Scott Sassa
Encyclopedia
Scott M. Sassa is currently president of Hearst
Entertainment & Syndication, the operating group responsible for Hearst’s interests in cable television networks, including ESPN, Lifetime, A&E and History; a joint venture with Mark Burnett Productions, and Manilla a start up that organizes people's digital lives.
. He also served as Vice President of Network Management for the Fox Broadcasting Company
. Sassa was among the first people hired by Fox and he ran its operations and administration departments.
, finishing his tenure there as President of Turner Entertainment Group and a member of the Turner Board of Directors and the TBS Executive Committee.
Sassa originally joined Turner Broadcasting in 1982, first as Director of Sales Promotion, then Executive Producer of Night Tracks
in 1983 which led to him becoming Vice President/General Manager of the company’s Cable Music Channel
in 1984. He began his career with Rogers & Cowan public relations agency.
Sassa is widely credited with building Turner’s entertainment cable channels into industry leaders, launching seven networks over a seven-year period – including 3 of the top 5 rated basic cable networks. From 1992 to 1996, he was responsible for all operations and programming for TBS Superstation, Turner Network Television
, Cartoon Network
, Turner Classic Movies
and Turner’s international entertainment networks in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Sassa recruited Amy Pascal
to start up Turner Pictures, a feature film production company that developed and produced You’ve Got Mail, Any Given Sunday and Gettysburg. Sassa was also responsible for Turner Home Video, Turner Licensing and Merchandising, Turner Publishing, Turner New Media, Turner Original Productions and Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Inc. Sassa was named Executive Vice President of Turner Network Television in 1988, where he was instrumental in the network’s launch, the largest at that time.
After Turner, Sassa had been President and Chief Operating Officer of Andrews Group, a unit of MacAndrews & Forbes Holding, and the Chief Executive Officer of Marvel Entertainment.
From May 1999, Sassa served as President NBC
West Coast responsible for overseeing all of NBC’s entertainment-related businesses and reported to Bob Wright, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NBC. Sassa made the transition to that position after working with his predecessor, Don Ohlmeyer, and serving as president of NBC Entertainment since October 1998. During this time, he oversaw the development and production of NBC’s new primetime series including such shows as The West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Fear Factor. Under Sassa, NBC was the number one network 3 out of 4 seasons.
From 2004 to 2005, he served as President and CEO of Friendster
, a top 50 Internet site that pioneered social networking. Friendster was backed by Kleiner Perkins and Benchmark Capital
. After Friendster, he served as Residence with Kleiner Perkins
, a leading technology venture capital
firm.
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
Entertainment & Syndication, the operating group responsible for Hearst’s interests in cable television networks, including ESPN, Lifetime, A&E and History; a joint venture with Mark Burnett Productions, and Manilla a start up that organizes people's digital lives.
Biography
Earlier in his career, Sassa was vice president of New Business Development at Ohlmeyer Communications Co., which was headed by Don OhlmeyerDon Ohlmeyer
Don Ohlmeyer is an American television producer and former president of the NBC network's West Coast division. Currently, Don Ohlmeyer is a Professor of Television Communications at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California...
. He also served as Vice President of Network Management for the Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. Sassa was among the first people hired by Fox and he ran its operations and administration departments.
Turner Broadcasting
Before that, he spent nine years at Turner Broadcasting SystemTurner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
, finishing his tenure there as President of Turner Entertainment Group and a member of the Turner Board of Directors and the TBS Executive Committee.
Sassa originally joined Turner Broadcasting in 1982, first as Director of Sales Promotion, then Executive Producer of Night Tracks
Night Tracks
Night Tracks was an American television series which ran from 1983 to 1992 on SuperStation WTBS on late night weekends...
in 1983 which led to him becoming Vice President/General Manager of the company’s Cable Music Channel
Cable Music Channel
Cable Music Channel was an all-music video channel created by Ted Turner and launched in 1984 by Turner Broadcasting System, providing the first national competition to MTV...
in 1984. He began his career with Rogers & Cowan public relations agency.
Sassa is widely credited with building Turner’s entertainment cable channels into industry leaders, launching seven networks over a seven-year period – including 3 of the top 5 rated basic cable networks. From 1992 to 1996, he was responsible for all operations and programming for TBS Superstation, Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
, Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
, Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
and Turner’s international entertainment networks in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Sassa recruited Amy Pascal
Amy Pascal
Amy Pascal is Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. and Chairman of SPE's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. She oversees all development, production and marketing activities at Columbia Pictures...
to start up Turner Pictures, a feature film production company that developed and produced You’ve Got Mail, Any Given Sunday and Gettysburg. Sassa was also responsible for Turner Home Video, Turner Licensing and Merchandising, Turner Publishing, Turner New Media, Turner Original Productions and Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Inc. Sassa was named Executive Vice President of Turner Network Television in 1988, where he was instrumental in the network’s launch, the largest at that time.
After Turner, Sassa had been President and Chief Operating Officer of Andrews Group, a unit of MacAndrews & Forbes Holding, and the Chief Executive Officer of Marvel Entertainment.
NBC
Sassa joined NBC in September 1997 as president of the NBC Television Stations division. In this position, he was responsible for overseeing the operation of NBC’s 13 owned-and-operated television stations.From May 1999, Sassa served as President NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
West Coast responsible for overseeing all of NBC’s entertainment-related businesses and reported to Bob Wright, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NBC. Sassa made the transition to that position after working with his predecessor, Don Ohlmeyer, and serving as president of NBC Entertainment since October 1998. During this time, he oversaw the development and production of NBC’s new primetime series including such shows as The West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Fear Factor. Under Sassa, NBC was the number one network 3 out of 4 seasons.
From 2004 to 2005, he served as President and CEO of Friendster
Friendster
Friendster is a social gaming site that is based in Malaysia, KL. The company now operates mainly from the three Asian countries namely in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore....
, a top 50 Internet site that pioneered social networking. Friendster was backed by Kleiner Perkins and Benchmark Capital
Benchmark Capital
Benchmark Capital is a venture capital firm responsible for the early stage funding of some very successful startups. In 1997, the firm invested $6.7 million in eBay, which became worth more than $5 billion by the spring of 1999. Other high-profile investments include Ariba, Juniper Networks, Red...
. After Friendster, he served as Residence with Kleiner Perkins
Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers ' is a world-leading venture capital firm located on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park in Silicon Valley. The Wall Street Journal has called it one of the "largest and most established" venture capital firms in the world...
, a leading technology venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
firm.