Baruch, inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2006, served as Viacom's President and Chief Executive Officer from 1971 to 1983. He was vice chairman of Carnegie Hall from 1997 to 1999, and a founder of the National Academy of Cable Programming, C-Span and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Also during his tenure, Viacom acquired Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, which encompassed, among other entities, Showtime, The Movie Channel, MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon. Two years after that 1985 expansion, Vicacom was purchased by Sumner M. Redstone for $3.4 billion.