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    Fred Silverman, TV executive at 3 major networks, dies at 82

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1189 Views
    This June 24, 1978 file photo shows NBC President Fred Silverman speaking in Los Angeles. Silverman, who steered programming for each of the Big Three broadcast networks, died Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, at his Los Angeles area home. He was 82. (AP Photo, File)

    By Lynn Elber, Television Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Fred Silverman, who steered programming for each of the Big Three broadcast networks and brought "All in the Family," "Roots," "Hawaii Five-O" and other hit series and miniseries to television, died Thursday. He was 82.

    Silverman, who had been battling cancer, died at his home in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, family spokesperson Julia Rosen said Thursday. Family members were with him, Rosen said.

    Silverman's gift for picking shows that resonated with viewers prompted Time magazine to dub him "The Man with the Golden Gut" in a 1977 profile. As ABC's entertainment chief, Silverman had turned the network's fortunes around with shows including "Roots," "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Charlie's Angels."

    He had already brought success to CBS with an overhaul that included the end of country-themed series including "Petticoat Junction" and "Green Acres" and a pivot to what advertisers considered more upscale and urban fare, including "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Mannix."

    Silverman couldn't work his ratings magic when he moved to NBC as network CEO and president, with "Diff'rent Strokes" an exception.

    AP researcher Jennifer Farrar contributed to this report.

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    Trump taps “Apprentice” producer, Mark Burnett, as special envoy to the U.K.

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Television producer Mark Burnett, left, looks on as President Donald Trump arrives for the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 2, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

    Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with "The Apprentice," is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration.

    "With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role," Trump announced Saturday.

    Burnett, who was born in London, helped produce hits like "Survivor" and "The Voice," but is perhaps best known for teaming up with Trump for "The Apprentice," which first aired on NBC in 2004.

    Trump had been well-known in real estate and pop culture circles for decades. But the show helped again make him a household name — though Trump severed ties with NBC in 2015, the same year he launched his first White House run.

    The selection of Burnett continues Trump's trend of filling out his incoming administration with people who have high-profile backgrounds in television or politics, or both — including his choice to be defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend," and ex-television doctor and unsuccessful Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz.

    Trump's first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on "The Apprentice" and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a "star."

    Almost a decade after he left his reality TV role, Trump's television career remains central to his biography and political rise. The show presented Trump Tower to tens of millions of people as a symbol of power and success before Trump launched his first... Read More

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