Veteran ad executive installed as BET president in Paramount shake-up

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Veteran advertising executive Louis Carr has been elevated to president of Paramount’s BET channel.

According to George Cheeks, head of TV Media for Paramount, Louis has been a key figure in BET’s achievements and impact on culture for almost forty years. Cheeks believes Louis’s experience and success make him the right person to lead the network into the future.

Carr will take over from Scott M. Mills, who is leaving after 23 years with the network, including the last four as head of BET Media Group.

Mills led the development of BET+, a new streaming service designed to bring BET’s content to a wider audience. He also founded BET Studios, which collaborated with top-tier creatives like Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones.

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After his family acquired the historic Paramount studio, David Ellison is now getting comfortable in his new role, having been on the job for a week.

Since David Ellison and his family acquired Paramount in August, the company has been reorganizing and cutting expenses. Ellison, along with representatives from his investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, assured investors they would find over $2 billion in savings, resulting in more than 2,000 layoffs this fall.

BET Studios will become part of CBS Studios, but it will still keep its own identity. This change is meant to help BET’s shows work better with other CBS productions, while still keeping the unique style and perspective that viewers expect, according to Cheeks. Instead of operating separately within Paramount, BET’s leaders will now collaborate more closely with other teams within Cheeks’ division and benefit from shared resources like finance, marketing, and research.

According to new leadership at Paramount, BET is a key part of their cable TV lineup, alongside popular channels like Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon. They consider it one of their four most important cable networks.

Carr, 69, has spent nearly four decades at the network.

According to Cheeks, he’s responsible for billions of dollars in advertising revenue and has built strong relationships with major companies like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, McDonald’s, and Apple. His guidance has helped shape the strategies of well-known brands, encouraged new ideas, and solidified BET’s position as a leader in the media industry.

Carr is based in New York, and will report to Cheeks.

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Skydance also pledged to hire an independent representative to help ensure fairness and openness at CBS News. Additionally, Skydance’s CEO, David Ellison, has spoken with journalist Bari Weiss, who leans toward the center-right.

Louis Carr is the author of two books and has contributed to several organizations, including the Ad Council, IRTS, and AAF, through board positions. He also founded the Louis Carr Internship Foundation, which provides paid summer internships for college students of color, aiming to develop future leaders in the field.

For years, I’ve dedicated my career to BET and supporting Black and Brown communities,” said Carr. “I’m honored to guide the network as it continues to grow and make a difference.

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2025-12-04 01:31