Jamie Kellner, who made his title as the one exec ever to create two broadcast networks — Fox and The WB (each of which additionally achieved profitability below his watch), died Friday at his dwelling in Montecito, Calif. He was 77. Kellner had an amazing impression on the tv enterprise within the Eighties, Nineties and early 2000s, and was thought of an entrepreneur at coronary heart as he constructed Fox and The WB, after which independently created the Acme Communications stations group, and for a time ran Turner Broadcasting as chairman and CEO (succeeding Ted Turner).
Kellner’s impression consists of landmark programming like “The Simpsons,” “Married… With Youngsters,” “Cops,” “In Residing Coloration” and “21 Soar Road” at Fox; the long term of pop cultural touchstones on the WB like “Dawson’s Creek,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Gilmore Ladies,” “seventh Heaven” and “Felicity”; and he even labored with Lorne Michaels within the first syndication sale of “Saturday Night time Dwell” whereas at Orion. He additionally was key to the early careers of creatives like Greg Berlanti, JJ Abrams, Kevin Williamson and Joss Whedon, and comedy stars together with Jamie Foxx, Steve Harvey and The Wayans Bros.
“Jamie Kellner was a titan and a visionary in our trade and but he will likely be remembered by anybody fortunate sufficient to work for him as an govt or as a showrunner as a heat, humorous, charismatic, artistic and type mentor, buddy, husband and Dad,” stated producer Greg Berlanti. “He devoted his life in TV to fostering and betting on generations of expertise each in entrance of and behind the digicam. I do know I communicate for thus many others after I say my life was modified by the Camelot-esque dwelling he created for all of us who labored at The WB. He will likely be significantly missed.”
Kellner retired at 57 — having owned a stake on The WB when it launched as a three way partnership between him, Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. However his legacy looms giant even right this moment with each Fox and The CW, which resulted in 2006 from a merger between The WB and UPN.
The exec handed on different alternatives to return to the company suite. As an alternative, he settled into his dwelling base within the posh Santa Barbara suburb Montecito along with his spouse, Julie, whereas pursuing different passions — together with crusing around the globe on his ketch known as “Irishman,” enjoying numerous rounds of golf and launching a vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley, Cent’Anni. An structure buff, Kellner additionally designed and constructed quite a few houses.
Kellner nonetheless saved up on the TV enterprise infrequently. Final 12 months, he joined one other early Fox alum, Preston Padden, in sending a letter to the FCC including his voice to the petition to disclaim Fox’s broadcast license renewal of its Philadelphia station WTXF.
“Not like the information feeds supplied right this moment by Fox Information Channel, our information feeds didn’t prominently function advocates like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell spouting nonsensical lies a couple of Presidential election … If the character requirement for broadcast licensees is to have any that means, the FCC should designate the applying for a listening to to judge the Murdochs’/Fox’s character {qualifications} to function WTXF on the general public airwaves,” he wrote on the time.
Kellner had at all times been a little bit of a maverick within the TV enterprise. He had already been a syndication exec and alum of CBS, Viacom and Orion when he was employed by Rupert Murdoch and Barry Diller to assist begin what would grow to be Fox. Kellner was named the primary president and chief working officer of Fox Broadcasting Co. in February 1986 — a number of months earlier than the announcement of “The Late Present with Joan Rivers,” and a 12 months earlier than the arrival of authentic primetime collection (“21 Soar Road,” “Married… With Youngsters”).
Kellner, together with lieutenants like Garth Ancier (who would additionally assist him construct The WB), utilized Fox’s then-recent buy of the Metromedia stations in main markets like New York and Los Angeles to pitch unbiased TV stations across the nation on the thought of a fourth community.
“Jamie had a syndication background that was invaluable in understanding which stations and which alliances would make sense, and in making the entire thing work,” Ancier as soon as advised Selection. “He guided all of us via it.”
The trade had loads of naysayers who argued {that a} fourth community would by no means work — and that included Kellner’s mother. “After I advised my mom I used to be quitting my job to start out the Fox community, she advised me there was no means that would ever succeed,” he as soon as advised the TV commerce Digital Media.
Kellner additionally launched the Fox Children Community whereas there; he departed in early 1993 and after a while off, started talks with Warner Bros. about launching a fifth community. He and Warner Bros. engaged in a battle with Paramount and the Chris-Craft station group (which had been constructing UPN) for stations and programming, with each launching in 1995.
Early on, it appeared like UPN had a lead — particularly because it opened with a smash success: The premiere of “Star Trek: Voyager.” However The WB had the advantage of robust Tribune stations and finally discovered its voice by concentrating on teenagers and twentysomethings with exhibits like “Dawson’s Creek,” “seventh Heaven” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” That led to a defining second in 1997 when The WB stole away a number of main Sinclair Broadcasting associates from UPN.
As an icon hailing from an age when broadcast leaders displayed tons of showmanship, Kellner relished a superb combat — for instance, taking up TiVo, when that time-shifting expertise threatened to impression promoting income on the broadcasters. He was an enormous proponent of pushing the virtues of repurposing, a lot to some advertisers’ chagrin. Even internally, he confronted problem in getting Warner Bros. TV to pay WB some consideration and at Turner, had run-ins with Warner Bros. Distribution over re-running WB exhibits on TNT. And in an enormous face-off with twentieth Century Fox TV, he refused to pay huge bucks to resume “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” — which then was snapped up by UPN.
“I’ve lots of concepts that some individuals embrace and others don’t,” Kellner admitted to Variety in 2003. “If I imagine one thing, I do it and say it. If I’m flawed, I’m flawed, and if I’m proper, I’m proper.”
He additionally wasn’t afraid to take dangers. Kellner moved to Atlanta along with his household following the merger of AOL and Time Warner in 2001 on the request of then-COO Bob Pittman to take over Turner Broadcasting, together with TNT, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Community, TNT Sports activities, the Atlanta Braves, Hawks and NHL Thrashers. He helped reshape CNN to compete towards rivals Fox Information and MSNBC within the course of. The Turner gig was a a lot totally different beast, as Kellner for the primary time was pressured to reshape already current — and considerably challenged — belongings.
Kellner moved again to the Los Angeles space — and particularly, Montecito — in 2003, and ended his run at The WB in 2004. “I feel the honest factor to say is it’s my intention to finish my profession at that time,” Kellner stated on the time. “I don’t suppose the WB will want me after 2004. There’s a superb administration crew there. It’s higher for them, higher for me.”
Later, he added, “That is purely a couple of man after 35 years of sticking my ass in it time and again now trying to spend extra time with my household.”
At that he did, having exercised his choice to promote his The WB stake again to Warner Bros. and Tribune in November 2002. However Kellner continued to run the Acme station group, which he independently launched in 1997 and at its top boasted 12 stations, together with in markets together with St. Louis; Albuquerque-Santa Fe; Salem-Portland, Ore.; and Fort Myers-Naples, Fla. The corporate bought its last station in 2012.
Kellner was such a TV titan throughout the late Nineties and early 2000s that even his look was iconic. The exec, who was eager on constructing manufacturers, had his personal: He wore the very same outfit to work day by day, with out fail. Blue shirt, Khaki pants.
“It’s constant — and one of many {qualifications} of getting a model is being constant,” Kellner says.
Kellner’s expertise combating for respect within the broadcast, Hollywood and promoting communities – first at Fox and later on the WB — gave him the form of perception and admiration from others that few different TV execs may boast.
“Jamie was my mentor, my colleague and most of all my buddy – he cherished his life, Julie and his youngsters, in addition to nice meals and wine,” former WB chairman Ancier advised Selection. “Jamie sparked my very own curiosity in wine, and even constructed his personal vineyard from scratch close to Santa Barbara devoted to the Italian varietals he loved a lot. His contributions to the tv trade are legendary. From founding Fox Broadcasting and The WB, to steering Turner Broadcasting and CNN… he took on every problem with the identical vigor that he delivered to his personal life. I’ll miss him dearly.”
One other exec who labored with Kellner at Fox, The WB and Turner was Brad Turell, who headed up publicity and company communications: “Jamie Kellner was a hero in my life who I cherished dearly as a mentor and shut buddy,” Turell stated. “After being formed by the exhilarating but tough and tumble atmosphere that was the launch of Fox, Kellner created a novel, supportive and creatively freewheeling dwelling at The WB the place everybody that labored below his sensible, regular and uplifting management model lists as the best working expertise of their careers. He gave you super latitude as a boss and mentor, at all times empowering you to make daring, decisive choices and by no means settling for what’s at all times been achieved, relatively create modern new paths, whereas guiding and rooting in your success and at all times there to as he typically stated, ‘preserve the automotive on the highway’ if we ever had been to swerve, as younger executives are sure to do. Jamie was merely an amazing boss, particular person and lifelong buddy.”
Added former The WB CEO Jordan Levin, who took on that title after Kellner’s retirement: “It’s laborious to imagine. Jamie was eternally youthful. He was one of the crucial insightful and entrepreneurial individuals I ever met,” stated Levin, now a full-time professor on the College of Texas at Austin. “A real visionary who launched two of the 5 broadcast networks and revolutionized our enterprise. A self-made man who had enjoyable each step of the best way. An exquisite and passionate chief who was good sufficient to know when to get out whereas the getting was good. I’m so lucky to have recognized him and shared so many laughs collectively. Actually a legend.”
Kellner is survived by his spouse of 38 years, Julie, daughter Melissa, son Christopher, and three grandchildren, Jake, Scarlett and Oliver. In lieu of donations, Kellner’s household “asks that you just open an awesome bottle of wine in his honor. ”
