Bonnie Hammer

Bonnie Hammer
Hammer in September 2009
Born	1950 (age 66–67)
Alma mater	Boston University Boston University School of Education
Spouse(s)	Dale Heussner
Children	Kimae Heussner (step-daughter) Jesse Heussner

Bonnie Hammer is an American businesswoman and network executive. As Chairman of NBCUniversal Cable, Hammer oversees the leading cable brands USA, The Sci-Fi Channel, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Esquire Network, Sprout, TV One, Chiller, Cloo, and Universal HD, as well as production entities Universal Cable Productions and Wilshire Studios.

Born to a Jewish family in 1950, Hammer was raised in Queens, New York, the youngest of three children. Hammer’s mother was a full-time mom; her dad, a Russian immigrant, started his own pen company. Intending to become a photojournalist, Hammer enrolled at Boston University College of Communication, earning a bachelor's degree in communications in 1971 and later a master's degree in Media Technology from the Boston University School of Education in 1975.

Hammer began her career in television at WGBH-TV, the public television station in Boston, where she produced This Old House, Infinity Factory and ZOOM for PBS. She later executive-produced Good Day! for Boston's ABC affiliate, WCVB-TV.

Hammer first established herself professionally in New York as an original programming executive at Lifetime Television Network, where she executive produced several award-winning documentaries for the network’s acclaimed Signature Series; she was honored with the Lillian Gish Award, several Cine Golden Eagles and the National Association for Youth's Mentor Award.