Betty Cohen | |
---|---|
Born | Betty Susan Cohen July 27, 1956 Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Education | Stanford University |
Occupation | Businesswoman, media executive |
Years active | 1977–present |
Known for | Founder and first president of Cartoon Network (1992–2001) |
Betty Susan Cohen (born July 27, 1956) is an American businesswoman and media executive. She is best known as the founder [1] and original president of Cartoon Network from 1992 to 2001, the CEO of Lifetime Entertainment Services from 2005 to 2007, the founder and president of Betty Cohen Media Consulting since 2008, and the founder and CEO of Hearts & Minds Media since 2019.
Cohen grew up in Racine, Wisconsin. [2] She was involved in theater in high school and wrote her senior paper on the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop). [2] She attended Stanford University from 1973 to 1977, [3] where she majored in communications. [2]
In 1977, Cohen began her career as a production manager for Public Media Center, an ad agency. She had been tasked with producing public service announcements, and soon came to realize that the "larger picture" was her strength rather than smaller details. Cohen said , "I was the person who had the perspective to see where the project should head, rather than writing the first draft." [1]
In 1982, Cohen joined the Cable Health Network as their first manager of marketing. [1]
From 1984 to 1988, Cohen was director of on-air promotion and interstitial programming for Nickelodeon. Her marketing at this time yielded the Nick at Nite block, dubbed "the Network for the TV Generation." [1]
In 1988, Cohen joined Turner Broadcasting System, where she was appointed as TNT's general manager and director of marketing. [1] She was promoted to senior vice president of TNT and tasked her with creating a channel to house Ted Turner's recently-purchased, extensive animation library. Cohen thus founded Cartoon Network in 1992 [1] and was its president until 2001. Under her leadership, network brands such as Toonami, Boomerang, the Cartoon Cartoons, Cartoon Cartoon Fridays, and Cartoon Orbit were introduced, as well as original series such as Space Ghost Coast to Coast , What a Cartoon! , Dexter's Laboratory , Johnny Bravo , Cow and Chicken , The Powerpuff Girls , Ed, Edd n Eddy , and Courage the Cowardly Dog . Dexter's Laboratory, in particular, was one of her favorite animated shows. [4] The network became a global phenomenon during her tenure, with asset value of nearly $3 billion. [5]
Cohen stepped down from her post on June 18, 2001, due to creative disagreements with Jamie Kellner, then-head of Turner Broadcasting; [6] she also stated, "I was afraid I would die the queen of cartoons." [1] She was succeeded at CN by Jim Samples. Cohen remained with parent company AOL-Time Warner until September 2002, to develop multiplatform services aimed at adolescents and young adults. [7]
From 2005 [2] to 2007, Cohen returned to Lifetime Entertainment Services and served as their CEO and president. [8] Cohen helped the network attract a younger audience. [5]
Cohen is the founder and president of Betty Cohen Media Consulting since 2008, [3] which offers companies advice on brand-building, cable-channel development, and multiplatform programming. [7]
Cohen is the founder and CEO of Hearts & Minds Media since 2019, [3] a media company that focuses on leveraging social and emotional learning for girls. [5] [9]
Cohen was ranked as one of Fortune 's 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 2000. [3] She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and received the Muse Award from NY Women in Film and TV. [5]
Cohen currently resides in New York City, New York. [3]
Robert Edward Turner III is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television, which later became TBS.
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Cartoon Network is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Cartoonito, Adult Swim, and Toonami under its purview.
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Cartoon Network is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is part of The Cartoon Network, Inc. unit of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery which primarily focuses on animated programs.
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