Bonnie Hammer
Years in Cable: 27
Education: Boston University
Best Advice: Opportunities are gifts… don’t squander them.
Former NBC Sports head Dick Ebersol refers to Hammer as the woman with the “golden eye,” based on her success at picking hit shows. Last year, the brass put the entire cable entertainment portfolio under her purview—and for good reason. USA has spent an unprecedented eight years as the most-watched cable network. Bravo has become a top 10 network. Syfy ranked as a top 10 network for the 19th consecutive year. Oxygen is on the path to a rebrand aimed at millennium females. Newbie Esquire has sparked an innovative partnership with Hearst Magazines. E! saw its strongest year-to-date in 2013 in digital and mobile. Perhaps most telling, Hammer’s portfolio contributed more than 50% of the total profit for all of NBCU last year.
TV Show I’d most like to have a cameo on: “The Walking Dead.” Half the time, I feel like a zombie by the end of the day.
Cable exec I’d least like to see tweaking: Sorry, I’m trying to get the image out of my head.
Frank Underwood or Nick Brody? Frank Underwood, definitely. He’s Machiavelli in a Burberry suit.
Oscars or Grammys? Grammys, because it helps me understand what my kid is talking about.
