Several hundred workers will be let go by Black Entertainment Television (BET) as part of the staff reduction plan of its parent firm, Paramount Global. (Image courtesy of Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)Image/AP/Richard Shotwell
Scott Mills, the CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET), revealed this week that the company is facing hundreds of layoffs as part of its parent company, Paramount Global’s, budget cuts.
Mills stated in the memo Variety acquired on Wednesday that the firm is taking more steps to streamline Paramount in order to make sure it is positioned for future success, as the company’s co-CEOs previously shared. Since BET is not exempt from the circumstances that call for these measures, we too must cut employees.
BET is a cable television network and multimedia group that was founded in 1980 by businessman Robert L. Johnson. It is one of the top media firms in the world and is dedicated to giving Black Americans access to news and entertainment.
According to Variety, the network is known for its well-known BET cable channel and its streaming services, which include BET+, BET Gospel, BET HER, BET International, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET Studios, and VH1.
Variety stated that BET’s layoffs are a part of Paramount Global’s 3.5% U.S. labor reduction plan, which was announced on June 10.
The departure of outstanding team members who have been excellent collaborators, coworkers, and friends—team members who have made a significant contribution to BET’s success and who share our enthusiasm for BET’s goal and purpose—is a very sad time, Mills wrote in a memo.
According to Mills, we are a strong and resilient company, a strong and resilient brand, and most significantly, a strong and resilient workforce. I continue to have faith in our combined ability to advance BET.
The layoffs at BET coincide with Paramount Global’s continuing legal spat with President Donald Trump.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has yet to approve Paramount Global’s $8.4 billion merger agreement with Skydance Media, the parent company of multiple media channels including CBS, Paramount+, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV, according to Reuters.
Trump sued Paramount for $10 billion last year, alleging that the network manipulated an interview with former Vice President and then-candidate Kamala Harris to help the Democratic Party win the 2024 election, according to Reuters.
According to Reuters, the transfer of CBS’s broadcast television licenses needs FCC approval before the deal can be finalized.
According to Reuters, the ongoing lawsuit is regarded as a significant obstacle to the merger agreement between Paramount Global and Skydance Media.
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