Viacom, fresh off its acquisition of CBS, could be planning another major coup — a purchase of Robert Johnson's Black Entertainment Television in a stock deal that could be worth as much as $3 billion.
The move would combine BET Holdings, including a roster of music video-based cable networks, with Viacom's MTV and VH1 — a nice fit, industry players note. Johnson would be able to focus on some of his other ventures, like nightclubs, publishing and airline DC Air. And BET's 35 percent owner Liberty Media could get a nice chunk of Viacom stock — something that's missing from its portfolio.