Born and raised in New York City, Benta has been instrumental in bringing some of the network’s strongest programming to the public. For her, it’s all about being able to impact pop culture in a very direct and immediate way.
“One of the most gratifying things [for me] working at MTV is the fact that I’m able to have an influence and a voice in shaping this culture,” Benta says. “MTV has been known to have funny programming [and] reality TV, but there’s also a balance with the news and documentary side.”
That balance is what Benta is most proud of — particularly the 2007 Jay-Z documentary, “Water For Life.”
“I’ve been able to really be a force to help establish programming that’s educational that really speaks to youth and educates them about topics that they may not necessarily know. Jay-Z was responsible for doing several concerts in South Africa, but while he was there, he was able to raise money for play pumps [water system]. We were able to create wells in areas of South Africa for villages that didn’t have access to water.”
Benta has worked with Jay-Z since her days at Def Jam Records, and they share a similar outlook. “I do appreciate him, because he knows what he wants and he wants to make good television — he believes in creating good content,” she explains. “Our belief system made working together easy.”
Benta understands that Generation Y wants to take more of an active role in the “celebrity experience.” “One thing that we’re learning from this generation is that they want more content. The idea is [showing] an artist in the studio, now we’re going to be teaming up with talent. This way, they’re stripped down and in complete work mode and are able to connect with their fans and [those fans] can be a part of the project from its inception. This generation wants to be part of what’s going on. This is another way to serve our audience’s needs by connecting them with their favorite musicians,” she says.
–todd williams
