Kate O'Brian
{{Short description|American television executive}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
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|parents= Jack O'Brian (father)
Von Johnston (mother)
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Kate O'Brian is an American journalist and television executive. She is the head of news for the E. W. Scripps Company's national news channels, Scripps News and Court TV. She was previously with Al Jazeera America as president of the network and before, ABC News, where she spent most of her career.
History
Formerly she was Senior Vice-president of ABC News in charge of the news division's newsgathering since 2007 which included all ABC News bureaus worldwide, business, law and justice, medical, and investigative units, ABC NewsOne, ABC News Radio and affiliate relations.{{Cite web|url=http://america.aljazeera.com/tools/pressreleases/al-jazeera-america-names-its-interim-ceo-president-and-senior-editorial-leadership.html|title = Al Jazeera America names its interim CEO, President, and senior editorial leadership}} Prior to that she had worked at the network for over 30 years in various roles including positions with 20/20 and Nightline.{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/07/kate-obrian-departing-abc-news-named-president-of-al-jazeera-america/|title = Kate O'Brian Departing ABC News, Named President of al Jazeera America|website = ABC News}}
O'Brian began as an intern for 20/20, then moved on to become a television desk assistant in New York City and then joined the staff of "This Week with David Brinkley" when it launched in 1981. She also held the position of general manager of programming for ABC News Radio where she was responsible for editorial content; she has also been an overseas field producer in Rome and London and a producer for "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings," both in Washington DC and New York; she was a manager in talent development and later the primary liaison between ABC News and its 200+ affiliate stations.
O'Brian was named president of Al Jazeera America on July 22, 2013, alongside the naming of Ehab Al Shihabi as interim CEO in charge of business affairs.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/al-jazeera-america-poaches-abc-news-veteran-kate-obrian-to-be-president_b189207|title = Home}}
Al Jazeera America
O'Brian stated that Al Jazeera America (in particular its news department) was on its way to being the "envy of the industry."{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2013/tv/news/al-jazeera-america-will-be-envy-of-the-industry-chief-says-1201015965/|title = Al Jazeera America Will be 'Envy of the Industry,' Chief Says|date = 31 December 2013}} She also stated that the channel will be committed to hard news not the salacious "infotainment" made popular on competitor cable news networks.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2013/tv/news/al-jazeera-america-chief-we-will-have-less-yelling-fewer-celebs-1200578970/|title=Al Jazeera America Chief: We Will Have 'Less Yelling,' 'Fewer Celebs'|date=15 August 2013}} The channel also branched into airing independent documentaries and town hall sessions on particular topics. Al Jazeera America was closed in April 2015 due to low ratings and change in strategy by Al Jazeera Media Network.
Scripps Media
Following the closure of Al Jazeera America, O'Brian consulted for various news organizations, including the Washington Post and Voice of America, on media projects. In April 2021, she was named head of news for E.W. Scripps Company's national news channels, Court TV and Newsy. She was responsible for Newsy's conversion from a cable news channel to a broadcast and streaming news channel starting October 2021, as well as leading Court TV's coverage of major legal events and trials.{{Cite web|title=Newsy Management|url=https://www.newsy.com/team/kate-o-brian/|access-date=2021-09-28|website=Newsy|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Newsy Is Relaunching Oct. 1, and Here's How the Reimagined Over-the-Air News Network Will Define Success|url=https://adweek.it/3Cf8ny7|access-date=2021-09-28|website=adweek.it|date=15 September 2021 |language=en-US}}
Awards
A 30-year ABC News veteran, O'Brian has won an Alfred I. duPont Award as part of the "This Week with David Brinkley" team, an Emmy Award for the 2000 Millennium coverage, and Alfred I. duPont and a Peabody Award for September 11 coverage. In 2015, the School of Mass Communication and Journalism at Kent State University named O'Brian the winner of the Robert G. McGruder Distinguished Guest Lecture and Award for Diversity. "The award recognizes the accomplishments of media professionals who encourage diversity in the field of journalism".{{Cite web|url=https://www.kent.edu/jmc/news/al-jazeera-america-president-named-2015-mcgruder-award-media-diversity-winner|title = Al Jazeera America President Named 2015 McGruder Award for Media Diversity Winner | Kent State University}}
Personal life
Kate O'Brian is the daughter of Jack O'Brian (1914–2000), a former gossip columnist best known for being a champion of Joseph McCarthy and for contributing to serious journalist Don Hollenbeck's suicide.{{cite web |url=http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/1909594 |title=7.24.13: It's Summertime {{!}} New York Social Diary |website=www.newyorksocialdiary.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804075451/http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/1909594 |archive-date=2013-08-04}} Her sister, Bridget O'Brian, is also a journalist. Bridget worked as a reporter for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Wall Street Journal and at Columbia University.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/08/arts/jack-o-brian-86-columnist-of-the-entertainment-world.html|title = Jack O'Brian, 86, Columnist of the Entertainment World|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 8 November 2000|last1 = Martin|first1 = Douglas}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://twitter.com/KateOBrianAJAM/ Kate O'Brian] on Twitter
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRNjD7L2NQo/ Kate O'Brian speech with Cieri Media]
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Category:Businesspeople from New York City
Category:American television executives
Category:American women journalists
Category:American Broadcasting Company executives
Category:American women television executives
Category:Peabody Award winners