Sam Feist | |
|---|---|
| Feist in 2025 | |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Media executive |
| Employer | C-SPAN |
Sam Feist is an American media executive and journalist. He is the chief executive officer of C-SPAN and former chief of CNN's Washington, D.C. news bureau.
Feist received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Vanderbilt University in 1991 and a juris doctorate from Georgetown University in 1999. [1] [2] [3] At Vanderbilt, Feist was a reporter and editor for The Vanderbilt Hustler . [3]
Feist began working for CNN in 1989 as an intern. [4] In 1990, he became a freelance producer in London. He received a full-time position in 1991 and moved to Atlanta. [1] He moved to the network's Washington, D.C. news bureau in 1992. [5] [1] He was the founding executive producer of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer , which premiered in August 2005. [5] [6] Feist was the network's political director and senior executive producer for political coverage from 2006 to 2008, and named vice president of Washington-based programming in 2009. [7] [8] In 2011, CNN named Feist senior vice president and chief of its Washington, D.C., news bureau, where he oversaw newsgathering and production. [5] Feist produced election night coverage and shows including Crossfire , Capital Gang , Evans & Novak , and Inside Politics . [9] [8] During election broadcasts, he was responsible for projecting the winners. [9]
Feist was named chief executive officer of C-SPAN in May 2024, succeeding co-CEOs Susan Swain and Robert Kennedy. [10] [5] In 2025, he created Ceasefire , a panel discussion series bringing together Republicans and Democrats for civil discourse. The program was inspired by his work on Crossfire. [11] [12] [13]
| Year | Recognized work | Role | Award/Honor | Awarding organization | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Election Night | Executive producer | News and Documentary Emmy Award | Academy of Television Arts and Sciences | [14] |
| 2008 | Coverage of 2008 Presidential Primary Campaigns and Debates | Executive producer | George Foster Peabody Award | National Association of Broadcasters | [15] |
| 2012 | Revolution in Egypt: President Mubarak Steps Down | Vice President of Washington Programming | News and Documentary Emmy Award | Academy of Television Arts and Sciences | [16] |
| 2013 | Election Night in America | Executive Producer | News and Documentary Emmy Award | Academy of Television Arts and Sciences | [17] |
| 2023 | Live from the Capitol: January 6th, One Year Later | Executive producer | News and Documentary Emmy Award | Academy of Television Arts and Sciences | [18] |
| 2024 | A CNN Town Hall: Toxic Train Disaster, Ohio Residents Speak Out | Executive producer | News and Documentary Emmy Award | Academy of Television Arts and Sciences | [19] |