Geraldine Laybourne

Geraldine "Gerry" Laybourne (née Bond; born May 19, 1947) is an American entrepreneur and former TV executive. She worked at Nickelodeon from 1980 until 1996, when she became the president of Disney-ABC Cable Networks (including Disney Channel). and a tech startup called Katapult. In 2020, she was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

Early life and education Laybourne was raised in Martinsville, a rural community of about 400 in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey.

In 1969, Laybourne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Vassar College. In 1971, she received a Master of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Career After college, Laybourne had various jobs. From 1969 to 1970, Laybourne worked at Wallace, McHarg, Roberts and Todd, an architecture firm in Philadelphia. where she initiated a focus-group approach to programming.

Laybourne and her team were responsible for creating and building the Nickelodeon brand, launching Nick at Nite and expanding the network by establishing it in other countries, developing theme parks and creating Nickelodeon magazine, movie, toy and publishing divisions.

Under her leadership, Nickelodeon became the top-rated 24-hour cable programming service and won Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, CableACE Awards and Parents' Choice Awards. The network had a 40% profit margin and explosive growth every year.

By the time she left Nickelodeon in 1996, it was an $8 billion business. She led the development of two projects that did not come to fruition: ABC 24 Hour News cable channel and ABZ, an innovative education channel. Laybourne played a role in the creation and management of ABC's Saturday morning children's programming schedule, with the successful launch of One Saturday Morning.

Oxygen Media (1998–2007) In 1998, Laybourne left Disney and partnered with Oprah Winfrey and Carsey-Werner Productions to create Oxygen Media, a cable TV company dedicated to creating television and Internet programming for women. She also purchased three women-oriented online services from her former MTV boss, Robert W. Pittman.

On February 2, 2000 (a date which plays off the chemical compound of oxygen—O2/O2), the Oxygen Network premiered to 10 million subscribers.

Boards and memberships 2014-present Betaworks, Board Member 2013-present Katapult, Chairman of the Board, Co-Founder 2015-present Vital Voices, Vice Chairman

Past positions 2010-2015: Alloy Media + Marketing, Chairman of the Board 2013-2015: Defy Media, Chairman of the Board 2007–present: Symantec, Board Member; Compensation Committee 1997–present: Vassar College, Board of Trustees; 2010-14: President of the Alumnae/i Association of Vassar College (AAVC); Co-Chair of Vassar Presidential Search Committee 2008-2012: Electronic Arts 2009-2013: JC Penney Kindercare Move.com Cable Positive, Honorary Chair National Cable & Telecommunications Association National Council for Families and Television New York Women in Film & Television, Advisory Board Member The White House Project

Personal life In 1970, Laybourne married Kit Laybourne, a television producer, entrepreneur, author, and educator. They have been residents of Montclair, New Jersey and have two children and four grandchildren.

Her daughter, Emmy Laybourne, is an author of a series of young adult novels called Monument 14 and is an actress who has appeared in Superstar and other films. Her son Sam is an Emmy-nominated writer and producer on shows such as Black-ish, Arrested Development, Cougar Town, The Michael J. Fox Show and Grandfathered with John Stamos.

Honors Advertising Hall of Fame Alliance for Women in Media, Genii Award Annenberg Public Policy Center, Distinguished Lifetime Contribution to Children and Television Award Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), Grand Tam Award Creative Coalition, Spotlight Award Entrepreneurs Club, Member National Academy of Cable Programming, Governor's Award 1990: New York Women in Film & Television, Muse Award Sara Lee Corporation, Frontrunner Award 1991: University of Missouri–Kansas City, Entrepreneur of the Year Award 1999: Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement 1996: Time, 25 Most Influential people in America 1996: The Hollywood Reporter, 50 Most Influential Women in the Entertainment Industry, rank #1 2004: The Cable Center, Hall of Fame 2005: Paley Center for Media, She Made It 2020: Television Hall of Fame Women in Cable Award Women in Communications (New York), Matrix Award for Broadcasting

Works and publications