Tom Freston
| Tom Freston | |
|---|---|
Tom Freston at the 2011 Time 100 gala.
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| Born |
November 22, 1945 New York City, New York, United States |
| Alma mater |
Saint Michael's College (B.A.) New York University (MBA) |
| Occupation | Business Executive and Board Chairman of the ONE Campaign |
| Years active | 1979-present |
| Known for | Viacom and Founder MTV |
| Net worth | US$ |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Ellen Badali (m. 1980; divorced) Kathy Freston (m. 1998-2012; divorced) |
| Children | Andrew (b. 1985) and Gilbert (b. 1990) |
Thomas E. Freston (born November 22, 1945) is an American entertainment industry executive.
He grew up In Rowayton, CT. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Michael's College and an MBA from New York University. Freston began his career advertising at Benton & Bowles (which later merged with D'Arcy). In 1972, after a year of traveling, he moved to South Asia to start a textile and clothing business, Hindu Kush, and worked and lived in New Delhi, India and Kabul, Afghanistan.
Returning to the USA in 1979, he joined the Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Company (WASEC), a pioneer in the new field of cable television programming. He was one of the founding members of the team that created MTV: Music Television. As head of marketing, he worked on the "I Want My MTV" ad campaign that helped make the new network a cultural phenomenon. In 1987 he became the President and CEO of MTV Networks, a job he held for 17 years. MTV Networks launched and operated networks including: Nickelodeon, Nick at Night, VH1, Comedy Central, TV Land, Spike, Country Music Channel, Logo, Noggin, and others.
As CEO of MTV Networks, Freston expanded the company's reach, built an animation studio, produced feature films, and developed large consumer product and digital businesses. Popular characters and shows included: Blue's Clues, Beavis and Butt-head, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, South Park, The Real World, Behind the Music, and Rugrats.
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