CLOSE

 

Bradley Siegel is the President of TV One, the 24-hour entertainment network super-serving the African American audience. In this role, Siegel is responsible for overseeing and leading all business and creative aspects of the network.

Prior to joining TV One, Mr. Siegel served as the Vice Chairman of Atlanta-based UP, America’s favorite television channel for uplifting family entertainment.  Launched in 2004 as the Gospel Music Channel and later known as GMC TV, the network changed its name to UP on June 1, 2013 to better reflect its programming mission.

Recently, UP partnered with Magic Johnson Enterprises to launch ASPiRE, the new network from Earvin “Magic” Johnson.  Mr. Siegel was also a key executive with ASPiRE on behalf of UP, providing guidance and sales services to the ASPiRE team.

Mr. Siegel worked alongside UP’s Founder Charley Humbard to open the doors of then-Gospel Music Channel in April 2004.  The channel launched on October 30, 2004 to 2,700 homes in Jackson, Tennessee, and today is carried in more than 68 million homes nationwide by major distributors and hundreds of smaller, independent systems.   It is also distributed on many major airlines including Jet Blue, Legend Air, Alaska Air, Continental and Frontier Airlines.

Under Mr. Siegel’s leadership, UP original programming has won, as well as been nominated for multiple broadcast, promotion and design awards.  This includes the UP Original Movie The Heart of Christmas’ Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, and four NAACP Image Awards nominations: for the UP Original Movies Raising Izzie (2) and Somebody’s Child, and UP Original Stage Play Sugar Mommas.

Prior to joining UP, Mr. Siegel was president of Turner Entertainment Networks for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.)  He joined the company in January of 1993 and remained through most of 2003.  In this capacity, he was responsible for TBS Superstation, WTBS Channel 17, Turner Network Television (TNT), Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, Turner South, Boomerang, TNT Originals and WCW.  Turner Studios, Turner’s state of the art production and post-production facility, as well as Turner Entertainment Network’s Broadcast Operations center and staff, also came under Siegel’s oversight.    Although Turner Sports did not report directly to Siegel, he was instrumental in signing Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson to long-term deals for Inside the NBA on TNT, as well as helping to bring Wimbledon, The British Open and NASCAR to the network.

During the five years Siegel ran the Domestic Entertainment Networks, compounded growth of operating income increased at an average annual rate of 15%.  The Domestic Entertainment Networks portfolio of companies ranged from start-ups to $1 billion plus in revenues.  During the last two years of Siegel’s tenure, EBITA exceeded $1.1 billion for his division.  He dramatically improved margins from businesses that had losses to businesses with margins approaching 60%.

Previously, Siegel served as president of TNT and Turner Classic Movies.  He led TNT to be the number one rated basic cable network four consecutive years and the rise of the TNT Originals film franchise as the signature original programming presenter on basic cable.  Among the numerous awards presented to TNT programming overseen by Siegel are Emmy Awards for James Dean, The Mists of Avalon, Nuremberg, Joseph, The Hunley, Houdini, George Wallace and Andersonville; Golden Globe Awards for James Dean and George Wallace; a Screen Actors Guild Award, for George Wallace and Door to Door; Critic’s Choice Awards for Door to Door and James Dean, an AFI Award for Door to Door, the George Foster Peabody Award, for George Wallace and Door to Door; the Humanitas Prize, for George Wallace; an NAACP Image Award, for Freedom Song; a NAMIC Vision Award, for Freedom Song; a Sports Emmy Award, for On Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park; and a Christopher Award, for Passing Glory.  TNT Originals are the most watched original movies on cable, and have broken every ratings record.  Siegel also developed the highly acclaimed music performance specials, TNT Master Series…All Star tributes to the music industry’s legendary writers and performers including Bob Marley, Johnny Cash, Brian Wilson, Joni Mitchell, Burt Bacharach and John Lennon.

In 1994, Siegel created Turner Classic Movies, one of the most acclaimed and successful new networks in the past 15 years.  Under Siegel, TCM was awarded every major on-air promotion and design award, including awards from PROMAX, BDA and CTAM.  TNT and TBS Superstation also became the number one- and two-rated basic cable networks and Cartoon Network was number one in primetime among their target audience of kids 2 –11.  It was also under Siegel’s management that Cartoon Network’s highly successful Adult Swim late-night franchise was developed and launches leading the network to top ratings position among M 18-34.  Adult Swim is now a significant portion of Cartoon Network’s revenue.

Siegel joined TBS, Inc. in January 1993 from American Movie Classics (AMC), where as vice president of programming and production (1988 – 1992), he was responsible for the development and administration of all programming and production strategies.  He was also responsible for signing such legendary talent as Debbie Reynolds, Omar Sharif, Shirley Jones, Dottie Lamour and Ceasar Romero.  His original productions generated massive amounts of national and local press, including TV Book covers.  Earlier in his career, Siegel was vice president of programming for Bridgeways Communications, where he developed new program formats, scheduling and original programming for WBCT and WHAI-TV in Westport, Conn.  From 1982 to 1988 he was one of the founders of New York’s Campus Network, where he served as vice president and general manager, later he developed National College Television (NCTV), an advertiser-supported program network servicing 450 college television stations and 13 million cable homes. His first job after college was promotion director for New York-based Sportswise magazine.

Siegel holds a bachelor of arts degree in history and art history from Washington University in St. Louis (1979), where he is a member of the Arts & Science Council and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000.  He is the recipient of 1997’s National Cable Television Association Vanguard Award for Leadership and received New York’s Ensemble Studio Theatre’s 1999 Creative Vision Award.  Siegel served on the board of directors of UNICEF and Camp Sunshine.

Go Back to Management Team Page