Hill Exits BET After ‘6,549 Days’

There has been yet another seismic shake-up within the executive ranks of Viacom — this time, the changes affect the top tier of BET, as it was announced that President of Programming Stephen Hill and EVP and Head of Original Programming Zola Mashariki are exiting the network. That’s the word from The Hollywood Reporter, which says Connie Orlando, SVP of Specials, Music Programming and News will take over as interim head of programming at BET.

BET CEO Debra Lee broke the news of Hill’s impending departure to the staff in a Wednesday afternoon memo that read, in part, “Stephen joined Viacom in 1995, and then BET in 1999, serving as President of Music Programming and Specials before taking on the role as President of Programing. Stephen has earned a reputation as one of the leading creative minds in television and music. His contributions to the team have been invaluable as we worked together to successfully reinvigorate our brand. Please join me in thanking Stephen for all the love and support he has given BET over the course of his remarkable career. Let’s wish him well in his next adventure.”

Hill issued his own heartfelt and uplifting memo that read, in part, “This Friday, 6,549 days after I took my first step through the doors of BET, I will walk my last one out. It has been my honor to serve this brand in that span and I am thrilled to have been able to be a member of the teams that ideated and created so many spectacles, moments, memories and miracles. It’s been fulfilling to be part of huge changes that literally shifted culture. As we go forward, I’m excited by all of our immediate and long term upcoming trajectories.” In closing, Hill said, “I will miss you all. I will miss this. I will miss us. But I am so excited to see where you next take this powerful, agile, thrusting spacecraft of a brand… Imagine it and drive well.”