MTV LAUNCHES INITIATIVE FOR THE GROWTH OF BIPOC AND WOMEN-OWNED PROD. COMPANIES

ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group announced a commitment of USD 250 million over the next three years to fuel the growth of content-led and produced by BIPOC and Women-owned and operated production companies. “As a former showrunner, this endeavor is something very close to my heart,” MTV Entertainment’s Nina L. Diaz, President of Content and Chief Creative Officer said. “Having come up on the production side where this kind of pipeline didn’t exist, it is a great privilege to help launch a new generation of creative powerhouses into production ownership.”

The new initiative is intended to support MTV’s founding mission, making room for ownership opportunities with its diverse partners. As part of this newly formed Studio and asside from the funding, MTV will offer production infrastructure, services, and staff to foster new creative, formats and ideas that will fuel the unscripted content needs in the near future.

Previously announced Lashan Browning and Adam Gonzalez prolific unscripted executive producers whom the Group brought in the house last year to pilot this initiative have already been producing and creating unscripted content and will form their own respective third-party production ventures with an equity investment made by MTV Entertainment. Browning, who began her career working for Spike Lee and went on to become an integral part of the start-up team for Oxygen, EP’d the previous season of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta and Cartel Crew while Gonzalez, executive produced VH1’s "Teyana & Iman" in addition to "America’s Next Top Model" and "Mob Wives" where he first worked with Diaz.

MTV is widely credited as the creator of reality television, having launched "The Real World" in 1992 which was one of the first shows to tackle critical issues of HIV/AIDS, race, gender, and LGBTQ+ equity through real-life characters. As a genre, reality TV has been noted for its diversity and increasing roles for women and people of color both in front of and behind the camera.  The company's portfolio includes MTV and VH1.