Nancy Tellem
Encyclopedia
Nancy Tellem currently serves as Sr. Advisor to the CEO, CBS Corp. She is most recently the President of CBS Network Television Entertainment.
, supervises the current prime-time, daytime
, late-night, and Saturday morning lineup on both CBS
and The CW Television Network
- the merged network of The WB and UPN
- including shows such as CSI, Survivor
, Everybody Loves Raymond
, & The King of Queens
, and helped create landmark shows such as Friends
and ER
. As president, she also oversees programming, development, production, business affairs and operations of the CBS
network.
In 2006, she was ranked as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes Magazine (#75). Also, she is the second woman in television history, after ABC
's Jamie Tarses
, to hold the top entertainment post at a major broadcast network, and was named the third most powerful woman in entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter in 2003.
Tellem was trained as an attorney, graduated from The University of California Hastings College of the Law, and practiced law for four years in Los Angeles. In Washington, she also served as a Capitol Hill Intern for Congressman Ron Dellums
(D-Calif.). Tellem's first major position was in the legal affairs department of Lorimar Television, which was one of the most successful television companies in the early eighties. Lorimar eventually merged with Warner Bros.
television, and when Leslie Moonves
became head of WB
in 1987, he promoted Tellem to Executive Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs. When Moonves became head of CBS
Entertainment in 1995, he also appointed Tellem as Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, and then promoted her to head of CBS Productions
, the unit responsible for producing original series for the network. In 1998, when Moonves was again promoted as the president of CBS, he named Tellem as his successor. In 1998, Tellem succeeded Moonves as president of CBS Entertainment.
Tellem came in third place on Entertainment Weekly
's list of the 25 smartest people in television.
. She is married to leading sports agent Arn Tellem
.
Legal/TV Career
She is formerly responsible for deciding which shows appear on CBSCBS
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...
, supervises the current prime-time, daytime
CBS Daytime
CBS Daytime is a television programming block on CBS. It's the branding for the CBS Television Network's late morning and early afternoon programming. The block has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows, and talk shows...
, late-night, and Saturday morning lineup on both 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...
and The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
- the merged network of The WB and UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
- including shows such as CSI, Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
, Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
, & The King of Queens
The King of Queens
The King of Queens is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.This show was produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions , CBS Paramount Television ,and CBS Television Studios in association with Columbia TriStar Television , and Sony Pictures...
, and helped create landmark shows such as Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. As president, she also oversees programming, development, production, business affairs and operations of the 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...
network.
In 2006, she was ranked as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes Magazine (#75). Also, she is the second woman in television history, after ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses was head of ABC's entertainment division from 1996 to 1999, the first woman and one of the youngest people to hold such a post in an American broadcast network...
, to hold the top entertainment post at a major broadcast network, and was named the third most powerful woman in entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter in 2003.
Tellem was trained as an attorney, graduated from The University of California Hastings College of the Law, and practiced law for four years in Los Angeles. In Washington, she also served as a Capitol Hill Intern for Congressman Ron Dellums
Ron Dellums
Ronald Vernie "Ron" Dellums served as Oakland's forty-fifth mayor. From 1971 to 1998, he was elected to thirteen terms as a Member of the U.S...
(D-Calif.). Tellem's first major position was in the legal affairs department of Lorimar Television, which was one of the most successful television companies in the early eighties. Lorimar eventually merged with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
television, and when Leslie Moonves
Leslie Moonves
Leslie Moonves is President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation.Moonves served as co-president and co-chief operating officer of Viacom, Inc., the predecessor to CBS Corporation, from 2004 until the company split on December 31, 2005...
became head of WB
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in 1987, he promoted Tellem to Executive Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs. When Moonves became head of 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...
Entertainment in 1995, he also appointed Tellem as Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, and then promoted her to head of CBS Productions
CBS Productions
CBS Productions is the production arm of the CBS television network now a part of CBS Corporation, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. Its first production was CBS Television Workshop, a drama anthology series...
, the unit responsible for producing original series for the network. In 1998, when Moonves was again promoted as the president of CBS, he named Tellem as his successor. In 1998, Tellem succeeded Moonves as president of CBS Entertainment.
Tellem came in third place on Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
's list of the 25 smartest people in television.
Personal
Tellem, the daughter of Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, received her J.D. from University of California Hastings College of the Law, and her B.A. from University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. She is married to leading sports agent Arn Tellem
Arn Tellem
Arn H. Tellem is a sports agent notable for his representation of basketball and baseball players. He is the principal of WMG Management, a part of the Wasserman Media Group headed by Casey Wasserman. Since 2009 he has written a weekly sports column for The Huffington Post...
.