Industry News

You may recall that last year, MTV Networks CEO/Chairman Judy McGrath -- who stepped down today after 30 years at the company - was engaged in a battle of the wills with Sumner Redstone over a reality show involving a scantily clad, all-female group called "Electric Barbarellas" that he strongly advocated for, and which she just as strongly opposed. 

Matters around the show got so heated that at one point, Redstone created a media uproar by leaving a barbed message with Daily Beast writer Peter Lauria demanding that he reveal the source of his story about Redstone's efforts to strongarm recalcitrant MTV execs to create a show for the group.

Redstone, of course, has been known punish what he regards as transgressions: in 2006, he forced out longtime MTV head Tom Freston - McGrath's mentor and long a Redstone favorite - for losing a bidding war over MySpace to News Corp. (which, of course, is now desperate to unload the troubled company).

The flareup with McGrath gradually dropped out of the headlines-until today. As Mogulite points out, "Electric Barbarellas" premiered last night at 11 p.m. Less than 12 hours later, the company announced McGrath's resignation.

While Viacom CEO Phillippe Dauman called McGrath the "creative heart and inspiring soul of MTV Networks," Redstone made no comment. Asked for one by the Los Angeles Times, a Viacom spokesperson said, "Philippe speaks for all of us in his deserving praise for Judy and all she has accomplished."