August 2025

Since assuming the role of president and chief marketing officer in 2019, Mike Benson has succeeded in keeping the CBS brand modern, fresh and relevant while leading all marketing activities for CBS content and business units across both linear and streaming platforms. In 2025, his responsibilities expanded to include marketing oversight for the BET, BET+ and VH1 family of brands and programming. He and his team also provide support to cross-company initiatives for additional Paramount divisions.

Benson articulates a clear brand vision through innovative marketing strategies that drive growth and engagement across CBS Entertainment, CBS Sports, CBS News and Stations, BET, BET+, VH1, CBS Media Ventures, CBS Studios, See It Now Studios and BET Studios – as well as for the CBS Network series and CBS-produced streaming-first programming on Paramount+. Since his arrival, he and his team have launched hits including MATLOCK, TRACKER, THE EQUALIZER, GHOSTS, FIRE COUNTRY and NCIS: SYDNEY, while also stimulating growth for CBS legacy programs and franchises such as 60 MINUTES, SURVIVOR, CBS MORNINGS, THE PRICE IS RIGHT, NFL ON CBS and “Star Trek.”

Throughout his career, Benson has held leadership roles at some of the most influential media companies, including Amazon Studios, Time Warner and The Walt Disney Company. At every step, his work has been recognized for its creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.

While head of marketing at Amazon Studios, he led marketing efforts for the company’s original content on Prime Video. His work earned numerous accolades, including Adweek’s Brand Genius and Grand Brand Genius Awards, 37 Clio Awards (including two Grand Clios), five Cannes Lions Awards and an Emmy nomination. As chief creative officer for the Time Warner Global Media Group, he executed a wide range of partnerships with brand marketers across the company’s portfolio, including HBO, Warner Bros., Time Inc. and Turner Networks. Benson also spent more than 12 years at The Walt Disney Company as executive vice president of marketing for the ABC Entertainment Group, where he created highly recognized marketing campaigns for hits such as “Modern Family,” “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “The Bachelor.”

Benson began his career at CBS, working in various roles at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis and KCBS-TV in Los Angeles before becoming senior vice president of promotion and program planning at VH1/MTV Networks.

Louis Carr, President of Media Sales, at Black Entertainment Television (BET), is one of the most influential and prominent African Americans in both media and marketing industries. He has been responsible for more advertising dollars targeted towards the African-American consumer markets, than any other professional or company. In 2016, he celebrated his 30^th year anniversary with BET. In the same year, he earned the Diversity Award from the Hyatt Corporation and another Lifetime Achievement Award from the Patricia Martin Legacy celebration honoring his work around diversity from both personal and professional standpoints. Carr has also been listed on NAMIC’s Most Influential African Americans list in the cable industry several times.

Utilizing his B.A. in Journalism from Drake University, Louis Carr has become a compelling author, writing two books titled Dirty Little Secrets and The Little Black Book: Daily Motivations for Business and Personal Growth. His engaging books share anecdotes from his captivating success story. These nuggets of wisdom were written with the intent of paying it forward and telling his individual story. Throughout childhood and along his career path, Carr acknowledges the encouragement and help received by others who deemed him “special” even before he believed it himself. Undoubtedly, Carr openly lays out his own roadmap to greatness with sure fire tips to aid students, business professionals and those in pursuit of self-purpose to get to the next level. He most recently became a TEDx Speaker, emphasizing “The Necessity of Being Uncomfortable”.

He has served on boards of the Ad Council; International Radio and Television Society (IRTS); American Advertising Federation (AAF); and the Video Advertising Board (VAB), formerly the CAB. He currently serves on the board of the Boys Hope Girls Hope and the United States Track and Field Foundation.

He is a dedicated mentor and benevolent philanthropist. Devoted to diversity, Mr. Carr has hired more people of color than any other executive or company within the media industry. Additionally, for more than fourteen years, the Louis Carr Internship Foundation (LCIF) has dedicated its efforts to improve diversity in corporate America. By placing undergraduate students of color in paid summer internships, Louis further demonstrates his commitment to helping others gain exposure and experience.

Constance M. Orlando is an award-winning media executive recently named Executive Vice President of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET, a unit of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation. A pop culture visionary, Ms. Orlando oversees all genres of original programming, including scripted offerings “The Quad,” “Being Mary Jane,” and specials including, Black Girls Rock! and ratings juggernaut BET Awards. Ms. Orlando also leads the BET News department, overseeing critically acclaimed specials on Ferguson and Baltimore. She also ushered BET into the documentary space with BET Truth Series, which in its inaugural year produced award-winning projects Katrina 10 Years Later, Muhammad Ali: The People’s Champ and Stay Woke.

Ms. Orlando previous roles with BET include Senior Vice President of Specials, Music Programming and News, and VP of Original Programming. Ms. Orlando was part of the network’s largest expansion into original programming in its history. Her ability to lead, inspire and create hits resulted in a list of accomplishments including BET Presents: Love & Happiness, an Obama Celebration, Sunday Best, TD Jakes Presents: Mind, Body, & Soul, The Steve Harvey Project, Monica: Still Standing and scripted series The Game, which scored record-breaking ratings.

Ms. Orlando is Executive Producer of all tentpole events, including the BET Awards, the #1 program in cable television history among AA viewers and a top 10 awards show on television amongst total viewers. 

Prior to joining BET Networks, the Syracuse University graduate ran her own full service production company, CMO Productions, Inc. While running CMO, Orlando served as Executive Producer of award-winning director Hype Williams’ Big Dog Films. Among CMO’s crowning triumphs was a partnership with music icon and businessman Jay-Z to produce the first of its kind, direct-to-video movie soundtrack The Streets Is Watching.

Outside of work, Orlando is passionate about advocating for and providing support to women and children in need, so in 1998 she launched a non-profit foundation, ‘Just The Girls’. She also serves on the Advisory Board for Clark Atlanta University’s TV department as the Programming Committee Chair. Orlando accolades include NAMIC’s “Top 40 Under 40”. Her work has earned her nine NAACP Image Awards (“The Mo’Nique Show” 2010, “Sunday Best” 2011, “Black Girls Rock!” 2012/2013/2014/2016, “The Game” 2012, "Ali: The People’s Champ" 2015, and Love & Happiness: an Obama celebration 2016), and five NAMIC Vision Awards (“Black Girls Rock!”).