[BACKGROUND]
Albert Lewitinn is a Peabody- and Emmy-Award winner producer of news, talk, court, and daytime programming in the United States, Europe, and South America. Presently, he is Executive Producer of AOL Broadcast Studios, managing the production of all online and offline television news-related initiatives for America Online, Inc., the world’s largest Internet service provider. He is also overseeing the development of the television companion to AOL Buzzline, the franchise that takes the online pulse of what’s hot and buzzy in America.
Before being recruited by AOL, as Executive Producer of the London-based financial news and information network CNBC Europe, Lewitinn was responsible for editorial and presentation oversight of the network. Jointly owned by NBC and Dow Jones, CNBC Europe is available to 200 million households worldwide. Lewitinn shepherded the network’s successful recent overhaul and re-launch, yielding triple-digit increases in household ratings year-to-year. He also had complete oversight on the network coverage of the Iraq war, entitled “The Cost of War.”
Before his move to London, Lewitinn served as Executive Consultant for Universal Domestic Television, revamping production of the hit syndicated show “Crossing Over with John Edward” in time for February 2003 sweeps. In New York, the show posted WNYW’s best February W25-54 on record, the best W18-49 performance since 1993, and the highest W25-54 rating in the hour in any major sweeps period since November 1985. Year-to-year, the show leaped 57% among W18-49 and 75% in W25-54.
Lewitinn headed back into the syndication arena after a successful stint as Senior Producer at ABC NEWS, assigned to the network’s agenda-setting broadcast, “Good Morning America.” During that time, “GMA” household ratings increased by 25 percent, closing a seven-year gap between the program and its competitor. Lewitinn was part of the team awarded with a George Foster Peabody Award for Journalistic Excellence for ABC NEWS coverage of the events of September 11th, 2001. “GMA” also received a 2002 News Emmy Award for Outstanding Background/Analysis of a Single Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast.
He was brought to ABC from CBS, where he served as Executive Producer of WCBS-TV and the co-creator and co-Executive Producer of “CBS MarketWatch New York,” a morning business news show developed with CBS MarketWatch.com for CBS-owned stations. At WCBS-TV, he was responsible for reformatting morning newscasts with emphasis on live breaking news coverage, helping abate the ratings slide incurred by CBS stations nationwide. Lewitinn went to CBS following a flourishing period as Managing Director of December First Productions, an international production company Lewitinn formed with colleagues in the television industry. Specializing in co-venture productions with international broadcasters, the company developed and produced American-style daytime talk, court, and news programs. Lewitinn created and served as Director General of “Márcia,” Brazil’s first American-style daytime talk show. “Márcia” became such a runaway hit for Brazil’s SBT, network owner Silvio Santos personally asked Lewitinn to create a daytime court show, as well as to oversee SBT’s national newscast. At the same time, under Lewitinn’s direction, December First Productions created and developed a daytime court show for Germany’s ProSieben network. Additional highlights were the creation and development of news programming for Perú’s 24-hour newschannel Red Global, and the revamping of Russian network CTC’s late-night talk show “Night Owl.”
Lewitinn incorporated December First Productions after breaking away from Universal Television Enterprises in 1997, where he served as Vice President of International Production. At Universal, Lewitinn acted as Executive Producer for a number of daytime talk shows started in England, France, Germany, Holland, and Israel. Each of the shows, “Vanessa” on ITV, “Evelyne” on TF1, “Vera am Mittag” on SAT.1, “Catherine” on RTL4, and “Rubi” on Channel 2, turned daytime television on its head in their respective countries.
His experience in talk show production comes from the four years spent as Supervising Producer of “DONAHUE,” the first and most-honored daytime talk show in America. During the last years of the program, “DONAHUE” covered every topic imaginable, and among the shows Lewitinn personally produced dealt with the Rodney King Trial, missing and exploited children, the Susan Smith case, and the Oklahoma City bombing. Lewitinn received four Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Talk Show during his tenure.
“DONAHUE” became a natural extension of Lewitinn’s experience at Fox Television, where he served as Managing News Editor and Line Producer of “Good Day New York,” the show that changed the landscape of morning television in America forever. The live three-hour program, mixing local news, human interest stories, and live “stunt” television, was the local alternative to the national programs. At the height of its popularity, the Emmy Award-winning program was number one in the New York market, and spawned numerous sister shows around the country. Among Lewitinn’s accomplishments at “Good Day New York” were coverage of the Crown Heights riots, the Persian Gulf War, the 1992 Presidential Campaign, and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. The Fox News Service, the precursor to the Fox News Channel, drafted Lewitinn to be a producer of its Live Coverage Events during the first Clinton presidential election and inauguration.
Lewitinn joined “Good Day New York” after spending four years at WCBS-TV, where he manned the Assignment Desk while working through university. During that time, the newsroom received a Local Emmy for Best Newscast. He started his career as a 16-year-old intern in the newsroom.
An industry veteran, Lewitinn has been a featured speaker on the television industry on-camera for the Fox News Channel and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as off-camera for UCLA and NYU. He has been featured for dozens of Brazilian publications on behalf of his work in that country.
Lewitinn is a graduate of New York University, where he earned a B.A. in Politics, concentrating in Middle East politics and United States Constitutional Law. A citizen of the United States and France, Lewitinn speaks French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Hebrew. Now based in New York, his hobbies are cinema studies, New York City history, architecture studies, and outdoor sports.
[RESUME]
One Lincoln Plaza, Apt 11-T New York, NY 10023 | (212) 873-4563 |
mobile: (917) 743-0202 ALewitinn@aol.com
America Online: Home Front Communications. 2003 — present
Executive Producer, AOL Broadcast Studios/AOL Convergence Media.
In-house Executive Producer, supervising all television news and broadband production for world’s largest Internet service provider. Creative development of television franchise of AOL Buzzline. Oversight of live interviews and reports, headquarters television studio, package production, joint ventures, marketing, and messaging initiatives. Creative and editorial development of broadband and off-line content.
NBC and Dow Jones. 2003
Executive Producer, CNBC Europe.
Supervising re-organization, re-branding and re-launch of Europe’s leading financial, news, and information network owned by NBC and Dow Jones and seen by 200 million viewers worldwide. Presentation and editorial oversight of Iraq war coverage. Joint venture development with broadcasters and financial institutions.
Universal Domestic Television. 2002 — 2003
Executive Consultant, Sixth Avenue Productions.
“Crossing Over with John Edward.” Supervising production and creative revamp of daytime syndication and cable strip. Editorial oversight and strategic promotional marketing.
§ Feb ’03: New York outlet highest station rating of W18-49 since ’93; W25-54 since 1985; lead-in build 57% W18-49 and 75% W25-54.
ABC NEWS. 2001 — 2002
Senior Producer.
“Good Morning America.” Senior management team responsible for 25% ratings increase among HH and A25-54, the show’s best ratings in seven years. Content and creative oversight, development, strategy, and management of all aspects of production. Editorial selection and placement within show. Establish production values and oversee editorial, production, and technical staff to make broadcasts engaging, relevant, and distinctive. On-air live and breaking news control room production.
· Peabody Award for the "depth and breadth" of coverage of the events of September 11th.
· 2002 News Emmys: Outstanding Single Current Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast.
Viacom Television Stations, Inc. 1999 — 2001
Executive Producer, WCBS-TV.
& Co-Executive Producer, CBS MarketWatch New York.
Supervision and oversight of newscasts for CBS O&O station as assigned. Implementation of “Information Network” co-branding ventures between WCBS-TV and CBS MarketWatch.com, CBS HealthWatch.com, CNN, COURT TV, VH1, USNews & World Report, Hollywood.com.
Start-ups and re-launches:
· Morning business newscast/web cast partnership with CBS O&Os and CBS MarketWatch.com.
· Re-format and re-launch of WCBS newscasts.
December First Productions, Inc. 1997— 1999
· December First Productions, S/A São Paulo, Brazil.
· Empire.Media Fernsehproduktion GmbH. Munich, Germany.
Managing Director.
Full-service production and consultation firm specializing in joint-production ventures with worldwide broadcasters and broadband Internet producers. Emphasis on American-style daytime talk, court shows, nightly news, newsmagazines, and breakfast news formats.
Start-ups and launches:
· “Márcia,” Brazil’s first American-style talk show for Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão.
· “Fórum Popular” (SBT), South America’s first American-style court show.
· “Noticidade” newscast (SBT).
· “KADI Live,” Germany’s first court show, for ProSieben network.
· “Minuto a Minuto” newscast for Red Global network, Lima Perú.
Re-launch:
· “Night Owl” late-night talk show for CTC Network, Russia.
Other:
· Broadband Development Consultant, SBT ONLINE, http://www.sbt.com.br/
Albert Phillip Lewitinn
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Universal Television Enterprises, Inc. (formerly Multimedia Enterprises, Inc.) 1996—1997
Vice President, International Productions.
Creative development and financial oversight of all non-U.S. production for the world’s largest talk show producer. Joint venture productions of local American-style programming. Responsibilities included partner identification, deal negotiation, show approval, multimillion-dollar budgeting, visual and editorial conceptualization and sales, network relations, staff training, and host training. Identified and hired on-air and off-air talent. Represented Universal at MIP, MIPCOM, and NATPE.
Re-launch Executive Producer for:
· “Vanessa,” ITV, United Kingdom (Anglia Television)
· “Evelyne,” TF1, France (TalkTV SARL)
· “Vera,” SAT.1, Germany (das Redaktionsbüro)
· “Catherine,” RTL4, The Netherlands (TéVé Holland)
· “Rubi,” Channel 2, Israel (Tel-Ad)
Multimedia Entertainment, Inc. 1993—1996
Supervising Producer. “DONAHUE” (Syndicated)
Second-in-command of America’s first and most-honored daytime talk show. Managerial responsibilities included topic and guest selection, scheduling, promotion coordination, budgeting, and staff supervision. On-air responsibilities of in-studio production and control room line-production. Additional supervision of all on-line and off-line editing.
· Daytime Emmy nominations: Outstanding Talk Show 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996.
Fox Television, Inc. 1989— 1993
WNYW (FOX O&O) New York.
“Good Day New York”
Managing News Editor & Line Producer 1991—1993
Supervision of all news and news-related coverage of top-rated 3-1/2 hour live morning broadcast, as well as line producer. Liaison to sister FOX morning news broadcasts nationwide.
· New York Emmy Award: Best Morning News Broadcast 1993.
Assignment Editor. 1989—1991
Talent Coordinator. 1989
Fox News Service, Fox Network. 1992—1993
Live Events Producer.
Campaign ’92 (New York), Election ’92 (Little Rock), Clinton Inauguration ’93 (Washington).
CBS Television Stations, Inc.
WCBS-TV (CBS O&O) New York. 1985—1989
Assignment Editor.
Researcher/Associate Producer.
· New York Emmy Award: Best Local News Broadcast 1989.
EDUCATION New York University. Bachelor of Arts, Politics/Pre-Law. 1990.
· Middle East Politics
· Constitutional Law
LANGUAGES
· French (fluent)
· Arabic (spoken)
· Portuguese
· Spanish
· Hebrew
CITIZENSHIP
· United States
· France (European Community)
