Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Pioneering TV Executive Jamie Tarses Dies At 56
Pioneering TV executive Jamie Tarses died Feb. 1 at the age of 56. (Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
()
If you look around the television business, it's not hard to find women holding powerful positions: Bonnie Hammer at NBCUniversal, Dana Walden at the Walt Disney Co. and Bela Bajaria at Netflix. It wasn't always so” and there's still a long way to go. But there was one pioneer who helped break the glass ceiling, and she died on Monday.
In 1996, Jamie Tarses became president of ABC Entertainment. Just 32 at the time, she not only was one of the youngest top executives in TV but also the very first woman to head programming at a major network. She died today at the age of 56 from a heart condition.
While at ABC, Tarses oversaw such series as "Sports Night," "The Practice" and "Dharma and Greg." But she is best known for her earlier work at NBC, where she helped launch "Friends," "Frasier" and "Mad About You."
More recently, Tarses produced the Amazon series, "The Wilds," and the upcoming Disney Plus project, "The Mysterious Benedict Society." But her real legacy? All the female TV executives who followed in her footsteps.
Support for LAist comes from
Whenever Jamie Tarses entered a room we could feel that we were in the presence of a hero. She paved the way for women in the industry and inspired so many people. Season 2 won’t be the same without her. Rest In Peace ❤️ pic.twitter.com/xLkODL36TW
— mia healey (@miahealey2) February 1, 2021
💔RIP, JT. Mentor from the start, then friend. You were one of a kind.
— Dana Calvo (@danascalvo) February 1, 2021
~#jamietarses
MORE ON TARSES
- Jamie Tarses, Executive in a Hollywood Rise-and-Fall Story, Dies at 56 (New York Times)
- Jamie Tarses, Pioneering Television Executive, Dies at 56 (Hollywood Reporter)
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. -
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
Best of LAist