Garth Ancier Biography

Garth Ancier (born 3 September 1957 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey) is a media executive best known for being one of only two people (the other being Fred Silverman) to have programmed three of the five US broadcast television networks (Founding Programmer at Fox, Founding Programmer at The WB - now The CW, and NBC Entertainment).

He is the former President of BBC Worldwide America and continues to be associated with the company in a consulting capacity as a non-executive director and remains a member of the BBC Worldwide America board.

Early life

Ancier began his broadcasting career as a high school sophomore in 1972, working as a reporter for NBC radio affiliates WBUD-AM and WBJH-FM in Trenton, New Jersey. In radio, he created American Focus, a weekly national interview program carried by over 200 radio stations in the U.S., including New York's WNBC. Ancier served as executive producer and host of over 250 episodes through 1979, each featuring a full-length career retrospective interview with guests ranging from Ayn Rand to Henry Fonda to David Brinkley. The show continued production for 17 years, and many of the programs are part of the permanent collection of the Paley Center for Media.

Career

Ancier's network television career began in 1979 when NBC Entertainment President Brandon Tartikoff hired him as a program associate. He rose through the ranks and supervised production of the network's top comedies including The Cosby Show, Cheers, Family Ties and Golden Girls.

In 1986, Barry Diller, Jamie Kellner and Rupert Murdoch tapped the then 28-year-old Ancier to be the founding Entertainment President for the new Fox Broadcasting Company, where he put 21 Jump Street, Married with Children, The Simpsons and In Living Color on the air.

Ancier went from Fox to Disney as President, Disney Television, where he developed Home Improvement.

From October 1991 through July 1992, Ancier served as the Television Consultant to the Democratic National Committee, specifically to advise on the television presentation of the Democratic Convention in New York and reporting to DNC Chairman Ron Brown. In that role, Ancier introduced political convention format innovations, such as a 56-screen "videowall" integrated into the convention podium and program, to such forums for the first time. Also in late 1992, Ancier co-created and executive produced The Ricki Lake Show (with former Donahue producer Gail Steinberg), which aired from 1993-2004.

In 1994, Ancier re-teamed with Fox colleague Jamie Kellner and Warners Bros. CEO Barry Meyer to launch The WB as its chief programmer from 1994"99, where he put 7th Heaven, Dawson's Creek, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Jamie Foxx Show on the air.

Beginning in 1999, Ancier served as President of NBC Entertainment, where he put The West Wing on the air. Ancier returned to Time Warner in 2001 as EVP, Programming for Turner Broadcasting (including the WB) and programmed CNN, TBS, TNT, etc., where he launched CNN's American Morning and its signature 10PM newscast with Anderson Cooper, as well as expanded Adult Swim on Cartoon Network.

Ancier returned to The WB as Co-Chairman in September 2003, then became the Chairman of the WB Television Network from May 2004 until its merger with UPN to form The CW in September 2006, during which Supernatural and One Tree Hill were launched.