Frances Berwick Promoted to President at Bravo Media

Bravo Media, the company behind "The Real Housewives of New York City," "Top Chef" and many others has announced that its general manager since 2008, Frances Berwick, is stepping up to the role of president, Bravo Media effective immediately. Berwick joined Bravo in 1996 and is one of the network's longest-standing employees. She has won two Peabody awards, three Primetime Emmys and many other awards. After NBC-Universal bought Bravo in 2002, she oversaw development for "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and launched other hit shows like "Top Chef" and "Project Runway." "Under Frances' oversight as General Manager, Bravo Media has experienced phenomenal growth across all areas of the business while attracting the most affluent and educated audience in cable entertainment," said Lauren Zalaznick, President of NBC Universal's women and lifestyle entertainment networks, in a statement. "With this richly deserved promotion, I have no doubt that Frances will continue to lead this team and drive Bravo's white hot success to even greater heights in the years to come." Press release after the jump. NEW YORK -- June 2, 2010 -- Continuing her long-standing and impressive career with Bravo, Frances Berwick was promoted to President, Bravo Media, effective immediately. The announcement was made today by Lauren Zalaznick, President, NBC Universal Women & Lifestyle Entertainment Networks to whom Berwick will continue to report. Berwick previously held the post of Executive Vice President and General Manager for Bravo Media since January 2008. "Under Frances' oversight as General Manager, Bravo Media has experienced phenomenal growth across all areas of the business while attracting the most affluent and educated audience in cable entertainment," said Zalaznick. "With this richly deserved promotion, I have no doubt that Frances will continue to lead this team and drive Bravo's white hot success to even greater heights in the years to come." During her tenure as General Manager, Berwick presided over a 33 percent increase in original programming. The network was awarded a prestigious Peabody Award in 2008; an unprecedented number of Emmy nominations in 2009; and for the past four years, the network achieved record-breaking successes across all ratings and financial metrics. Additionally, the network completed a refresh of the Bravo Media brand with the 'By Bravo' tagline last year. With a mandate to evolve Bravo from a television network into a lifestyle brand, Bravo also created two New York Times best-selling "Top Chef" cookbooks, an upcoming "Real Housewives" franchise book, along with numerous programming consumer products extensions -- from flowers, wine and frozen foods, to the Fashion by Bravo clothing line, all while delivering more than a 30 percent increase in total revenue to the network since 2008. From 2005-2008, Berwick was Executive Vice President, Programming and Production, where she supervised all Bravo's development, production, scheduling and acquisitions. Earlier in her Bravo career, Berwick oversaw the development and production for the explosive, Emmy-winning series "Queer Eye" that changed the face of Bravo; after the 2002 NBC acquisition of the brand, she developed, produced and launched Emmy winners "Top Chef" and "Project Runway," two-time Emmy winner "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," pop-culture hits "Flipping Out," "Rachel Zoe," "Work Out," as well as Bravo's water cooler phenomenon "The Real Housewives" franchise. Since 1996, she also has overseen the channel's longest-running original series, 14-time Emmy-nominated, "Inside the Actor's Studio." One of Bravo's longest tenured employees, Berwick early on introduced high-profile original series including Michael Moore's "The Awful Truth," the Emmy Award winning "Cirque du Soleil: Fire Within," "Bravo Profiles," and "The It Factor." Berwick secured a partnership deal for Bravo to become the U.S. network partner of "Cirque du Soleil." She also oversaw programming for the Independent Film Channel (IFC) and programmed Bravo and IFC's international networks in Latin America and Canada. Berwick joined Bravo Networks in 1996 from Britain's Channel 4 Television, where she headed international TV distribution and licensing. Prior to that, she was in the sponsorship division at Sadler's Wells (a leading London Theater), where she raised funds for stage productions. Berwick has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including two Peabody Awards, three Primetime Emmys and a National Association of Multi-Ethnicity in Communications Award (NAMIC). In 2007 Berwick was named a Multichannel News Wonder Woman. Berwick is a member of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT), and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS). Berwick has a Master's Degree from Edinburgh University and resides in Manhattan with her husband and son.

Fishbowl

Frances Berwick Promoted to President at Bravo Media

Mike Taylor

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Mike Taylor