Alan Wagner
Encyclopedia
Alan Cyril Wagner was an American television
executive, radio
personality, writer, and opera
historian and critic. He served as the East Coast vice president of programming at CBS
from 1976 until 1982, when he became the first president of the Disney Channel
.
, Wagner earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia University
. He served in the United States Navy
during the mid 1950s, notably appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show
in 1956 performing a stand-up comedy bit with a group of fellow seamen. A passionate advocate for opera, Wagner became the host of the WNYC
radio program Living Opera in 1957 after his contract with the Navy came to an end. The program aired for two-hours every Sunday morning, featuring excerpts from opera recordings and interviews with performers and other personalities from the opera world. Wagner would also often relate humorous and interesting backstage stories that he had experienced or had heard about. He left Living Opera in 1968 after hosting the program for eleven years.
Wagner's contributions to the field of opera also extended to more scholarly activities. He was a frequent contributor to both the New York City Opera
's radio broadcasts and the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts
, serving as a commentator, host, and a frequent intermission guest on those programs. Considered a knowledgeable opera historian, he gave popular lectures on opera for the Metropolitan Opera Guild's education department, was a guest lecturer at several universities, and wrote articles for many years for Opera News
magazine. His first contribution to the magazine was the 1958 article "Tristan and God," an essay "that placed Tristan und Isolde
in the tradition of Christian redemption drama". He continued to write articles for the magazine up into the 2000s with his more recent work including an interview with opera legend Judith Blegen
. Wagner also contributed articles to Playbill
, High Fidelity, Musical America
, Stage Bill, and Reader's Digest
. In 1961 he published a book of backstage anecdotes entitled, Prima Donnas and Other Wild Beasts.
While doing Living Opera, Wagner began working for CBS and eventually worked his way up to becoming the company's East Coast vice president of programming in 1976. He served in that position for almost seven years, during which time he was responsible for developing and overseeing numerous television programs, most notably hits like All in the Family
, Kojak
, M*A*S*H, The Bob Newhart Show
, The Waltons
, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show
. He also brought several cultural programs to CBS, notably commissioning Igor Stravinsky
's opera The Flood
(1962), and orchestrating Vladimir Horowitz
: a Concert at Carnegie Hall (1968) and Sills
and Burnett
at the Met (1976).
Wagner left CBS in 1982 when the Walt Disney Company poached him to become the first president of the Disney Channel. The cable channel was a novel idea at the time, being the first cable station to be entirely dedicated to programming for children and the family. Given a $100 million budget, Wagner put together a staff of programmers to create new shows for the channel in addition to drawing from Disney’s extensive collection of prior television programs and films. The channel's first broadcasting day aired on April 18, 1983. It initially started with a 16-hour-a-day service.
Wagner left the Disney Channel after the station's first year of programming, after which he formed his own independent film and television production company, Boardwalk Entertainment. He also worked as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University
and Yale University
where he lectured on subjects related to his interests in both television and opera. He was awarded a Burkey Award from the Writers Guild of America
in 1983 and a Silver Circle Award from the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
.
Wagner died in Manhattan
in 2007. He was married to Martha Wagner (née Dreyfus) for fifty-one years. They had two daughters, Susan and Elizabeth, one son, David, and five grandchildren.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
executive, radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
personality, writer, and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
historian and critic. He served as the East Coast vice president of programming at CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from 1976 until 1982, when he became the first president of the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Wagner earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the mid 1950s, notably appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
in 1956 performing a stand-up comedy bit with a group of fellow seamen. A passionate advocate for opera, Wagner became the host of the WNYC
WNYC
WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...
radio program Living Opera in 1957 after his contract with the Navy came to an end. The program aired for two-hours every Sunday morning, featuring excerpts from opera recordings and interviews with performers and other personalities from the opera world. Wagner would also often relate humorous and interesting backstage stories that he had experienced or had heard about. He left Living Opera in 1968 after hosting the program for eleven years.
Wagner's contributions to the field of opera also extended to more scholarly activities. He was a frequent contributor to both the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
's radio broadcasts and the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts
Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts
The Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts are a regular series of weekly broadcasts on network radio of full-length opera performances. They are transmitted live from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City...
, serving as a commentator, host, and a frequent intermission guest on those programs. Considered a knowledgeable opera historian, he gave popular lectures on opera for the Metropolitan Opera Guild's education department, was a guest lecturer at several universities, and wrote articles for many years for Opera News
Opera News
Opera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
magazine. His first contribution to the magazine was the 1958 article "Tristan and God," an essay "that placed Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
in the tradition of Christian redemption drama". He continued to write articles for the magazine up into the 2000s with his more recent work including an interview with opera legend Judith Blegen
Judith Blegen
Judith Blegen is an American soprano, particularly associated with light lyric roles of the French, Italian and German repertories.-Life and career:Blegen was raised and attended high school in Missoula, Montana...
. Wagner also contributed articles to Playbill
Playbill
Playbill is a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most Playbills are printed for particular shows to be distributed at the door...
, High Fidelity, Musical America
Musical America
Musical America is the oldest American magazine on classical music. Presently it is a website with a weekly online magazine. It is currently published by UBM Global Trade.-History:...
, Stage Bill, and Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
. In 1961 he published a book of backstage anecdotes entitled, Prima Donnas and Other Wild Beasts.
While doing Living Opera, Wagner began working for CBS and eventually worked his way up to becoming the company's East Coast vice president of programming in 1976. He served in that position for almost seven years, during which time he was responsible for developing and overseeing numerous television programs, most notably hits like All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
, Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
, M*A*S*H, The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, , to April 1, . Comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers...
, The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
. He also brought several cultural programs to CBS, notably commissioning Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
's opera The Flood
The Flood (Stravinsky)
The Flood: A musical play is a short biblical drama by Igor Stravinsky on the allegory of Noah, originally written as an opera for television. CBS Television executive Alan Wagner commissioned the work...
(1962), and orchestrating Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early...
: a Concert at Carnegie Hall (1968) and Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
and Burnett
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
at the Met (1976).
Wagner left CBS in 1982 when the Walt Disney Company poached him to become the first president of the Disney Channel. The cable channel was a novel idea at the time, being the first cable station to be entirely dedicated to programming for children and the family. Given a $100 million budget, Wagner put together a staff of programmers to create new shows for the channel in addition to drawing from Disney’s extensive collection of prior television programs and films. The channel's first broadcasting day aired on April 18, 1983. It initially started with a 16-hour-a-day service.
Wagner left the Disney Channel after the station's first year of programming, after which he formed his own independent film and television production company, Boardwalk Entertainment. He also worked as an adjunct professor at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where he lectured on subjects related to his interests in both television and opera. He was awarded a Burkey Award from the Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
in 1983 and a Silver Circle Award from the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or NATAS was created in 1955 to advance the arts and sciences of television. Headquartered in New York, NATAS's membership is national and the organization has local chapters around the country....
.
Wagner died in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in 2007. He was married to Martha Wagner (née Dreyfus) for fifty-one years. They had two daughters, Susan and Elizabeth, one son, David, and five grandchildren.