Black Entertainment Television executive vice president of entertainment
programming and network operations Curtis Gadson has left the company in a
creative dispute over the network's programming philosophy, according to sources
close to the situation.
Sources said Gadson -- who spent a decade at BET and was responsible for
several of the network's signature shows, including BET Walk of Fame and
TheBET Awards -- had a falling out with chief operating officer
Debra Lee over the service's future programming direction.
In recent years, BET has begun to move away from the music-video programming
that dominated its lineup and was a source of criticism from viewers and
industry observers.
A source said the network, owned by Viacom Inc., wants to become a more
aggressive player in developing original programming.
Representatives from BET declined to comment.
