or


[03/25/08 - 12:59 PM]
Bonnie Hammer Signs New Multiyear Deal with NBC Universal
"Bonnie is one of the most talented executives in the industry, with an amazing track record of success," said Jeff Gaspin.

[via press release from NBC]

BONNIE HAMMER SIGNS NEW MULTIYEAR DEAL WITH NBC UNIVERSAL

Adds NBC Universal's Cable Studio And Emerging Networks to her Portfolio

Continues to Lead USA Network and SCI FI Channel

NEW YORK - March 24, 2008 - NBC Universal has named Bonnie Hammer President, Cable Entertainment and Cable Studio. The announcement was made today by Jeff Gaspin, President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal Television Group, and Jeff Zucker, President and CEO, NBC Universal. In a new multiyear deal, Hammer adds to her current duties executive responsibility for the newly formed NBC Universal Cable Studio (formerly part of Universal Media Studios) and NBC Universal's Emerging Networks. Hammer had served as President, USA Network and SCI FI Channel, since May 2004. She will continue to oversee these networks and will continue to report to Gaspin.

In her new role, Hammer will oversee NBC Universal Cable Studio, which is responsible for critically acclaimed shows including USA Network's "Monk," "Psych," "The Starter Wife" and "In Plain Sight," and SCI FI's "Battlestar Galactica" and "Eureka." In addition, she will identify and develop new scripted programs for the company's cable group and for external cable channels. Universal Media Studios Senior Vice President Richard Rothstein will now report to Hammer.

Hammer will also oversee NBC Universal's successful Emerging Networks group, led by Dan Harrison. The group includes Chiller, Sleuth and Universal HD.

"Bonnie is one of the most talented executives in the industry, with an amazing track record of success," said Gaspin. "I am excited that she'll be able to put her exceptional branding, programming and leadership skills toward an expanded portfolio of cable assets."

"Bonnie's achievements with USA and SCI FI have been spectacular," said Zucker. "She's a multitalented executive who knows how to run a network, program it successfully, and inspire a team. I'm thrilled to have her play a bigger role at NBCU."

"I'm thrilled to re-up at NBCU, where I've got, from my point of view, the best job in the business," said Hammer. "It's an exciting new opportunity not only to manage creative assets from concept through development to final product but also to help realize the enormous potential of the Emerging Networks group. And as a bonus, I get to continue working with the two great teams at USA and SCI FI, as well as all my friends and colleagues at NBCU."

Under Hammer's leadership, USA Network and SCI FI Channel have both experienced record ratings performances. USA Network was the No. 1 basic cable network for the second year in a row in 2007, with its highest ratings ever in every key measurement. SCI FI Channel finished the year as the sixth-ranked basic cable network, in its target demographic of adults 25-54, the highest ranking in its history, and had its best year ever among adults 18-34.

Hammer had served as president of SCI FI since April 2001, adding responsibility for USA Network in May 2004. She led USA Network's groundbreaking "Characters Welcome" branding initiative and directed cable entertainment's first foray into the digital social networking space with ShowUsYourCharacter.com. Recent successes at SCI FI Channel include the miniseries "Tin Man," which was the most-watched event in the channel's 15-year history. In 2007, Hammer was honored with NATPE's Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award, and was also inducted into Broadcasting & Cable's Hall of Fame.

Hammer's previous titles include executive vice president and general manager of SCI FI Channel, and senior vice president of SCI FI Programming and USA Original Productions. At USA, she partnered with Vincent McMahon to transform the WWF franchise into a ratings powerhouse and cultural phenomenon. She also created USA's "Erase the Hate" campaign, which earned a National Emmy Governor's Award.

Before joining Universal Television, Hammer was an original programming executive at Lifetime, where she executive produced several award-winning documentaries for Lifetime Television Network and was honored with the Lillian Gish Award, the Cine Golden Eagle, and the National Association for Youth's Mentor Award. Prior to this, she executive produced "Good Day!" for WCVB in Boston, and produced the series "This Old House," "Infinity Factory," and "Zoom" for PBS.





  [march 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (SCI FI)
· EUREKA (SYFY)
· IN PLAIN SIGHT (USA)
· MONK (USA)
· PSYCH (USA)
· STARTER WIFE, THE (USA)





[04/19/24 - 07:04 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases Official Trailer for "Maxton Hall - The World Between Us"
Produced by UFA Fiction, the German series tells the modern love story of James Beaufort and Ruby Bell, an upper-class boy and a working-class girl in a world of glamor, prestige, secrets, and drama.

[04/19/24 - 06:45 AM]
ESPN Delivered Top Two Most-Watched SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament Eastern Conference Games Ever on April 17
The 76ers 105-104 victory over the Heat averaged 3,403,000 viewers, peaking with 5,490,000 viewers at 9:30 p.m. ET.

[04/19/24 - 06:00 AM]
Video: "Welcome to Wrexham" - Season 3 Official Trailer - FX
The Emmy award-winning series returns May 2 on FX.

[04/18/24 - 05:01 PM]
Video: First Look at Season 2 of "Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars" Premiering Wednesday, May 22, on FOX
Gordon Ramsay and Lisa Vanderpump each bring their expert knowledge and unique leadership styles to the second season of the competition series.

[04/18/24 - 04:09 PM]
"Fallout" Has a Blast of a Debut: Amazon MGM Studios and Kilter Films' Hit Series to Return for Season Two
In its first four days, the high-octane fueled series has become a hit with its global audience, ranking among the service's top three most-watched titles ever and the most-watched season globally since "Rings of Power."

[04/18/24 - 04:01 PM]
Netflix Announces Production of "Last Samurai Standing": An Epic Battle Royale for Survival in Historic Japan
Based on the novel "Ikusagami" by Shogo Imamura, winner of the 166th Naoki Prize in 2021, the series features the multi-talented Junichi Okada in the lead role.

[04/18/24 - 01:31 PM]
"Call Me Country: Beyonce & Nashville's Renaissance" from CNN FlashDocs Comes to Max April 26
As Beyoncé recently became the first Black woman to ever top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, a larger conversation about what defines country music has exploded into the zeitgeist.

[04/18/24 - 11:59 AM]
Starz Releases First-Look Photos for the Highly Anticipated Fourth and Final Season of "Power Book II: Ghost"
Additionally, Golden Brooks will join the upcoming season in a recurring role as Janet Stewart, Monet Tejada's cousin.

[04/18/24 - 11:33 AM]
New TLC Medical Series "Botched Bariatrics" Premiering on Wednesday, May 15th
The new medical transformation series features patients whose lives have been turned upside down after suffering complications from their bariatric surgery.

[04/18/24 - 11:09 AM]
Lifetime Extends Relationship with Garcelle Beauvais
Following the critically acclaimed "Black Girl Missing" movie in which Beauvais starred in and executive produced in 2023, Lifetime extends the franchise with two new movies with Beauvais set to executive produce.

[04/18/24 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Renews Critically Acclaimed Hit "Elsbeth" for Second Season
"'Elsbeth' has charmed audiences with its singular blend of delightful humor, distinctive 'how-done-it' storytelling, and the inventive, brilliant quirkiness of Elsbeth Tascioni," said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment.

[04/18/24 - 10:11 AM]
ABC's "9-1-1" 100th Episode Propels Series to No. 1 Drama in Primetime in Adults 18-49
The milestone 100th episode was the top program of the night, scoring a season-high on linear after 7 days of viewing in Adults 18-49 (0.91 rating), marking the show's best L7 rating since its season finale last year.

[04/18/24 - 10:00 AM]
HBO Original Comedy Special "Nikki Glaser: Someday You'll Die" Debuts May 11
"I'm so grateful that once again, HBO has put their trust in me to say what I feel into a microphone while wearing a tiny dress," Glaser said. "Someday I'll die, and when I do, I hope I'm remembered for this performance (and this dress)."

[04/18/24 - 09:31 AM]
Video: Paramount+ with Showtime Releases the Official Trailer and Key Art for "The Chi"
The series recently wrapped production in Chicago on the remaining eight episodes of the supersized 16-episode season.

[04/18/24 - 09:07 AM]
TNT Sports Announces Commentators for 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Presented by GEICO First Round Games on Saturday, April 20
TNT Sports will drop the puck on its coverage of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with up to 28 First Round games, starting Saturday, April 20 with Game 1 of New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes on TBS, truTV and Max's B/R Sports Add-On.