Condé Nast Hires Former BET and MTV Exec Reginald Williams as SVP Digital Programming

Variety Staff

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Condé Nast Entertainment named Reginald Williams — a former top content exec at Viacom’s BET and MTV — as senior VP of programming, overseeing the studio’s global digital content production team.

Williams will be based in New York and report to Oren Katzeff, president of Condé Nast Entertainment, the media company’s studio that produces original content across digital, social, virtual reality, OTT channels, film and TV.

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At CNE, Williams will work with Katzeff to supervise global digital programming, including its growing podcast team. Previously, Condé Nast Entertainment’s SVP of digital programming was Croi McNamara, who left the company in September 2019 after nearly three years.

“Reggie is a seasoned industry leader with unmatched experience in the digital, TV and OTT space,” Katzeff said in a statement. “His entrepreneurial instincts and network insights will catapult CNE into its next phase of growth as we aggressively increase our video offerings globally. He is an invaluable addition to our expanding team and I’m excited to have him on board.”

Williams most recently served as founder and CEO of Ambrosia For Heads (AFH), a hip-hop lifestyle digital media company producing multiplatform content across its website, social media channels and an OTT subscription video service.

Before founding AFH, Williams was SVP of programming, music and specials at BET Networks, where he set the overall programming and business strategy for the department. He also was COO of Desi Hits, a global digital media company that bridged the world between Western entertainment and Bollywood. In addition, Williams spent seven years at MTV Networks in a number of positions that culminated in his role as SVP and head of music strategy.

Williams began his career as a corporate attorney at Paul Hastings before moving into entertainment law. He graduated from Harvard College and earned his law degree at Harvard Law School.

CNE’s claims its digital videos generate more than 1 billion views a month across platforms and has more than 35 million subscribers across multiple YouTube channels. In recent months, the division created a new Hollywood-specific video destination on Vanity Fair’s channel; introduced a video documentary series with The New Yorker; and launched a GQ Sports channel on YouTube. The production studio has more than 65 active projects in film and TV, 175 new digital pilots and two OTT channels.

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