Travis Montaque, chief executive ... considering a bid with CVC Capital Partners.Credit...Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg ... When the cable giant Viacom bought Black Entertainment Television at the turn of the millennium for $2.34 billion, it made Robert L. Johnson, BET’s founder, ...
Travis Montaque, chief executive of Group Black, a media company that is said to be considering a bid with CVC Capital Partners.Credit...Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg ... When the cable giant Viacom bought Black Entertainment Television at the turn of the millennium for $2.34 billion, it made Robert L. Johnson, BET’s founder, the first Black billionaire in the United States.But in recent days, Paramount — as Viacom is now known — has begun to explore selling a major stake in BET and its sister network, VH1, attracting entrepreneurs who would return the network to Black ownership. Tyler Perry, the actor and director who created the popular “Madea” franchise, has expressed interest in a bid, as has Byron Allen, who owns the Weather Channel.Perry is a bold-face name with a track record of producing popular TV shows and movies for BET. Mr. Allen has experience operating traditional TV networks, and he could bundle them with his existing channels, which include Comedy.tv and Pets.tv. ... Tyler Perry, the actor and director who created the “Madea” franchise, has expressed interest in a bid for BET.Credit...Peyton Fulford for The New York TimesGroup Black has connections with potential advertisers on BET. Over the last two years, the company struck agreements with agencies to spend more than $500 million in advertising on its properties, according to two people with knowledge of the deals. The ad contracts are contingent on Group Black’s finding a suitable media partner; it recently submitted a bid to acquire Vice.
