Television Executive

Chris Albrecht on how his experience managing a comedy club helped him later as a television executive

Chris Albrecht the process of programing shows as President of Original Programming at HBO

Chris Albrecht on advice to aspiring television executives

Dick Askin on his leadership style

Dick Askin on advice to aspiring television executives

Reza Badiyi on creating the iconic title sequence for The Mary Tyler Moore Show - he came up with her famous hat toss

Ralph M. Baruch on advice to aspiring television executives

Ted Bergmann on his rise and job titles at DuMont

Stephen J. Cannell on his knack for casting the right people in the right roles

Charles Cappleman on being hired by Bob Daly to become general manager of Television City

Charles Cappleman on attending a yearly CBS affiliates conference

William Clotworthy on joining Standards & Practices at NBC

Andy Cohen on advice to aspiring television executives

Barbara Corday on her responsibilities as Vice President of Comedy Series Development at ABC

Barbara Corday on being named Vice President of Comedy Series Development at ABC

Barbara Corday on the kinds of programs that were produced when she was at Columbia Pictures Television

Barbara Corday on advice to aspiring television executives

Douglas S. Cramer on becoming Vice President in Charge of Production at Paramount

Douglas S. Cramer on his producing style and choosing the music composers for his shows

Dick Ebersol on hiring Brandon Tartikoff

Dick Ebersol on becoming President of NBC Sports and then naming himself Chairman 

Michael Eisner on his theory of how to make an effective change in television programming and his impact in that field. "Take a job where you can't fall off the floor"

Michael Eisner realizing the need to be both commercially successfull and seriously responsible as a programming executive

Michael Eisner on advice to an aspiring television executive "get your ass in the door"

Jeff Fager on becoming Chairman of CBS News in 2011 and changes he made to various CBS News shows

Jeff Fager on balancing his roles as Chairman of CBS News and executive producer of 60 Minutes and his proudest achievements as Chairman

Richard Frank on working with Michael Eisner on the Paramount Television Group and learning how to work with writers

Richard Frank on his philosophy as a television executive

Richard Frank on dealing with backstage gossip and controversy  

Richard Frank on his management style and the qualities he looks for in his team

Richard Frank on advice to aspiring executives

Tom Freston on his promotions at MTV - all the way up to President

Tom Freston on being one of 2 President of MTV Networks for a year

Tom Freston on Sumner Redstone hiring Frank Biondi and making Freston CEO of MTV Networks

Tom Freston on his management style

Tom Freston on running Paramount and CBS with Les Moonves; on the split of Viacom and becoming CEO of a public company; on getting fired by Redstone

Tom Freston on advice to aspiring television executives

Michael Fuchs on advice to aspiring executives

David Gerber on his management style

Julian Goodman on becoming VP of NBC News in 1961

Julian Goodman on serving as Sr. Executive Vice President and then President of NBC

Julian Goodman on how he became Chairman of NBC

Herb Granath on his role at ABC upon his return to the company

Herb Granath on the birth of ESPN

Robert Halmi, Sr. on becoming Chairman when Hallmark bought RHI

Stanley Hubbard on the key to his success

Stanley Hubbard on his most important business decisions and greatest personal accomplishments

Michael King on the success of Wheel of Fortune and the business of selling the show

Michael King on maintaining the ratings for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! and the various promotions for the shows

Michael King on advice to someone entering the television business

Roger King on his desire to go into his father's business, and on his father's business philosophy

Roger King on the decision to take King World public

Roger King on creating and distributing The Roseanne Show, starring Roseanne, and on how King World dealt with failure

Roger King on the King World merger with CBS/Viacom, and on working with Sumner M. Redstone to make the deal

Roger King on what was different about King World that led to its massive success, and on working with his brother Michael King

Roger King on what attracts him to a project, and on his working style

Roger King on advice to an aspiring television executive

Roger King on the business of television syndication

Perry Lafferty on the importance of scheduling to programming a network

Perry Lafferty on the significant shows he programmed at CBS, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Perry Lafferty on the importance of made-for-television movies and miniseries on a network schedule

Perry Lafferty on the importance of a programming executive interacting with the creative community, and executives working with producers

Perry Lafferty on unusual pitches he heard as an executive

Perry Lafferty on casting being the most important element to a hit television series

Geraldine Laybourne on the early programming mandate to "program only to boys because girls will watch anything" while at Nickelodeon

Warren Littlefield on becoming President of NBC Entertainment

Warren Littlefield on advice to network programmers

Margaret Loesch on having an ability to understand children and know what shows they would watch

Margaret Loesch on the responsibility she felt to provide quality, non-violent programming for children

Margaret Loesch on what she enjoys about being a television executive, and on her vision for Fox Kids

Margaret Loesch on her management style, and on being a female executive in the industry

Margaret Loesch on programming "family entertainment," and how what constitutes it has changed over time, and on The Simpsons and Modern Family

Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives

Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives and producers

Margaret Loesch on what she enjoyed doing most in her career

James L. Loper on becoming a programmer at KCET and gauging viewership

Sam Lovullo on breaking down a show from a business affairs standpoint

Sig Mickelson on the duty of broadcast news to be objective, and on the public perception of broadcast news' integrity

Sig Mickelson on journalists having a professional code of ethics

Leslie Moonves on what makes a good showrunner

Leslie Moonves on his role as CBS network president

Leslie Moonves on his philosophy of assembling a management team

Thomas W. Moore on his philosophy of program development, and on the process by which he picked television shows

Thomas W. Moore on using research as a tool for program scheduling and development

Thomas W. Moore on scheduling shows, and on considering demographics when programming and its impact on advertising

Thomas W. Moore on various programming techniques like mid-season replacements, and on various nights that were difficult for ABC

Thomas W. Moore on the importance of ratings to a programmer

Thomas W. Moore on the importance of promoting shows at ABC

Thomas W. Moore on dealing with the stars of his shows in ABC, and on how programming changed during his stint

Thomas W. Moore on what he enjoyed most about his time as an executive at ABC, and later being a producer

Thomas W. Moore on advice for an aspiring television executive

Thomas Murphy on working with affiliates and dealing with talent at ABC

Thomas Murphy on the demographics of ABC dealing with programming

Thomas Murphy on his instincts regarding programming at ABC

Thomas Murphy on his personal success in business 

Anne Nelson on being the first female CBS executive

Anne Nelson on negotiating talent contracts for CBS, and on how her department was organized

Anne Nelson on being promoted though the ranks of CBS business affairs, and eventually moving from radio to television

Anne Nelson on negotiating contracts for CBS in the 1960s, including for The Judy Garland Show and The Carol Burnett Show

Anne Nelson on her style of negotiation, and on the challenges of being a female in business affairs in her era

Anne Nelson on how contracts have changed since she started in the industry, and on working with Norman Lear

Anne Nelson on dealing with performers and contract disputes

Anne Nelson on dealing with unions and strikes

Anne Nelson on becoming director of talent administration at CBS, and on the retirement of Frank Stanton

Anne Nelson on being director of talent and program acquisition for CBS

Anne Nelson on the success of CBS during her tenure, and on working with Laurence Tisch

Anne Nelson on being senior director of business affairs at CBS, starting in 1989

Anne Nelson on advice to aspiring television executives, and on the then-current state of television

Don Ohlmeyer on what it means to be a good Program Executive

Lori Openden on differences between being a casting director and a network casting executive

Lori Openden on how involved NBC executives were with casting decisions when she was at the network, and on the then-current involvement of networks in casting

Lori Openden on not visiting sets much as a casting executive at NBC

Lori Openden on becoming a casting consultant and then executive at UPN

Lori Openden on her casting strategy at the CW

Lori Openden on a typical day for her as head of casting for the CW

Bernie Oseransky on being an Executive in charge of production; on what that job entails; on the difference between that and Production Executive

Bernie Oseransky on being an Executive in charge of production on Hill Street Blues; on the challenges of that show and working within a budget

Bernie Oseransky on the difference between a comedy series and a drama series from a production point of view; on a typical production workweek

Frederick S. Pierce on his managerial style and the importance of having the right executives

Frederick S. Pierce on his promotion philosophy

Frederick S. Pierce on advice to aspiring television executives 

Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the best advice he was ever given

Thomas W. Sarnoff on taking a stand about NBC handing show concepts to MCA, which would then be sold back to NBC

Thomas W. Sarnoff on his philosophy on ratings and network programming

Edgar Scherick on becoming head of network sales at ABC and then moving into head of programming

Edgar Scherick on his programming philosophy as head of ABC programming

Edgar Scherick on his most important contributions to ABC when he was a network executive

Edgar Scherick on advice to someone starting out in the business

Herbert S. Schlosser on his philosophy of programming

Herbert S. Schlosser on his day-to-day duties as president of NBC, and on the issues he faced during his tenure

Herbert S. Schlosser on his managerial style as a television executive

Herbert S. Schlosser on the qualities he looked for when hiring a television executive, and on how he'd like to be remembered

Herbert S. Schlosser on advice to an aspiring television executive

Alfred Schneider on the criticism he received over the course of his career and being the "conscience of the company"

Alfred Schneider on advice to aspiring Standards & Practices professionals

Alfred Schneider on advice to show creators in dealing with Standards & Practices professionals

Alfred Schneider on working in Standards & Practices at ABC

Reese Schonfeld on various changes and executive decisions he made at CNN during his tenure there

Reese Schonfeld on advice to someone who wants to start a cable network

Sid Sheinberg on advice to aspiring television executives

Fred Silverman on program development

Fred Silverman on scheduling and counterprogramming

Fred Silverman on becoming President and CEO of NBC in 1978

Herbert F. Solow on becoming head of West Coast Daytime television for NBC

Herbert F. Solow the importance of an executive -in- charge, understanding the crew's various responsibilities

Herbert F. Solow on his proudest career achievement

Herbert F. Solow on advice he would give to an aspiring television executive

Frank Stanton on his day-to-day duties as the President of CBS

Frank Stanton on the people who followed him as CBS President

Frank Stanton on the creative aspects of being an executive

Frank Stanton on his most important decisions at CBS, and on the then-future of broadcasting

Frank Stanton on how he feels looking back over his time at CBS, and his hopes for the then-future of the network

Brandon Stoddard on teaching development

Brandon Stoddard on his stint as President of ABC Entertainment 

Brandon Stoddard on his guiding philosophy of development

Donald L. Taffner, Sr. on his management style

Donald L. Taffner, Sr. on negotiating a deal

Donald L. Taffner, Sr. on advice to aspiring television executives

William Tankersley on becoming the Director of Program Practices at CBS Television City

William Tankersley on being promoted to Vice President of Program Practices at CBS, moving to New York, and dealing with advertisers

Nina Tassler on her responsibilities as Vice President, Drama Development at Warner Bros. Television

Nina Tassler on her responsibilities and duties as President of CBS Entertainment and Chairman of CBS Entertainment

Nina Tassler on what she looks for when hearing a pitch for a television show

Nina Tassler on advice to aspiring television executives 

Grant Tinker on ad agencies breeding future television executives

Grant Tinker on leaving MTM to become Chairman of NBC

Grant Tinker on his theory on broadcasting

Dean Valentine on the differences between working on the network side as a buyer, and on the studio side as a seller

Dean Valentine on his position and his responsibilities at NBC

Dean Valentine on his philosophy for family and children's programming

Dean Valentine on his frustrations as president of UPN, and on the Paramount/Viacom deal

Dean Valentine on programming ABC's TGIF Friday nights, and on Boy Meets World

Dean Valentine on advice to an aspiring television executive and to a creator of programming

Jac Venza on becoming director of culture and arts programs at PBS

Susan Whiting on her rise from working in sales to becoming CEO of Nielsen

Susan Whiting on a typical work week for her as Vice-Chairman of Nielsen; on how her role has evolved over the years

Susan Whiting on her management style

Susan Whiting on being a female executive in the media world

Susan Whiting on advice to aspiring Research Executives

Lauren Zalaznick on completely rebranding VH1

Lauren Zalaznick on her programming strategy for VH1

Lauren Zalaznick on programming the Trio network

Lauren Zalaznick on the challenge of building on the success of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy as head of Bravo, and on shows she programmed early in her tenure there

Lauren Zalaznick on creating a marketing strategy when she started at Bravo, and on creating the logo

Lauren Zalaznick on the importance of casting strong personalities for Bravo's reality programming, and "fake" reality

Lauren Zalaznick on the importance of passion for one's occupation on Bravo's reality shows

Lauren Zalaznick on the Bravo audience demographics

Lauren Zalaznick on how Bravo's brand stands apart

Lauren Zalaznick on programming scripted series for Bravo

Lauren Zalaznick on what she feels is her biggest contribution to Bravo

Lauren Zalaznick on the challenges of taking over Telemundo, and bringing the World Cup to the network

Lauren Zalaznick on heading up the Oxygen network, and on The Bad Girls Club

Lauren Zalaznick on being President of NBC/Universal Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks

Lauren Zalaznick on targeting women as a demographic as President of NBC/Universal Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks

Lauren Zalaznick on her favorite parts and biggest challenges of her jobs at NBC/Universal

Lauren Zalaznick on what she has loved most about television and her jobs in it

Lauren Zalaznick on valuable advice she has received, and on her advice to aspiring television executives

Jeff Zucker on his management style as Executive Producer at Today

Jeff Zucker on the job responsibilities of being the President of NBC Entertainment

Jeff Zucker on dealing with shows that fail, and knowing when to take a show off the air

Jeff Zucker on his management style as the CEO of NBC Universal Television Group

Jeff Zucker on advice to aspiring television producers and executives