Remembering Jamie Kellner: The Legendary TV Executive Behind WB and Fox, Who Passed Away at 77
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.
Jamie Kellner, the influential executive who co-founded the Fox and WB networks, has passed away at 77 in Montecito, California. Sources say he had a long battle against cancer before passing away in his homestead.
Kellner’s impact on television from the 1980s to the early 2000s is undeniable. He single-handedly created two major broadcast networks – The WB and Fox, that produced cult classic shows like 21 Jump Street and The Simpsons, among many others.
Who was famous TV executive Jamie Kellner?
Born in Brooklyn in 1948 and raised on Long Island, Kellner graduated with a marketing degree from Long Island University’s C.W. Post campus. He started his career in CBS’ executive training program, later moving to Viacom Enterprises, and then to producer-distributor Filmways. At Filmways, he innovated by syndicating condensed versions of Saturday Night Live, which used to be 90 minutes per episode.
In 2003, Kellner said to Variety, “I have a lot of ideas that some people embrace and others don’t. If I believe something, I do it and say it. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong, and if I’m right, I’m right.”
Primarily identified for his stewardship of broadcast television growth throughout his occupational progressions, there were several crucial roles that Jamie Kellner performed during this period. As its founding president and COO, he was instrumental in spearheading Fox’s development in 1987.
During his tenure at the network, he supervised best-selling programs like Married…With Children, The Simpsons, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place and In Living Color. His strategy involved content that was different from what other TV stations were offering, marking him as a visionary of his time.
Looking back at Jamie Kellner’s legacy as a TV executive
Kellner moved to Warner Bros., where he co-founded The WB network in 1995. He owned a 11% stake in WB while majority stakes were held by Warner Bros. and Tribune Co. The Wayans Bros served as a launching point for the WB which later produced shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 7th Heaven, Gilmore Girls, Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, and Charmed among others.
He also spearheaded Fox’s children’s network. Another company founded by him is ACME Communications (named after Warner Bros.’ cartoon company) but it was liquidated only in 2016 under Kellner’s leadership. In March 2001, Kellner took on additional roles as chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting System, overseeing TBS, TNT, and CNN. He left there two years later when his remaining contract was nearing its end.
Kellner’s ground-breaking programming moves at Fox include scheduling a live episode of In Living Color to run opposite the 1992 Super Bowl half-time show which has set a precedent for future halftime performances. In 1993, Michael Jackson performed at the Super Bowl halftime show and the rest is history.
Jamie Kellner had major contributions to the television industry and is survived by his second wife Julie Smith, daughter Melissa Kellner Berman, son Christopher, and brothers Thomas, Ronald, and Nancy. Jamie Kellner’s remarkably innovative visions go down in television history.
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