET Digital, according to the memo.

The move to the African-American-targeted BET Media Group makes synergistic sense given that VH1 draws a strong African-American viewership with such shows as the Love & Hip Hop and Black Ink Crew franchises, the memo said.

Also: Plunging Paramount Defends Streaming Strategy

“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 said in the memo.

The alignment will allow the BET Media Group to “build an interconnected set of leading platforms — linear, streaming, digital and studios — centered around the Black community, Black culture and content.”

The move follows the October folding of premium network Showtime into the Paramount Media Networks Group under group CEO Chris McCarthy.

The full Bob Bakish memo reads as follows:

Team,

"As we take further steps to accelerate the transformation of our business and maximize the full strength of Paramount, I’m excited to share that VH1 will move into the BET Media Group, which includes BET, BET+, BET Studios and BET Digital.

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.

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.  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.

I’d also like to recognize the MTV Entertainment Studios team under the leadership of Chris McCarthy and Nina L. Diaz, who, for the past five years, have rebuilt the VH1 brand and produced powerful hit franchises from Black Ink Crew and Love & Hip Hop to RuPaul’s Drag Race. Their work has helped VH1 score nearly 40 Emmy Awards while establishing it as an industry champion in driving diversity both in front of the camera and behind the screens.  As Chris and his team continue to focus on integrating SHOWTIME and globalizing the Media Networks Group, they’ll also partner with the BET teams to continue producing several of the existing hit shows on VH1.

We are working through the details of that transition now and will share updates as we have them. In the meantime, as we look forward to this successful next chapter of VH1, please join me in congratulating Scott and the BET organization, and thanking Chris and the MTV Entertainment team for their ongoing contributions." ■

ViacomCBS said it unified its global management structure, giving responsibilities for both the U.S. and international arms of their businesses to Chris McCarthy, Brian Robbins and George Cheeks.

McCarthy will head the MTV Entertainment Group. Robbins will be in charge of Nickelodeon and the kids and family businesses. Cheeks, head of CBS branded businesses, will be responsible for global content strategy for the company's free-to-air networks around the world.

Also Read: ViacomCBS Gets 'Historic' Price Increase as it Finishes Upfront

All three executives were named president and CEO of their units and will continue to report to Bob Bakish, CEO of ViacomCBS and work closely with Raffaele Annecchino, president of ViacomCBS Networks International.

International brand leadership will be realigned under this new structure, the company said.

Last week, the three executives were given additional responsibilities for programming ViacomCBS’s streaming services Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.

“These changes enable a truly global approach to brand management, content acquisitions and licensing across ViacomCBS’ networks around the world,” said Bakish. “With a global reach of 4.1 billion cumulative homes in over 180 countries, our globally aligned leadership structure will ensure that our internationally recognized brands and content are ubiquitous across every platform and every market.” 

The company said that Dan Cohen, president of Viacom CBS Global Distribution Group, will add oversight of distribution for ViacomCBS International Studios. He will also oversee all content licensing and distribution globally.

Also Barbara Zaneri assumes the title of chief program acquisition officer for ViacomCBS across its linear, streaming and pay platforms.

She will continue to report to McCarthy.

Paramount Network president Kevin Kay will leave his position in the latest Viacom executive shakeup.

Kent Alterman will add oversight of the Paramount Network as president of Viacom’s Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land Group, the company announced Thursday.

In another move, MTV, VH1 and Logo president Chris McCarthy will add day-to-day operations of CMT to his duties, according to Viacom. Alterman and McCarthy will continue to report to CEO Bob Bakish.

“These changes mark the next step in the ongoing evolution of our company as we continue to ensure we’re making the most of our great assets and resources, and operating as nimbly and efficiently as we can,” said Bakish in a statement. “Kent and Chris have been driving forces behind Viacom’s flagship strategy, re-energizing and growing two of our most iconic brands, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.”

During his tenure at Viacom, Kay oversaw the launch of several Nickelodeon hits such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Kenan & Kel. At Spike, Kay launched The Ultimate Fighter and Lip Sync Battle before overseeing the transition of the network from Spike to the Paramount Network this past January.

“Over the course of his career at Viacom, Kevin’s creative vision and gift for telling great stories have made a lasting impact,” Bakish said in a statement. “Thanks to the efforts of Kevin and his team, we have successfully established Paramount Network as a home for premium content, and TV Land and CMT continue to be dominant forces in the audiences they serve. I’m so grateful for the many contributions they have made in evolving and strengthening these world-class brands for their next chapter.”

RELATED: Viacom Taps Brian Robbins as Nickelodeon President 

The announcement comes five months after BET chairman and CEO Debra Lee stepped down and nearly a month after Paramount Players President Brian Robbins was named as president of Nickelodeon, replacing former Nickelodeon president Cyma Zarghami who left the company in June.

RELATED: Debra Lee To Step Down as Chairman and CEO of BET 

VH1 executive Amy Doyle Tuesday (Jan. 24) was promoted to general manager of MTV, VH1 and Logo Group.

Doyle, formerly executive vice president at VH1, will partner with group president Chris McCarthy to oversee the overall creative management of the group, according to company officials. That includes oversight of the Group’s tentpole events, including the MTV Video Music Awards, as well as specials, network/celebrity talent and VH1 scripted programming.

“Through her strong creative instincts and talent relationships, Amy has built countless brand-elevating events and initiatives throughout her career, and I’m excited for her to partner with me in this vital leadership role across the group,” said McCarthy, who was elevated to the Group president position this past October.

Added Doyle: “I am excited to expand my collaboration with Chris to encompass the MTV brand that was my home for so many years. We are ready to leverage the best and most diverse world-class events, development and talent teams across each of the brands to help us transform MTV for today’s youth culture and continue VH1 and Logo’s growth trajectory.”

Kevin Vitale was named senior vice president of brand creative and operations at MTV, where a network turnaround is a priority for struggling parent company Viacom.

Vitale had been senior VP of brand marketing at IFC. At MTV he'll report to Jacqueline Parkes, executive VP of marketing and creative.

Last year, Viacom named Chris McCarthy as president of MTV, VH1 and Logo, replacing former Discovery executive Sean Atkins.

Vitale joined IFC in 2011 and led a network rebrand in 2015.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Chris McCarthy has been promoted to president of VH1 and Logo TV, Viacom Music & Entertainment Group president Doug Herzog announced Wednesday.

McCarthy, who has served as general manager of VH1 since August 2015 and Logo since 2014, will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations of both companies, said network officials.

Prior to being named General Manager of VH1, McCarthy was the general manager of MTV’s digital networks from 2010 to 2016, where he oversaw Logo TV, MTV2 and MTVU.  

“Within a remarkably short time, Chris has driven record growth across all screens and done an incredible job of reinventing the VH1 brand, bringing the focus back to its rich pop culture heritage,” said Herzog in a statement.  “Chris is a smart and strategic leader who thinks from an ‘audience first’ perspective, leading to highly impressive results."

Chris McCarthy has been named General Manager of VH1, replacing VH1 president Tom Calderone who is leaving the network.

McCarthy, who most recently oversaw MTV2 and Logo, will be responsible for the day to day operations of the reality series-driven VH1, reporting to Doug Herzog, President of the Viacom Music and Entertainment Group. 

Calderone informed VH1 staffers of his departure in a letter yesterday. “ I’m reaching out today because I am leaving the VH1 family. And with that in mind, my very first thought, was to send an email to say thank you to all of you,” Calderone said.

McCarthy will oversee a network that has delivered several top reality shows including the Love & Hip Hop franchise and recently has developed several original movies.

The network’s ratings in second quarter 2015 were down 19%, according to Nielsen.

“Chris is a multi-talented executive with a proven ability to build brands and drive viewership across very different demos,” said Herzog.  “He’s a forward-thinking leader for this new era in media and a terrific fit for VH1, a beloved brand with a strong team and a unique place in pop culture.” 

Chris McCarthy is expanding his purview at Viacom.

MTV executive vice president Chris McCarthy, who will continue his roles as general manager of MTV2 and mtvu, has been officially named named general manager of Logo TV. McCarthy had been heading the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-targeted service since Lisa Sherman exited last October. Sherman was recently named president of the Ad Council.

McCarthy has worked alongside MTV president Stephen Friedman as interim general manager since Logo TV became aligned with MTV in late 2013.

To date, 2014 has been the highest-rated and most-watched in Logo TV’s history, up nearly 20% versus 2013 and has registered double-digit growth across all digital properties, according to network officials. 

The channel continues to launch a new slate of original programming, specials and tentpoles, which began rolling out with Trailblazers, a new TV special honoring LGBT pioneers, Secret Guide to Fabulous from executive producers Kelly Ripa and Mark Conseulos’ Milojo Productions and the upcoming documentary Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, premiering Oct. 17.

“Chris has helped guide our channels to ratings and creative highs,” Friedman said. “With MTV2, he demonstrated how he can lead a network to capture the imagination of a hard to reach young, male demographic. His insight, creativity and business acumen have made an indelible impact, and I'm thrilled to partner with him to drive the next chapter in Logo TV’s evolution.”   

McCarthy was named executive vice president of MTV in 2013. He has been general manager of MTV2 and mtvU since 2010.