Draft:Steven H. Kram
{{AFC submission|d|bio|u=Mikaela.casanova1607|ns=118|decliner=S0091|declinets=20250423193510|ts=20250423175522}}
{{AFC comment|1=Sources either are press releases/routine announcements or based on what he/his affiliations say so not primary and not independent. Other sources are brief mentions. On another note, see WP:INTREFVE for how to add/format citations. I also suggest reading Your first article. S0091 (talk) 19:35, 23 April 2025 (UTC)}}
----
Steven H. Kram is an American lawyer, media executive, and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Content Partners, LLC, a private investment company that acquires passive profit participations in film, television, and music properties. Kram was previously the Chief Operating Officer of the William Morris Agency.
Early Life and Education
Kram earned a Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse University in 1978 and a J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School in 1981. Following graduation, he clerked for Judge Theodore Kupferman in New York.{{cite news |title=Ms. Liptscher, Consultant, Married to Steven H. Kram |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/04/style/ms-liptscher-consultant-married-to-steven-h-kram.html |work=The New York Times |date=September 4, 1988 |access-date=April 23, 2025}}
Career
Kram began his legal career at Capital Cities/ABC, serving in positions including staff attorney, assistant general attorney, and eventually general attorney.{{cite news |title=Changing the Guard at WMA |url=https://variety.com/2004/scene/markets-festivals/changing-the-guard-at-wma-1117915217/ |work=Variety |date=December 18, 2004}}
In 1987, he joined the William Morris Agency and rose to the role of Chief Operating Officer in the 1990s.{{cite news |title=3 Longtime Executives Resign From William Morris Agency |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/18/business/3-longtime-executives-resign-from-william-morris-agency.html |work=The New York Times |date=December 18, 2004}} At William Morris, he led international expansion efforts, including into China,{{cite book |title=Feeding the Dragon: Inside the Trillion Dollar Dilemma Facing Hollywood, the NBA, & American Business |author=Chris Fenton |publisher=Post Hill Press |year=2020 |page=58 |url=https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Feeding_the_Dragon/SQLoDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=steve+kram&pg=PT58}} and founded the agency's corporate consulting division.{{cite news |title=WMA snags Mr. Freeze |url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/wma-snags-mr-freeze-1117342647/ |work=Variety |date=June 9, 1997}}
Kram also represented high-profile clients including actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.{{cite news |title=WMA snags Mr. Freeze |url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/wma-snags-mr-freeze-1117342647/ |work=Variety |date=June 9, 1997}} He left William Morris in 2004.{{cite news |title=William Morris Executives Exit |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-dec-18-fi-morris18-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 18, 2004}}
In 2006, Kram co-founded Content Partners with Steven Blume.{{cite news |title=Content Partners at 15: The Silent Hollywood Disruptor |url=https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/content-partners-15-years-steve-kram-blume-1203365599/ |work=Variety |date=October 17, 2019}} The company pioneered a financial model of purchasing back-end profit participations from artists, creators, and rights holders.
In 2013, Content Partners acquired international rights to the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The New York Times described the company as "an unusually quiet operator in Hollywood," noting that at the time it held rights to 119 motion pictures and 5 network television series.{{cite news |title=CSI Gets a New Financial Partner |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/business/media/csi-gets-a-new-financial-partner.html |work=The New York Times |date=March 7, 2013}} By 2019, the company’s library had expanded to include over 400 films and about 3,000 hours of television.{{cite news |title=Content Partners Acquires 'Forensic Files' Episodes |url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/forensic-files-true-crime-series-acquired-content-partners-1235861225/ |work=Deadline |date=March 5, 2024}}
Public Service
In 2004, Kram was appointed to the California Coastal Commission by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.{{cite news |title=Two appointed to California State Teachers Retirement System Board |url=https://lakeconews.com/news/education/17622-two-appointed-to-the-california-state-teachers-retirement-system-board |work=Lake County News |date=December 15, 2010}} In 2005, he was tasked with helping the Governor identify areas for political expense reduction.{{cite news |title=Governor's Political Spending Scrutinized |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-19-me-spend19-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 19, 2006}}
Personal Life
Kram is the son of Shirley Wohl Kram, a former federal judge in the Southern District of New York, and Bernard Kram. He married Marilyn Liptscher in 1988.{{cite news |title=Ms. Liptscher, Consultant, Married to Steven H. Kram |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/04/style/ms-liptscher-consultant-married-to-steven-h-kram.html |work=The New York Times |date=September 4, 1988}}