MUMBAI: Temple Williams has been named senior vice president, production, MTV Networks’ Entertainment Group, which is comprised of a multi-platform portfolio of brands featuring the Comedy Central, Spike TV and TV Land cable channels and those channels’ respective websites as well as internet sites AtomFilms, AtomUploads, GameTrailers.com and Xfire. The promotion was announced by John Cucci, chief operating officer for the Entertainment Group, to whom Williams reports.
Since July 2006, Williams had been senior vice president, production, for Comedy Central and Spike TV and, prior to that, senior vice president, production, MTV Series Entertainment, where he oversaw all production for programming originating from the west coast development groups at MTV (talent, original series and music development) as well as additional programming for the MTV2 and LOGO networks. Williams is based in the Group’s Los Angeles office.
In his newly expanded role, Williams will oversee all physical production for long form scripted and reality series, specials, MOWs, tent-poles, on-air promotions and marketing for Comedy Central, Spike TV and TV Land. In addition, he will supervise all daily production operations, technical personnel, production budgets and production planning for the MTVN Entertainment Group.
“We’re extremely happy that Temple will now have oversight of the production efforts for the entire Entertainment Group,” said Cucci. “He brings an unparalleled wealth of experience and relationships to the role and, importantly, a strategic approach to production, ever more important for a content-creating company in our rapidly evolving environment.”
Williams joined MTV in 1999 as director of production of MTV’s original series development and was promoted to vice president, production, MTV original programming and series development in 2002. Before MTV, he worked as an assistant director and line producer in commercials, television and film in Chicago and Los Angeles and started his career as managing director of The Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago in the late 80s and early 90s. In addition, Williams served as executive producer for 2007 Pitbull Pictures/Lakeshore Feature The Dead Girl, nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Picture.