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Debra Lee Assumes Helm of BET

Debra L. Lee, already CEO BET Networks, has been elevated to the rank of Chairman effective immediately. Lee assumes the reins of chairman as BET Founder Robert Johnson officially ends his employment today with the company he founded more than 25 years ago. Johnson left BET's Northeast Washington, DC headquarters for the final time last week amid a hearty toast by senior executives; emotional cheers and handshakes from BET employees; and a sea of black and platinum BET-logo balloons cascading across the company's campus as he drove away.

"As Bob Johnson begins his second act as a business leader and entrepreneur, I wish him well and thank him for all he has done to create this amazing company and institution," said Lee. "Today, BET Networks is a collection of powerful brands and businesses. We have an excellent executive team in place to lead the next evolution of BET. We will continue to focus all strategy and resources toward leading and shaping this genre of entertainment targeting African Americans."

Lee, 51, first joined BET as vice president and general counsel in 1986 after serving over five years as an attorney with Washington, DC-based law firm of Steptoe & Johnson. During her tenure, Lee has played pivotal roles in the company's history, including Executive Vice President and General Counsel of BET's legal affairs department; Corporate Secretary; and President and Publisher of BET's publishing division. Even the construction of BET's corporate headquarters campus was directly managed by Lee. She stepped up to the level of President and Chief Operating Officer in March 1996; and was promoted to President and CEO in June 2005.

ABOUT BET

BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA; VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

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