THE HOLLYWOOD RADIO AND TELEVISION SOCIETY
To Present The Hitmakers Newsmaker Luncheon on Wednesday, April 16 at The Beverly Hilton
Major Innovators behind some of TV’s most talked-about Series Including Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex”), Carlton Cuse (“Bates Motel”),
John Eisendrath (“The Blacklist”), and Jenji Kohan (“Orange Is The New Black”) to Participate
TV Guide Magazine’s Michael Schneider will moderate the Panel
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 08, 2014 – The Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS) will host its annual Hitmakers panel event on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. As part of the 2013-2014 Newsmaker Luncheon Series, the event will bring together the creative geniuses behind some of today’s top television series, including Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex”), Carlton Cuse (“Bates Motel”), John Eisendrath (“The Blacklist”),and Jenji Kohan (“Orange Is The New Black”). The panel will be moderated by Michael Schneider, LA Bureau Chief, TV Guide Magazine. The announcement was made by Bela Bajaria, HRTS President and Executive Vice President, Universal Television and Dave Ferrara, HRTS Executive Director.
Michelle Ashford is the creator and executive producer of Showtime’s Golden Globe®-nominated hit drama “Masters of Sex.” She has written for the HBO miniseries “John Adams” and “The Pacific,” and recently adapted “Undaunted Courage,” the Stephen Ambrose account of the Lewis and Clark expedition. She is currently working on “A Rope and a Prayer,” the story of New York Times journalist David Rohde’s kidnapping in Afghanistan. Both projects are for HBO. She has written numerous pilots, both network and cable, and her other series credits include “Boomtown,” “LA Doctors,” and “New York News.”
Carlton Cuse is co-creator, showrunner, writer and Executive Producer of “Bates Motel” on A&E, and also is the showrunner, writer and executive producer of “The Strain,” which debuts this summer on FX Networks. Cuse previously served as showrunner, executive producer and head writer for all six seasons of the TV series “Lost” with Damon Lindelof, and pioneered the development of transmedia content for network television series. Cuse also created the shows “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.,” “Nash Bridges,” and “Martial Law.” His honors include a Peabody Award, a Golden Globe, two Emmys and has 10 Emmy nominations. In 2010 he was named to Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
John Eisendrath is executive producer on NBC’s government thriller “The Blacklist.” Eisendrath previously served as executive producer on several series, including “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Felicity,” and “Alias,” for which he was nominated for a Producers Guild of America Award. He has created or written shows on several different networks, including football drama “Playmakers” on ESPN, “K-Ville” on Fox and “Outlaw” for NBC.
Jenji Kohan is the creator and Executive Producer of “Orange is the New Black.” Kohan began her writing career on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” after graduating from Columbia University. Her series writing credits include “Mad About You,” “Tracy Takes On,” “Sex and the City” and “Gilmore Girls.” In 1999, she was honored with an Emmy® Award for ‘Outstanding Comedy Series’ for her work on “Tracy Takes On.” She has developed and produced multiple pilots and series, including Showtime’s “Weeds,” which ran for eight seasons and garnered her the Writers Guild Award for ‘Best Episodic Comedy’ for the pilot entitled ‘You Can’t Miss The Bear.’
“We have assembled a really smart, diverse panel of ‘hitmakers’— strong storytellers with great vision. Their shows range from airing on broadcast, basic and premium cable, and other streaming services,” commented Bela Bajaria. “We look forward to a fun, creative, thoughtful discussion.”
The Hitmakers panel event is co-chaired by Bela Bajaria, EVP, Universal Television; Adam Berkowitz, Co-Head of Television, CAA; Cindy Holland, VP, Original Series, Netflix; and Sarah Timberman, Principal, Timberman/Beverly Productions, and Television. The reception opens at 11:30 a.m. with the lunch and panel beginning at 12:00 p.m. Tickets: HRTS Individual Member: $125/member; Table of 10: $1,250. Non-member: $360.00 (includes one year HRTS membership). For reservations or information on non-member tickets, please call (818) 789-1182 or visit www.HRTS.org.
HRTS’ partners Digital Rapids and Limelight Networks will present a live stream of the panel. The 2013-2014 HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon Series is sponsored in part by The Lippin Group.
About HRTS:
Founded in 1947, HRTS is the entertainment industry’s premier information and networking forum. HRTS is an exclusive, bi-coastal industry organization where top executives and companies from all facets of the television and media business regularly gather to address issues relevant to the ongoing success and future of our shared business. Current HRTS membership is comprised of over 50 corporate members and over 1400 individual members representing nearly 230 leading companies from across the entire industry landscape. In addition to the flagship Newsmaker Luncheon Series, HRTS events and activities include a robust junior membership program focusing on career development and advancement as well as its newest series of on-line Academic membership content now available for college and university media programs worldwide.
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