Longtime BET Networks executive Debra Lee is stepping down as chairman and CEO after a more than 30-year career at the network.

Lee, who started with BET as a vice president and general counsel in 1986 and rose through the ranks before eventually being named president and CEO in 2005, will officially leave on May 28.

“Debra’s vision and creativity have cemented BET Networks as a premier network for African Americans and lovers of black culture,” said Viacom CEO Bob Bakish in a statement. “As BET continues to move forward, we will always be grateful to Debra for her leadership and commitment to creating top-notch entertainment that both entertains and empowers. Her passion for the BET brand has resulted in countless wins and has allowed BET to stay competitive in a growing media landscape.”

Lee said in a statement: “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.”

Under Lee’s tutelage, BET enjoyed record-breaking success, including the 2014 series premiere of The Game, the most-watched sitcom premiere in cable TV history with 7.68 million viewers, and the 2017 hit mini-series The New Edition Story, which brought in 28.4 million viewers from the initial run through subsequent encores, making it the highest-rated TV biopic of all time.

Lee also oversaw the launch of the network’s website, BET.com; developed BET Her, the first network for African-American women, and acquired television rights to Black Girls Rock. Other shows such as Being Mary Jane, The Real Husbands of Hollywood and In Contempt have helped BET Networks remain the most watched network group among African-American viewers for the past 17 years.

This past December, Lee handed day-to day duties of the African-American targeted network to BET Networks president Scott Mills.

Lee plans to stay involved in the media industry and continue her role on corporate and non-profit boards, according to Viacom officials.

Below is Lee’s full statement:

“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.”

In a significant leadership transition move, BET Networks Chairman and CEO Debra Lee will hand off oversight of the African-American-targeted company to newly named BET Networks President Scott Mills. 

Mills, who is currently executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Viacom, will assume overall strategy and day-to-day operations of BET Networks beginning Jan. 1, including oversight of the brand’s programming, ad sales and digital teams, said network officials.

Lee, who will remain chairman and CEO of the network, will serve as an advisor to Mills and focus on BET’s relationships with key external stakeholders and committees.

“I have spent more than 20 years leading this incredible enterprise and I am so proud of the BET team and all that we have accomplished,” Lee said in a statement. “As I look to the future, I believe it is the right time to take a step back from day-to-day responsibilities at BET. “

Viacom president and CEO Bob Bakish said in a statement that Lee has built BET into a global entertainment powerhouse. “Her vision and leadership, unmatched intuition for what audiences want, and ability to attract and foster top talent – both behind and in front of the camera – have been pivotal to this success,” he said. “We’re grateful that we will continue to benefit from Debi’s experience and insights.”

BET general manager Michael Armstrong will remain in his position where he will oversee multiplatform scheduling, marketing, corporate communications and operations, reporting to Mills.

Mills, who earlier in his career was president and COO for BET Networks, said in a statement: “BET has consistently produced exciting, thought-provoking content, shaping culture and conversation with African Americans and young audiences around the world. I am honored to work alongside Debi, Michael and the incredible team at BET as we accelerate the network’s evolution across film, digital and live experiences.” 

Bakish said of Mills: “Scott is a proven leader who has made exceptional contributions to Viacom and BET for more than 20 years. His strong relationships across the industry – which were instrumental in securing our recent cross-house deal with Tyler Perry – as well as his track record of success initiating innovative creative ventures, including BET Experience, make him the right person for this role, as we continue to extend this brand across platforms and markets around the world.”

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.”

When it comes to musical icons, there are few names and personalities bigger than Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Notorious B.I.G, New Edition or Tupac Shakur.

On cable, those artists are among many music legends featured in original movie biopics, scripted series and limited series that are aimed at longtime fans, but also bring young, diverse audiences to their respective networks.

Original movies such as Lifetime’s Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland, limited scripted series like CMT’s Sun Records — about when Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins were starting out at the famed Nashville studios — and miniseries like BET’s The New Edition Story are giving viewers shows to tap their feet to while illuminating the lives of favorite musical performers.

“Biopics on their own have always been a way to do a true story, and with music added, it just elevates the entertainment value,” Tanya Lopez, Lifetime’s senior vice president of original movies, said. “I think people come to these shows to learn something different about these artists — it’s not just Behind the Music,” referring to VH1’s venerable music-documentary series.

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Though music biopics are not new to the television landscape, networks have recently turned up the volume on the genre, especially with more recent artists (than, say, The Beatles) intriguing both younger and older viewers. The more contemporary music stars have a built-in audience from millions of social-media followers — and the older stars are being rediscovered by young millennials.

Lopez said the network’s musical biopics — which includes this past February’s Britney Ever After, on the life and career of Britney Spears, and previous films showcasing R&B legends Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston — have appealed to younger, more diverse viewers that extend beyond Lifetime’s target demo of women 25-54.

Connecting With Music Fans
“It’s an audience that was really connected to music and, more specifically, to the period when they listened to that artist’s music,” she said.

BET’s January three-part miniseries The New Edition Story, about the 1980s R&B group, drew more than 29 million viewers across its three-night run, many of them young viewers discovering the group for the first time.

BET CEO Debra Lee said the series combined the group’s triumphs and tribulations over the years with familiar songs that appealed to a broad cross-section of viewers in a scripted format that tends to underscore the drama of the storytelling better than a traditional documentary feature.

The series’ success has led BET to develop a spinoff miniseries about New Edition member Bobby Brown.

“Scripted really gives us a chance to be authentic and create drama from a storyline, as opposed to a reality setting,” Lee said.

Of course, viewers who watch biographical flicks about music stars expect artists’ top hits to be part of the soundtrack. But music isn’t always needed to convey the movie’s message. Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland, for example, focused more on Jackson’s relationship with his three children than on the King of Pop’s musical portfolio. It pulled in 2 million viewers for the May 29 premiere, Lifetime’s second biggest original movie of the year behind the January remake of Beaches, according to Lopez.

“When you’re talking about biopics on these musical artists, the challenge is to tell a part of the story that no one has heard,” Lopez said. “This was more about his personal life than his entertainment life where he was actually creating and performing music, but you can still use the musical star that is Jackson to grab the audience’s attention.”

USA Network will dance to a different beat with the upcoming limited series about the life and death of hip hop icons Biggie “Notorious B.I.G.” Smalls and Tupac Shakur. The true-crime anthology series, Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., delves into the police investigations of the 1996 fatal shooting of Shakur and the 1997 murder of Smalls.

Alex Sepiol, USA’s senior vice president of development, said the series, slated to debut in 2018, hopes to draw fans of mysteries, period dramas and the music industry, as well as fans of the two artists.

“Ideally there are a lot of entry points for people … it’s a fascinating investigation and case that intersects with these distinctly American icons of Biggie and Tupac,” Sepiol said. “It’s finding that overlap of a really good mystery and compelling narrative that also touches on the world of hip hop.”

Docuseries as Film Fodder
The success of these productions has cable executives looking in-house for inspiration and material for new music biopics.

TV One, for example, is looking to convert episodes of its long-running Unsung documentary series into scripted biopics after finding ratings success with the 2016 movie Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story, which became the network’s most widely viewed original movie, according to officials.

TV One is planning two 2018 Unsung-influenced movies based on R&B groups DeBarge and Xscape, as well as a biopic this year about Bobbi Kristina, the daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown.

“Our Unsung movies are setting the standard for biopics of music artists,” D’Angela Proctor, TV One senior vice president of original programming and production, said. “We have a treasure trove of musical shows from Unsung to build our movies around.”

BET tonight (April 27) will hold its network upfront presentation in New York as it looks to further cement its position as the industry’s leading brand for African American viewers. Recently named one of Viacom’s six core brands that the company will put its resources behind, BET is focused on creating quality, original scripted series and movies that it hopes will help thwart increased competition from entertainment-based cable networks looking to reach an African-American audience that watches more television than any other group.

Overall the network plans to increase its original programming lineup by 40% in 2017 with projects like The Bobby Brown Story, a  limited series inspired by the network's successful The New Edition Story mini-series.

BET CEO Debra Lee recently spoke to Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about the network’s brand and its programming strategy heading into the upfronts.

MCN: What does Viacom’s naming of BET as one of its six core brands mean for the network’s brand?

DL: It's really great to be named as one of the six flagship brands for Viacom, and I think that just speaks to the fact that we're the premiere destination for African-Americans, and we have been for a long time. We have been the number one cable network for African-American viewers 18 to 49 for 16 consecutive years, and a top 20 ad-supported cable network for people 18 to 49, so I think that’s part of the recognition by Viacom as to how important our brand is and what it means. I think it's important what BET Networks is to our culture -- we're relevant, radically bold and we're fun -- and I think our audience expects that from us. Our audience sets the trend for not only black culture but culture in general. We are the most social and more engaged audience, so it's a great recognition by our parent company. We've done several upfront presentations in smaller venues and people are responding to us.

MCN: With a number of mainstream audiences developing content to reach African-American viewers, is this one of the most competitive environments in which to reach your target audience?

DL: It gets more competitive every year. I mean 37 years ago when BET started, we were the only network targeting this audience and I'm very proud of that. And over the years other networks have learned what we've always known; that our audience is engaged and are big TV watchers and they are very social. They set the trends and define pop culture, so you know we've seen more competition year in and year out. But competition makes the leaders stronger and that continues to happen. We see what other people are doing -- a network may have a black-targeted night once a week, or a couple of hours of black programming. We're one of the few networks that targets this audience 24 hours a day.

MCN: The network has stepped up its development of scripted programming in recent years. How important has that been in defining the BET brand?

DL: Twelve years ago when I took over as CEO of BET I promised our audience premium scripted programming, and I kept that promise with shows like The Game, Being Mary Jane, Real Husbands of Hollywood. This year we launched The Quad and Rebel, as well as [limited series] Madiba and our huge success with New Edition. So I've kept I've kept my word and now our audience expects high quality scripted programming from us. We also do some unscripted, but scripted really gives us a chance to be authentic and create drama from a storyline as opposed to a reality setting. And so we're going to continue to do that -- we're going to double down on biopics given the success of The New Edition Story with 29 million viewers over three nights.We're going to do The Bobby Brown Story with the same writing that we did New Edition. We have something called Death Row Chronicles which is a six-part look at Death Row Records, so we’re going to continue to tell these authentic stories. Overall we're going to have over 40 percent more original hours of programming going into this upfront. Viewers always wanted us to look like ABC or NBC and have high quality scripted programming, but we will also have talk shows and game shows and everything else so I think you'll see a nice mix.

MCN: Amid the success BET has had recently on the programming side, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask about recent network programming executive departures. Can you talk about what happened and what’s happening within the department going forward?

DL: Well you know there are always changes and so we did have some changes in our programming leadership. [BET senior vice president of specials, music programming and news] Connie Orlando is the head of programming -- she's been here a long time and she's done scripted and unscripted programming. She was put in charge of our tentpoles so she's been doing that for a couple of years running the BET Awards and some of our other big tent poles. So I'm really excited about Connie's new leadership and what she brings to the team.

MCN: What is your sense as to how strong the upfront will be for BET and for cable?

DL: People realize how important our audience is, and you mentioned how many other networks are aiming for this audience. So I think it’s going to be a strong upfront -- [advertisers] are excited to hear about the new Viacom and about the six flagship brands, and to hear what our individual strategies are. So I think it's going to be a good year for cable and especially for BET. One thing I haven’t mentioned is Centric TV. It’s being refreshed as BET Her, which will be the name of it going forward. We think this better aligns Centric with the BET flagship brand. It’s been a destination for African-American women 25 to 54 and we’re going to continue to service her through this channel. So now we’re going to have BET, BET Her, BET Jazz, BET Soul as our network portfolio. I’m really excited about that.

MCN: Will you look to build on BET’s presence on the digital front in 2017?

DL: Yes. We’re always looking at OTT and other digital opportunities because we want to be everywhere our audience is. The technology is changing so much that we always try to keep up, whether that's on iTunes, Netflix or other OTT offerings. We’re doing our first ever Black Twitter impact study. Black Twitter is such an important part of conversation and it really drives mainstream culture, so we've joined forces with Twitter to look at this more carefully and we're going to release the findings with Twitter. We just know it's such a powerful mechanism for our audience and there's a strong correlation between tweeting and watching live TV. So digital is really important to us and along with Viacom -- we're looking at ways to produce more digital content and how to service that audience better.

Stephen Hill, president of programming at BET Networks, is stepping down from his role at the Viacom network, where he has worked since 1999.

Connie Orlando, senior VP for specials, music programming and news, will be interim head of programming for BET Networks.

"It has been my honor to serve this brand," Hill said. "I am thrilled to have been able to be a member of the teams that ideated and created so many spectacles, moments, memories and miracles."

Related > MCN Original Video: One-on-One in Two With BET's Stephen Hill (Jan. 24, 2017)

In a staff memo, Debra Lee, BET chairman and CEO, referred to Orlando as a “seasoned, talented and well respected industry veteran.”

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Cable networks believe in the power of music — or at least in the power of music stars to inspire compelling original films and miniseries based on their real-life stories.

BET, Lifetime and TV One will add to a growing list of made-for-cable movies depicting the lives of current and past pop-music icons.

And TV audiences are applauding these telefilms. For instance, Lifetime’s Jan. 23 original movie Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart, a biography of the popular R&B singer, drew 3.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

It was the most-watched original cable movie among adults 25-54 and women 18-49 since another Lifetime music biopic — Whitney, about the late superstar Whitney Houston — in January of 2015, Nielsen reported.

And female-targeted Lifetime said it will strike up the band again with a film based on the life of R&B singer Michel’le, who was discovered in the 1990s by members of rap group N.W.A.

Looks at musical lives aren’t new for cable networks. Documentary series, led by VH1’s iconic Behind the Music and continuing with current shows such as TV One’s Unsung, have offered a nonfiction look at popular hitmakers both past and present. Dramatizing these familiar stories in a two-hour, scripted format creates more viewer interest and appeal, network executives said.

“People like to know that the drama they’re seeing has some basis in the truth,” BET president of programming Stephen Hill said. “For viewers, it presents an accurate representation of a story, but from another point of view.”

Lifetime’s ratings success with music-themed movies follows HBO’s 2015 docufilm Bessie, which received critical acclaim for its portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith. The movie took home four Emmy Awards this past September, including one for best television movie, and garnered Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, Emmy and SAG awards nods for its lead actress, Queen Latifah.

BET this fall will highlight the career of 1980s R&B group New Edition in a three-part miniseries. Music is already part of the network’s DNA through major tentpole events such as the BET Awards and the Soul Train Music Awards, so New Edition: The Movie fits BET’s brand and appeals to its target African-American viewers, according to president and CEO Debra Lee.

TV One in June will premiere its first biopic, focusing on the life of R&B singer Miki Howard. It’s one of 26 original movies scheduled to air this year, according to network senior vice president of original programming D’Angela Proctor.

Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story will follow the popular singer’s rise from homeless teen-ager to R&B royalty.

TV One is also developing All This Love: The DeBarge Family Story, based on the career of R&B musical group DeBarge, and Ella & Marilyn, about the mostly unknown and unexpected friendship between legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and actress Marilyn Monroe.

Proctor said the music-themed bio films are an extension of Unsung, which chronicles the careers of R&B singers and groups. The movies will give TV One another entry point into the popular music genre, she added.

Hoops-Fueled TBS Tops April

TBS finished the month of April as the most watched network in primetime, bolstered by its coverage of the NCAA Final Four, which secured four slots among the top 10 most-watched shows during the month. AMC’s The Walking Dead continued its rampage, though, holding on to No. 1.

Date                   Show                                                            Network            Total Viewers

4/3     The Walking Dead                                                          AMC                   19.3 million

4/4     NCAA Championship: Villanova-North Carolina   TBS                   14.0 million

4/2     NCAA Final Four: North Carolina-Syracuse           TBS                   10.2 million

4/10   Fear the Walking Dead                                                 AMC                    9.4 million

4/2     Final Four Studio Show                                                TBS                     8.5 million

4/2     NCAA Final Four: Villanova-Oklahoma                   TBS                     8.3 million

4/24   Game of Thrones                                                          HBO                   7.9 million

4/17   Fear the Walking Dead                                                AMC                  7.7 million

4/3     Talking Dead                                                                 AMC                  7.6 million

4/5    The People v. O.J. Simpson                                          FX                    6.7 million

3/29   The People v. O.J Simpson                                         FX                     6.7 million

SOURCE : Nielsen. Ratings period: 3/28-4/24. Viewing Type: Live-plus-7-day blended with live-plus-3-day from 4/11-4/21 and live-plus-same day from 4/22 to 4/24.

Cable networks are preparing tributes to R&B music icon Prince, who died suddenly Thursday afternoon (April 21).

The multiple Grammy-winning performer died  in Minneapolis at age 57, according to CNN and other news outlets, shocking the music and entertainment world.

RELATED:Prince Tribute Specials Continue To Pour In | MTV Acknowledges Prince's Passing During Upfront

Fans and celebrities immediately took to social media to post tributes for Prince, and President Barack Obama joined in the mourning, issuing a statement soon after the news broke.

"Today, the world lost a creative icon," the president said. "Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince. Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer.

"'A strong spirit transcends rules,' Prince once said -- and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative," President Obama continued. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his band and all who loved him.”

Several cable networks also released statements on the his passing. BET released a statement saying the news “weighs heavily on our hearts,” adding that he was a “musical prodigy, a beautiful spirit and fashion provocateur who influenced American culture.” BET Chair and CEO Debra Lee took to Twitter, writing, "Saddened by the death of @Prince, a dear friend of mine & entire @BET family. Rest in Power, Purple King. #RIPPrince”

BET founder Robert L. Johnson also paid homage to Prince: "I will miss his idiosyncratic and quirky ways which fascinated me during the times we met when I was running BET, and of course his indelible imprint on the world of music. Purple Rain is falling all over the world today!"

MTV, which plans to refer to Prince’s death during its upfront presentation Thursday afternoon in New York and was airing the performer's music videos all afternoon, said in a statement it is “heartbroken and in utter disbelief at the news that the world has lost Prince Rogers Nelson so suddenly and so before his time."

"Prince was a once-in-a-lifetime artist who transcended every medium and genre he touched and created music with a passion and individuality that inspired multiple generations," the network said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, friends and millions of fans."

John Eggerton also contributed to this story.