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Debra Lee

Company: BET
Company Description: BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, is the nation's leading television network providing quality programming for the African American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 74.5 million households and is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com; BET Digital Networks; BET Event Productions; and BET Books.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Executive

Nomination Title: Debra Lee, President & COO

  1. Tell the story about what this nominee achieved in 2002 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

    Under the solid leadership of Debra Lee, BET has seen tremendous growth over the past year. The 2002 season was BET's highest rated season in history with the network's new marketing image and stronger programming line-up cited as key factors. BET's 2002 season sign-on to sign-off average was up +2% over 2001. For perspective, MTV is down -6% and their sign-on to sign-off ratings have been trending downward for the past two years.

    In addition to overseeing the network's four consecutive years of increased ratings and subscriber growth, in 2002 Lee also introduced two new channels- BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop. These new channels, in combination with the established BET Jazz, form BET Digital Networks, further leveraging the strength of the BET brand.

    Debra Lee has also expanded the BET brand by increasing the use of its resources to address the specific needs and concerns of its particular viewing population. Under Lee's leadership, the BET Rap-It-Up AIDS awareness campaign has grown into an important partner in the African American community's AIDS fight. In 2002, BET donated over 5 million dollars of airtime to HIV/AIDS public service announcements and has dedicated hours of programming to AIDS issues. Rap-It- Up was the recipient of numerous awards in 2002 and was cited by parent company Viacom as a model for its current HIV/AIDS campaign.

    Through BET.com, the leading African American portal, Lee has instituted a program to help African Americans save money and build wealth.

    Debra Lee is an exemplary candidate for Best Executive. She is a smart businesswoman who knows how to get the job done as evidenced by the steady growth of the network's ratings. Through efforts like Rap-It-Up and the Black American Saves Club, Lee has demonstrated that corporate America can not only work to increase their bottom line but also use their resources for the betterment of the communities they serve. By combining visionary leadership, excellent business skills and a strong sense of service, Lee is a model for the modern executive.

  2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made above.
    To include a URL you must begin and end the URL with a square-bracket and include http://
    Example: [http://www.yourdomain.com]

    http://www.bet.com/articles/0,,c3gb-696,00.htm
    http://www.bet.com/articles/0,,c3gb-5173,00.html
    http://www.eurweb.com/articles/headlines/12162002/headlines816912162002.cfm
    http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=blacksavings31&date=20020831&query=%22debra+lee%22

  3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about this nominee:

    Prior to Lee's appointment as President & COO in March of 1996, she served as the network's executive vice president of strategic business development. During her tenure at BET she has held the roles of EVP and general counsel and president and publisher of BET's publishing division. Debra Lee is a graduate of Brown University with a bachelor's degree in political science with an emphasis in Asian politics. She earned her jurist doctorate at Harvard Law School, while simultaneously earning a masters degree in public policy from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1980. Lee served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court judge Barrington Parker and then spent five years as an attorney with Washington, DC based Steptoe & Johnson before joining BET on 1986.