Doug Herzog
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{short description|American television executive (born 1959)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Doug Herzog
| image = Doug Herzog, September 2017 (2322) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Herzog in 2017
| birth_name = Douglas Alan Herzog
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|7|16}}
| birth_place = Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
| resting_place_coordinates =
| occupation = Businessman
| alma_mater = Emerson College (BS)
| title = Former President of Viacom Music and Entertainment Group
| awards = Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame
}}
Doug Herzog (born July 16, 1959) is an American television executive.{{Cite web |last=Rose |first=Lacey |date=December 21, 2016 |title=Doug Herzog Out at Viacom |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/doug-herzog-at-viacom-report-958330/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} He was formerly the president of Viacom Music and Entertainment Group, he oversaw MTV, VH1, Logo TV, Comedy Central, Palladia, TV Land and Spike.{{cite news|last1=James|first1=Meg|title=Doug Herzog takes over MTV, VH-1 in Viacom restructuring|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-doug-herzog-mtv-vh1-in-viacom-restructuring-20150219-story.html|accessdate=October 11, 2015|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=February 19, 2015}} Herzog has been credited with evolving the MTV brand by steering the network away from music related programming.
Herzog is on the board of jurors for the [https://peabodyawards.com/our-story/ Peabody Awards.]{{Cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://peabodyawards.com/our-story/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=The Peabody Awards |language=en-US}}
Career
Herzog received his B.S. degree in Mass Communications from Emerson College in 1981. He started reggae show at the college radio station in 1978, and it ended up becoming the most popular show on the station, ultimately running every day for 35 years.{{Cite web |title=All Joking Aside with Doug Herzog |url=https://emerson.edu/academics/schools-labs-and-centers/center-comedic-arts/all-joking-aside-doug-herzog |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=Emerson College |language=en}}
He moved to Los Angeles to work at CNN when it was created in 1981,{{Cite web |last=Rose |first=Lacey |date=June 30, 2022 |title=Former Viacom Boss on Dave Chappelle, Netflix and Podcasting From His Closet |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/doug-herzog-dave-chappelle-netflix-jon-stewart-1235173615/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} and became a segment producer at Entertainment Tonight in 1983.
Herzog's Viacom career began in 1984 when he joined MTV. Herzog started as MTV News Director, creating the networks influential news department and eventually rising to President MTV Productions overseeing all the channel's original programming. Herzog developed and supervised many of the brands most enduring and groundbreaking franchises including The Real World, Unplugged and Road Rules, as well as the network's signature events The MTV Movie Awards and The MTV Video Music Awards.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Peter |date=March 22, 2022 |title=Glory Days Of Cable TV To Be Explored In Podcast Series From Doug Herzog & SiriusXM |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/glory-days-of-cable-tv-to-be-explored-podcast-doug-herzog-1234983331/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}
Herzog launched shows such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, South Park, The Real World, UFC, Key & Peele, Inside Amy Schumer, Hot in Cleveland, Workaholics, Tosh.0, and Younger.{{Cite web |last=Lafayettel |first=Jon |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Former MTV Exec Doug Herzog's Podcast Bares Secrets of Basic Cable |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/former-mtv-exec-doug-herzogs-podcast-bares-secrets-of-basic-cable |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=NextTV |language=en}}
In 1993, he was named president of the MTV Productions unit.{{Cite news|date=May 10, 1993|title=MTV launches production unit|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-05-10-OCR-Page-0025.pdf|access-date=October 7, 2021}}
Herzog then moved to the position of President of Comedy Central in 1995.
Herzog left Viacom to work as President of USA Network igniting the network's original programming with the award-winning Monk. Herzog also served as President of Entertainment for FOX Broadcasting Company where he green-lit the Emmy Award-winning Malcolm in the Middle and three animated sitcoms The PJs, Family Guy and Futurama
Herzog returned to Viacom in 2004 as the President of Viacom's Music Entertainment Group where he oversaw Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, TVLand and Logo.{{Cite web |last=Littleton |first=Cynthia |date=February 19, 2015 |title=Doug Herzog, Cyma Zarghami Rise in Viacom Cable Restructuring |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/doug-herzog-cyma-zarghami-rise-in-viacom-cable-restructuring-1201436935/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} Herzog left the company in January 2017 after spending almost 27 years with the company.{{Cite web |last=Holloway |first=Daniel |date=December 21, 2016 |title=Doug Herzog Talks Viacom, Comedy Central and Next Steps After Departure (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/doug-herzog-viacom-comedy-central-1201947039/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
In 2018, Herzog was hired as senior Creative Consultant for the Quibi Streaming Service.https://quibi.com/our-story/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119103341/https://quibi.com/our-story/ |date=November 19, 2020 }} {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}} The service has since shut down due to lack of viewership.{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Tatiana |date=December 18, 2018 |title=Jeffrey Katzenberg Fills Out Quibi Leadership Team |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jeffrey-katzenberg-fills-quibi-leadership-team-1170559/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Jarvey |first=Natalie |date=October 23, 2020 |title=Inside Quibi's Abrupt Shutdown: "This Is Not How They Wanted It to Go" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/inside-quibis-abrupt-shutdown-this-is-not-how-they-wanted-it-to-go-4081903/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}
In 2022, Herzog launched a podcast about the history of basic cable television programming in America.
Awards
Herzog has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.[http://bchalloffame.com/doug-herzog/ B&C Hall of Fame, Doug Herzog] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129173150/http://bchalloffame.com/doug-herzog/ |date=January 29, 2015 }}
References
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090822074751/http://www.comedycentral.com/press/bios/dougherzog.jhtml?fromExecBios=true Herzog bio at Comedy Central]
- {{IMDb name|1107481}}
- [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/28/arts/risk-taking-cable-guy-risks-plenty-on-network.html?pagewanted=1 New York Times feature]
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{{Succession box| title=President of Comedy Central | before=Robert Kreek | after=Larry Divney | years=1995-1998}}
{{Succession box| title=President of FOX | before=Peter Roth | after=Gail Berman | years=1998-2000}}
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{{Presidents of Fox Broadcasting Company Entertainment}}
{{Presidents of programming of MTV}}
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Category:American television executives
Category:20th-century American Jews
Category:Comedy Central executives
Category:Emerson College alumni
Category:Fox Broadcasting Company executives
Category:USA Network executives
Category:Presidents of Fox Broadcasting Company Entertainment