Paramount Splits Up VH1 and MTV in Latest Network Restructuring

[TMC]

https://www.billboard.com/pro/paramo...ructuring-mtv/

MTV's close cousin has been moved to Scott Mills' BET Media Group, ending an organizational pairing that lasted decades.

BET president and CEO Scott Mills is adding to his portfolio at Paramount Global.

In the latest piece of reorganization at the conglomerate, VH1 will move under Mills’ BET Media Group. The cable outlet was previously part of the Chris McCarthy-led Paramount Media Networks, along with Paramount Network, MTV, Comedy Central, CMT and others.

Paramount CEO Bob Bakish wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday (see it in full here) that the move will allow for better alignment of priorities and make VH1 “best positioned for future success as a key part of the powerful BET ecosystem.” VH1 is the second most popular entertainment cable outlet among Black viewers, behind only BET.

It also lightens the load for McCarthy, a Bakish favorite who will add premium cabler Showtime to his purview following David Nevins’ departure at the end of the year. MTV Entertainment Studios, headed by McCarthy and Nina L. Diaz, will continue to produce a number of VH1 series, including the Love & Hip Hop franchise, RuPaul’s Drag Race and Black Ink Crew.

The VH1 move also separates it from MTV in Paramount’s structure, ending almost four decades of close association between the two networks. The cable network started in 1985 as a music-video channel targeting a somewhat older audience than the youth-driven MTV. It eventually branched into original programming with shows like Behind the Music, I Love the … and a host of “celebreality” shows like Rock of Love and The Surreal Life. And, like MTV, it has mostly left its music roots behind.

As has been the case across the cable universe, VH1’s on-air audience has declined in recent years as increasing numbers of TV consumers opt out of cable subscriptions. Within that smaller ecosystem, however, it still ranks in the upper third of cable networks in the key ad demographic of adults 18-49.

VH1 will join a BET Media Group that also includes the namesake cable channel, streaming platform BET+, BET Her, BET Studios and BET Digital. “Scott and his team continue to drive the evolution and growth of BET by building an interconnected set of leading platforms — linear, streaming, digital and studios — centered around the Black community, Black culture and content,” Bakish wrote.

[Yong Fang]

I knew about VH1 decades ago when it was sort of the more adult version of MTV. Since MTV doesnt show music videos, what does VH1 show now?

Seems from looking up their schedule online, it is all African American casted programming. Fron 2:30 PM, two hours of The Wayans Brothers. Then four hours of Martin. Then three hours of Fresh Prince. So VH1 is now a black programming channel. Why not give it a new name, since again, I associate VH1 with music videos, although it hasnt shown music videos in twenty years.

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https://deadline.com/2022/11/paramou...q4-1235161118/

I've heard there is news about Paramount to get restructure in coming months... due to current state of economy and poor third quarter performance

[Hawkee]

When MTV debuted in 1981 little did we know that it would become a big success and would go on to be one of the most successful cable music channels. But when VH1 "Video Hits 1" was launched in 1985 MTV knew that they had serious competition in music video channels. I am surprised and shocked that MTV has continued to exist after so long since they no longer have an interest in music videos today since everybody goes to VEVO and Amazon Music and even Apple Music to see music videos and learn about the hot new releases from artists like Taylor Swift Adele Billie Ellish and many other artists. But when MTV became more than a channel they founded the company MTV Networks which also owns Nickelodeon and TV Land. I think Paramount is wanting to be the king of TV because they have turned themselves into the biggest company in the world based on the success of Spike TV becoming Paramount Movie Network and ever since they launched Paramount+ Paramount has made themselves an empire now and since they are getting the Nickelodeon cartoons and shows to Paramount+ I think Nickelodeon will go bankrupt and will no longer exist in a few more years. I also can't figure how BET is still successful and also continues to be popular and exist after all these years. Because when you turn on BET they show movies like the Tyler Perry Madea movies and sitcoms and dramas. I remember when they were known for being a variety channel with music video shows such as Video Soul Midnight Love Rap City game shows classic sitcom reruns of Sanford and Sanford And Son and Out All Night and even launched a shopping channel hour called BET Shop. But if you look at BET today it has grown and launched a second spinoff channel called Centric which is now BET Her and how it gets competition from TV One and Bounce I can't figure out even has an app called BET+ as well. I can think what Paramount is actually gonna do is combine MTV and VH1 together and call it Paramount Music. Because Paramount I think is trying to become like CBS and try to attract an audience that suits them best
Bestie

[Yong Fang]

I am amazed people even buy music anymore. I wish we had the internet back in the 1980's, it would have saved me a lot of money on record albums. I do not listen to music much anymore, but if I do, I listen to an album from Youtube. But my tastes are from the 1970's and 1980's. I dont know why anyone would go to Amazon to buy music they can listen to now for free, but I would rather jump into a crocodile pond in a meat suit than give that disgusting company a cent of my money.

I know that MTV now long ago abandoned videos and now has their own programming. I guess their market is still the pre-teen to teenage market. I have no idea what is on it, and the only show I ever liked was Beavis and Butthead. But MTV was lame when it showed videos because it had too wide of a spectrum of music plus Kurt Loder, who solemnly talked about opening dates for Pearl Jam with the wooden seriousness of the Iraqi invasion.

If there is a BET, why not a White Entertainment Television? Cant call it WET because the Mexicans will think it is about them.

[Hawkee]

I think when MTV started to change their image was when they created their first reality show The Real World you could tell that they were heading toward a new audience this time the audience aged 18 to 30 and because of The Real World MTV would not have had shows like My Super Sweet Sixteen Teen Mom and Jersey Shore be a success for them and I think MTV was slowly going downhill in their music videos towards the beginning of the 90's. Because ever since they banned Cher's video for her song If I Could Turn Back Time in 1989 by limiting it to only night airplay this showed that MTV was making changes to music videos too. Nickelodeon also changed it's image by saying goodbye to the variety format and focusing on cartoons and sitcoms because they knew that this was what the new generation of kids were into at the time. Before then Nickelodeon was the king of game shows with the original Double Dare being a smash hit of the 80's and 90's then they had Finders Keepers Make The Grade Get The Picture Nickelodeon Guts Nick Arcade and Legends Of The Hidden Temple and those game shows made stars out of Marc Summers and Mike O'Malley. But in cartoons when the Nicktoons came out in 1991 Ren And Stimpy was a huge hit but Rugrats popularity didn't hit until 1997-98 when Nickelodeon decided to put Rugrats on hiatus and with the release of The Rugrats Movie this saved Rugrats from cancellation and because of how successful the movie was they decided to make Rugrats In Paris in 2000 but ever since Spongebob Squarepants came out Spongebob Squarepants has become the celebrity of Nickelodeon now. and what I think will happen to Nickelodeon is Paramount will rename it Paramount Kids. As for BET I think it will get a new look and a new name because I can't figure out how it has survived so long and now as I mentioned in my previous post they show nothing but dramas Madea movies and sitcom reruns of Martin and other shows and what I think BET should do is build a second channel teaming up with Ebony Magazine and name it Ebony Television. Because Ebony and Jet are still the top rated magazines of the Johnson Corporation and if Ebony Television was created by BET and Ebony Magazine it sure would be a hit. But finally as for VH1 I think it will last a few more years before becoming a music app like Amazon Music or Apple Music
Bestie

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by LaBestia

When MTV debuted in 1981 little did we know that it would become a big success and would go on to be one of the most successful cable music channels.

Ya but then they sadly ruined themselves..

[Hawkee]

I also think with VH1's new image BET could possibly turn VH1 into another channel of BET but this time featuring programs all about R&B artists and have music videos of the biggest stars of R&B music and call it BET Soul Sensation and it would be a huge hit. Because in the 80's BET had a spin-off channel called BET Jazz that featured music videos from jazz artists such as Grover Washington Jr. Kirk Whalum Najee and others but BET Jazz went broke in the 90's. Because BET especially likes to attract R&B music fans an all music video channel would work miracles. On VH1 it only used to survive on hit shows such as Behind The Music and live concert specials and now that they show reruns of Martin and The Wayans Bros means that VH1 has changed their audience. But I think Paramount as I mentioned earlier wants to be the king because they want to become the top company in entertainment and be as successful as Columbia has with CBS Columbia Pictures Tristar Pictures and the music labels Columbia Records Epic Records Sony Music and The Work Group which went broke in 2001. So I wouldn't be surprised if Paramount starts a record company too called Paramount Music
Bestie