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"I am convinced
that BET's legacy is in great hands with Debra at the
helm," Johnson concluded.
Tom Freston,
Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Viacom,
said, "Bob Johnson is a true giant in our business,
an entrepreneur of great vision and accomplishment.
Bob built BET literally from an idea into a powerhouse.
As he moves on to Chairman from CEO, he leaves a legendary
legacy and, also, a very worthy successor in Debra Lee."
Freston
added, "I couldn't be more thrilled that Debra is taking
the helm of BET and am confident that, under her leadership,
we'll have a smart and smooth transition. With nearly
two decades of experience building a strong relationship
with the African-American audience, I look forward to
watching Debra make her mark and build on the great
legacy of BET."
"When
you've dedicated yourself to a mission like I have since
coming to BET, it's truly gratifying when leaders the
caliber of Bob Johnson and Tom Freston express without
hesitation their utmost confidence in your ability,"
said Lee, whose new title until Johnson's retirement
will be President and CEO. "The positive momentum and
tremendous optimism for BET's future are the dividends
of Bob's leadership over these 25 years and the strength
of our executive team. I look forward to working with
Tom on the continued development of BET as a powerful,
successful enterprise for Viacom and its shareholders."
A Harvard-educated
lawyer, Lee takes charge of BET at a time when the brand
is the most dominant icon in the urban marketplace.
The core BET channel is enjoying an all-time distribution
high of more than 80 million homes in the United States,
Canada and the Caribbean. BET's business platform has
expanded since its original founding on January 25,
1980 to include a diverse cadre of brand extensions:
BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans;
BET Digital Networks - BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET
Hip Hop, programming alternatives for niche genres;
BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management
and production company; and BET Books, the nation's
leading publisher of African-American themed romance
novels and other specialized fiction and nonfiction
offerings.
Lee, 50,
first joined BET as vice president and general counsel
in 1986 after serving over five years as an attorney
with Washington, DC-based law firm of Steptoe & Johnson.
During her tenure, Lee has played pivotal roles in the
company's history, including Executive Vice President
and General Counsel of BET's legal affairs department;
Corporate Secretary; and President and Publisher of
BET's publishing division. Even the construction of
BET's corporate headquarters campus in the Northeast
corridor of Washington, DC was directly managed by Lee.
She stepped up to the level of President and Chief Operating
Officer in March 1996.
It was
on Lee's watch that BET enjoyed some of its most explosive
growth in ratings, revenue and popularity. She led the
network's evolution beyond its successful music programming
into original movies, documentaries, concert specials,
news, late-night talk shows and public policy coverage.
Lee also substantially expanded investment in marketing,
advertising, research and development - strategies all
geared to fend off upstarts and would-be challengers
to BET's position as the market leader.
Lee's
sphere of influence also extends well beyond BET where
she is regarded as one of the country's top female executives
in the realm of Fortune 500 companies. She serves on
the corporate board of directors of global business
icons Marriott International and Eastman Kodak Company,
and regionally for Washington Gas & Light Company. Her
business acumen and strategic approach to management
make Lee a popular speaker and lecturer on a range of
business topics.
The cable
industry has long recognized Lee's importance as a corporate
executive and industry ambassador. Lee serves on the
boards of cable trade groups the National Cable & Telecommunications
Association (NCTA) and Cable & Telecommunications Association
for Marketing (CTAM). Industry awards and accolades
haven't escaped Lee either as evidence by her receiving
the 2003 Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership
from the NCTA - a first for an African-American female
executive; 2003 Positively Visionary Award from Cable
Positive; 2003 Quasar Award from the National Association
of Minorities in Communications; 2001 Woman of the Year
Award from Women in Cable and Telecommunications; the
Wonder Woman Award from Cablevision magazine; the Silver
Star Award from American Women in Radio and Television;
and frequent recognition among the industry's Hundred
Heavy Hitters by Cable Fax magazine. Outside the cable
industry, Lee has also received special recognition,
including the 2005 Madame C. J. Walker Award from Ebony
magazine for best exemplifying the entrepreneurial spirit
of the pioneering Black businesswoman.
Lee earned
her Jurist Doctorate at Harvard University Law School,
while simultaneously earning a Masters Degree in Public
Policy from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government
in 1980. She graduated from Brown University in 1976
with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science with an
emphasis in Asian Politics.
ABOUT
BET
BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B),
is the nation's leading television network providing
quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs
programming for the African-American audience. The BET
Network reaches more than 80 million households according
to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United
States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant
consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse
group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet
portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks -
BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives
for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions,
specializing in a full range of event production services,
including event management, venue selection, talent
recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production; and
BET Books, the nation's leading publisher of African-American
themed romance novels under the Arabesque imprint which
also publishes compelling fiction under the Sepia imprint
and inspirational fiction and nonfiction under the New
Spirit imprint.
PRESS CONTACT: Michael Lewellen, (202) 608-2003, michael.lewellen@bet.net
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