Viacom CEO Says Cancelling ‘Jersey Shore’ Years Ago Was ‘Really Dumb’

The CEO of MTV-owner Viacom, Bob Bakish, recently called the networks past decision to cancel The Jersey Shore, “really dumb.”

Additionally, he went on to speak about the upcoming project that will see the Jersey Shore cast return to television and said, “Why you wouldn’t do that is beyond me.”

Bakish also said that the show was “near and dear to my heart,” not because he is originally from the region, but because he saw the opportunities it created in international markets in one of his past positions, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The CEO also spoke briefly about the Jersey Shore spinoff that recently launched, Floribama Shore, and revealed that it debuted to the highest ratings for any original MTV debut since 2014.

Not just letting the conversation lie at MTV talk, Bakish also spoke about the recent firing of TODAY Show host Matt Lauer amidst sexual harassment allegations.

“The Matt Lauer news is very sad,” Bakish told Business Insider’s Ignition conference. “This is not a Hollywood/media problem. This is a problem across all industries, including the U.S. government.”

Bakish initially stepped into the CEO position at Viacom on an interim basis, but was eventually made permanent. “”There was a lot of drama. And the company had lost its way a bit,” he said about the situation. “The patient had some issues, and the patient is definitely stabilized.”