COMPANY LAUNCHES WITH THREE GREENLIT SERIES
NEW YORK, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Hirschorn, executive vice president of original programming for VH1, is leaving to form a new entertainment company with Stella Stolper, senior vice president of celebrity talent development at VH1. The company, Ish Entertainment, will marry formats and talent, focusing primarily but not exclusively on non-scripted programming, continuing a strategy that has helped VH1 launch an unprecedented string of hit shows and has driven the channel to 22 consecutive quarters of year-over-year ratings growth. Chris Choun, VP, Production Management/Executive in Charge of Production at VH1 from 2001 to 2005, will be Head of Production. Choun was co-executive producer of the 2007 Video Music Awards for MTV.
The company, which will be based in Los Angeles and New York, launches with a commitment to three series under a first-look deal with MTV, VH1, CMT, and Logo, Brian Graden, President of Entertainment for the MTVN Music and Logo Group, announced today. The deal will provide Ish with development funding and overhead with the aim of bringing Hirschorn's successful development and production talents not only to VH1 but to the entire Music and Logo Group.
During his six years at VH1, the last three as head of original programming, Hirschorn oversaw a remarkable string of hits, from "I Love the 80s" and "Best Week Ever" to "Hogan Knows Best," "The (White) Rapper Show," "The Salt n' Pepa Show," and "Flavor of Love," including its many spin-offs. He also recently won an Emmy as an executive producer of "DMC: My Adoption Journey," one of the many documentaries developed under VH1's emerging "Rock Docs" shingle. Stolper, meanwhile, has been responsible for bringing top talent to the network, including Drew Barrymore, the Wayans Brothers, Mo'Nique, Larry The Cable Guy and many more.
"The word 'brilliant' should be reserved for very special examples ... like Michael Hirschorn," Graden said. "He possesses one of the fastest, most vibrant minds I've ever had the pleasure to witness working. Where some fail to ever master a single medium, Michael went from being a magazine editor to mastering network TV development in far less than a lifetime. An unparalleled listener, it must be Michael's ability to take it all in that allows him to unerringly output universally appealing content that speaks so perfectly to our collective culture."
"I have been discussing next steps with Brian for six months, and he has been nothing but supportive in finding ways to allow me to grow professionally while continuing what has been a very fruitful relationship," Hirschorn said. "I owe to Brian most of what I understand about TV, so I'm thrilled that I will be able to continue working with and learning from him in this new venture, while gaining the opportunity to deliver shows to a wider range of networks. And I'm eager to continue my relationship, albeit in a new form, with my successor, Jeff Olde, who has been instrumental in delivering so many of VH1's hits over the past five years."
Prior to VH1, Hirschorn was editor-in-chief of Inside.com; editor in chief of Spin magazine; and an editor at New York and Esquire magazines. He currently is a contributing editor to The Atlantic Monthly, where he writes a monthly column on technology and culture. He went to Harvard University and has a master's degree in comparative literature from Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Stolper started her career as a talent agent trainee at ICM and joined MTV Networks in 2001.
Press Contact:
Brett Henne/VH1
212/846-6752
Source: Ish Entertainment
CONTACT: Brett Henne of VH1, +1-212-846-6752, for Ish Entertainment
