Melissa Grego, a former PvNew reporter who brought new energy to the Hollywood Radio and Television Society as CEO and helped expand its membership base to the largest in its 76 year history, has extended her contract with the organization to 2025. The news comes as the HRTS, which provides programming, fellowship and other support for executives, aspiring industry leaders and others across the business, has announced a newly elected group of board members and advisory council members.
The news was announced on Wednesday by HRTS president Odetta Watkins — whose day job is serving as head of drama series at Amazon Studios — and Grego. Grego, whose previous work as a journalist also included overseeing the TV trade Broadcasting & Cable as its editor, joined HRTS in 2017 and immediately began collaborating with its board (which also includes HRTS chairperson Dan Erlij, the senior partner and co-head of TV literary at UTA) to grow the org’s various programs and create some new ones.
That included the launch last year of the charitable HRTS Foundation, which kicked off by launching an HRTS Fellowship Program. Its first-ever class just got underway, and is meant to help grow the careers of 10 Junior HRTS members and 5 student members..
“It was the 75th anniversary, and the first thing we wanted to do was a fellowship program,” Grego said. “And there were other plans, too, to have an impact and fulfill our mission to support a diverse, equitable and inclusive industry.” As part of that, Grego and her team launched the first-ever HRTS gala to support the foundation, and make it “an annual vehicle to fundraise, support and raise awareness. And everybody’s calling back right now to support the foundation. It was standing room only last year, and the enthusiasm is exciting.”
Grego also earned lauds for steering the HRTS during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced a pivot to more virtual events and strategies, and now through both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
“We do 70 events a year, and now they’re a mix of in person and virtual,” she said. “The thing that I think the pandemic really accentuated about HRTS is that at our core, it’s really about providing meaningful dialogue about the issues of the moment and a forum for our members to exchange, and to get information and to process and navigate what’s going on.”
In terms of the current strikes, Grego said she’s looking at rescheduling some events and promised that “our members come to HRTS to discuss relevant issues, how to navigate their careers and the business, so we’re looking to address that in a meaningful way. This is what we do. And like everyone else, we’re hoping that things are resolved in a way that everyone’s content with, as soon as possible.”
Grego also credited her large boards — which includes an advisory group of former HRTS officers who still lend support when needed — for helping grow the org over the past six years. “There are so many smart, passionate accomplished people at every level of the industry, who are just wanting to be part of this,” she said. “I think that’s been a big part of why you’re seeing all of that energy. It’s an insider organization. It’s run by leaders at every career level, volunteer people who have day jobs. They know what is interesting and important to them to navigate and get other people’s opinions about deepen their relationships. Really the membership runs the organization, they own it, and my team and I are the facilitators. We execute on things and bring ideas to them. But it’s always based on what we’re hearing in the industry from our members, and staying on top of what we’re learning.”
Newly elected to the HRTS board of directors for a three-year term beginning in July 2023 are Kathryn Busby(President, Original Programming – Starz), Ben Davis(Partner, Co-Head WME Digital – WME), Jaime Feld(Co-head, TV Talent – CAA), David Eilenberg(Head of Content – Roku Media), Frank Jung(Co-Founder/Co-head of Digital Media– CAA), Lisa Katz(President, scripted Content – NBCUniversal), Tim McNeal(Senior Vice President, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion, Disney Television Studios – Disney Entertainment), DJ Nurre(Executive Vice President – Unscripted, Endemol Shine North America), Brett Paul(President, Warner Bros Television – Warner Bros Discovery), Rhonda Price(Managing Partner – The Gersh Agency), Lauren Stein(EVP Drama Development – Sony Pictures Television) and Erin Underhill(President, Universal Television).
Existing board members elected to a new three-year term beginning July 2023 are Kate Adler(EVP, Comedy Development – CBS Television Studios), David Acosta(SVP & Team Leader, Entertainment Division – City National Bank), Charlie Andrews(EVP, Live-Action & Unscripted Series – Disney Branded Television), Bela Bajaria(Chief Content Officer – Netflix), Paul Buccieri(President & Chairman – A+E Networks Group), Christina Davis(Producer and Executive), Scott Hervey(Shareholder – Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation), Marc Korman(Agent/Partner – WME), Jordan Levin(General Manager – Rooster Teeth), Greg Lipstone(President & COO – Voxovation; CEO – Stockholm Syndrome), David Madden(Head of Global Entertainment – Wattpad Webtoon Studios), Philippe Maigret(President & Managing Director – ITV Studios America), Andrew Miller(Agent, scripted Television – CAA), Kim Rozenfeld(President – Half Full Studios), Robin Schwartz(President/Executive Producer – Working Bird Inc) and Odetta Watkins(Head of Drama Series – Amazon).
Board Members continuing to serve their three-year term areAlbert Cheng(Vice President, Head of Prime Video US, Amazon), Tara Duncan(President, onyx Collective), Dan Erlij(Senior Partner and Co-Head of the TV Literary Dept, UTA), Rafael Gomez(Head of Business Affairs, AMC Networks), Tina Perry(President, OWN), Chris Selak (President and Chief Content Officer, End of Episode),and Alejandro Uribe (Consultant, Exile Content Studio and Candle Media).
The HRTS advisory council, comprised of past board members appointed by the current HRTS election committee, includes members beginning a new, two-year advisory term:Nick Grad(President, FX Entertainment), Cindy Holland (Global CEO, Sister), Francesca Orsi(EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Film – HBO), Craig Piligian(President/CEO, Pilgrim Media Group; President, Lionsgate Nonfiction TV), Beatrice Springborn(President, UCP and Universal International Studios) and Chris von Goetz (Founder, Adventure Media). Extending for an additional year are Andy Friendly(President, Andy Friendly Productions), Kelly Goode(SVP, Current Programming Warner Bros. Television), Gary Newman(Executive Partner, Attention Capital) and Eric Schrier(President, Disney Television Studios & Business Operations – Disney General Entertainment).
Advisory Council members continuing their service include Leigh Brecheen(Partner, Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson),Matt Cherniss(Head of Programming, AppleTV+),Stephen Davis(Managing Partner, Still Pictures), Gary Marenzi(Founder/CEO, Marenzi & Associates) andJohn Morayniss(CEO, Blink49 Studios).
HRTS’ officers, led by Watkins who serves as the organization’s president, were not up for re-election. Continuing in their officer roles through the end of 2023 in addition to Watkins and Erlij include VP Francesca Orsi (EVP and Head of Drama Programming, HBO), secretary Charlie Andrews (EVP Live-Action & Unscripted Series, Disney Branded Television) and treasurer Alejandro Uribe (consultant, Exile Content and Candle Media).
“As we welcome this extraordinary group of new board and advisory council members to HRTS, we look forward to building on the momentum we have within the industry,” said Watkins. “In the tradition of the luncheon events HRTS has hosted for 75 years, we’ve expanded that legacy to include more than 70 in-person and virtual events each year between HRTS, HRTS Associates and JHRTS. The meaningful discussions in these forums are at the heart of HRTS, which attracts and serves professionals of all levels who are committed to building community and giving back in areas such as our best-in-class mentorship program.”
