Major BET Figure Quits After 23 Years

Leadership at BET is experiencing massive changes. Scott Mills, who was with the company for 23 years, has announced his exit as CEO.

Running BET Media Group – which houses the BET cable channel, the streamer BET+ and studio BET Studios – he announced his exit from the company in an email, per The Hollywood Reporter. Louis Carr, who has been with the media sales division for 39 years, is stepping into the role.

Mills wrote, in part, in an email to staffers: “After 23 years at BET, I’ve made the difficult decision to step down as president and CEO. Leading this extraordinary brand and serving the Black community alongside all of you has been an incredible honor and privilege. Your talent, passion, and unwavering commitment to BET’s mission have driven all that we’ve accomplished as a team. As I reflect on our journey, I’m deeply proud of what we’ve built.”

Noting some of the accomplishments for the network, he added later in the email: “The Black creative community’s support was instrumental to our success. From our record-breaking partnership with Tyler Perry – yielding countless hits and the #1 series on TV for Black audiences – to Lee Daniels delivering BET’s first primetime Emmy and Tony nominations and introducing us to the incredibly talented Ms. Pat and Jordan Cooper. From Queen Latifah and Deon Cole leading our celebration of Black excellence, to Taraji P. Henson schooling us on our largest stage, Kevin Hart coming home for the 25th anniversary of culture’s biggest night, and Jesse Collins’ producorial genius – the community’s support has been incredible.”

BET has been in limbo for some time as a network/media group, with several high-profile individuals — including Perry and Byron Allen – bidding to buy the company. Unfortunately, both were unsuccessful. The future of the network is unclear as it remains in limbo in terms of leadership and ownership.