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Chuck Lorre, Tyler Perry, Anne Sweeney and Ben Silverman are named as Recipients of the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award
Monday, 03 November 2008 09:44
Honors Will Be Presented at NATPE 2009 Market & Conference January 26 in Las Vegas

LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2008—Chuck Lorre, Tyler Perry, Anne Sweeney and Ben Silverman will be honored with the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) 6th Annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award, to be presented on January 26 during the NATPE 2009 Market & Conference. The announcement was made today by NATPE President & CEO Rick Feldman, along with NATPE co-chairs Kevin Beggs, President, Programming & Production, Lionsgate, and Roma Khanna, President, Global Networks and Digital Initiatives, NBC Universal Int’l, London. Chuck Lorre is Executive Producer, Writer & Creator of “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two and a Half Men,” Tyler Perry is creator and executive producer of “House of Payne,” Anne Sweeney is Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks and President, Disney-ABC Television Group, and Ben Silverman is Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios.

Rick Feldman commented, “Chuck, Tyler, Nancy and Ben all exhibit extraordinary passion, leadership, independence and vision in the process of creating television programming and in evoking the spirit of Brandon’s generosity. We’re delighted to be able to honor these special individuals at the 6th presentation of the Legacy Award.”
The Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award celebration is sponsored by Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News and NBC Universal. The honorees were selected by NATPE's Executive Committee.

"Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News are thrilled to recognize these four extraordinary professionals as we honor Brandon Tartikoff's legacy. It will be an inspirational night at NATPE on January 26 when we celebrate Chuck, Tyler, Anne, and Ben," added Larry Dunn, Publisher, Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News.

"Once again we are delighted to be participating in the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards, an honor that annually puts the spotlight on the best and brightest in television," says Marc Graboff, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "This year's diverse group of honorees truly exemplify all that Brandon stood for and we are especially thrilled that my friend and co-chairman here at NBC Universal Ben Silverman is being honored with this special award, as well."

The Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award will be presented on Monday, January 26 from 6-8:00 pm. at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. A limited amount of tickets to the event, benefiting the NATPE Educational Foundation, are available online for $100.00 through www.natpemarket.com NATPE is also planning a roundtable discussion with the 2009 honorees at a session to be held on Tuesday, January 27. The session will be moderated by B&C editor Ben Grossman.

Past Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award recipients are Stephen J. Cannell, Harry Friedman, Bonnie Hammer, Anthony E. Zuiker, Steven Bochco, Marc Cherry, Pat Mitchell, Carole Black, James Burrows, Dick Wolf, Gail Berman, Mark Burnett, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Caryn Mandabach, Ken Lowe, Mark Itkin, Peter Roth, Nancy Tellem and Bob Wright.

For the past twenty years, award-winning creator, executive producer and writer Chuck Lorre has conquered the entertainment industry with hit shows like “Grace Under Fire,” “Dharma & Greg,” “Roseanne” and “Cybill” as well as the number 1 comedy on television and three year People’s Choice Award winner, “Two and a Half Men” and freshman series “The Big Bang Theory.”

A native of Long Island, Lorre got his start as a guitarist/singer, touring the country and writing several hundred pop songs that, as he puts it, “helped keep him out of the big time” (Debby Harry’s top 40 hit “French Kissin’ in the USA” being the lone exception). After more than a decade on the road, Lorre decided to turn his attention to television. He began writing animation scripts for DIC and Marvel Productions, as well as writing and producing the themes and scores for such animated series as “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Since making his film debut with "Diary of a Mad Black Woman", Tyler Perry has become a multimedia phenomenon with a roster of hugely successful film, stage, television, and book projects. Perry's first two films both debuted at number one at the North American box office and the combined sales of his nine DVDs have sold over 11 million units. Perry's first book, "Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Life and Love" debuted at #1 on the New York Times' hardcover nonfiction bestseller list and remained in the Top 10 for eight weeks. Most recently he created and produced 10 episodes of the first-run syndicated comedy series, "House of Payne," which premiered in select markets to excellent numbers. The first 100 episodes of "House of Payne," Perry's first-run syndicated comedy series began debuting nationally on TBS in the fall of 2007.

Anne Sweeney serves as co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television Group, where she is responsible for The Walt Disney Company’s entertainment and news television properties globally. She was promoted to this role in April 2004.

Ms. Sweeney oversees the ABC Television Network, which provides entertainment, news and kids programming to viewers via 228 affiliated stations across the U.S. in addition to other technological platforms. ABC series, many of which are produced by ABC Studios, are distributed to more than 200 territories across the globe by Disney-ABC Worldwide Television. Disney-ABC Television Group also comprises Disney Channels Worldwide, which includes 27 Disney Channels, 10 Playhouse Disney Channels, nine Toon Disney Channels, three Disney Cinemagic channels and 19 Jetix/GXT Channels, as well as Radio Disney and Walt Disney Television Animation, a TV animation studio. Today Disney Channel programming reaches more than 500 million individuals in 127 countries. Ms. Sweeney also manages cable networks ABC Family and SOAPnet, as well as Disney’s publishing imprint, Hyperion, and the company’s equity interest in Lifetime Entertainment Services and A&E Television Network.

Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning producer Ben Silverman was named Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, in May 2007, and began his new role in June 2007. His multiple responsibilities include directing the efforts of NBC Universal’s television operations based in Universal City, California. Since joining NBC, Silverman has transformed the television business model by connecting advertisers and consumers through content in a more profound way. He moved the Upfront earlier and brought brands into the entire fall schedule. Also, despite a writers' strike, he delivered the highly rated "Knight Rider" movie while also reinventing the network's "The Biggest Loser," "Deal or No Deal" and "Celebrity Apprentice" franchises.

Earlier, during his tenure at the William Morris Agency, Silverman crafted breakthrough international format deals that brought the hits series “Ugly Betty” to ABC and “The Office” to NBC.

NATPE is a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation, development and distribution of televised programming in all forms across all mature and emerging media platforms.

NATPE develops and nurtures opportunities, both commercial and educational, for buying, selling and sharing of content and ideas.
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