Scott Sassa

Scott M. Sassa is an American entertainment executive who has held a number of high-level executive positions in large entertainment companies. Sassa is currently chairman of MILK Makeup.

Biography

Early career Early in his career, Sassa was vice president of New Business Development at Ohlmeyer Communications Co., which was headed by Don Ohlmeyer. He also served as vice president of network management for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Sassa was among the first people hired by Fox and he ran its operations and administration departments.

Turner Broadcasting Sassa spent nine years at Turner Broadcasting System, finishing his tenure as president of Turner Entertainment Group and a member of Turner's board of directors and TBS's executive committee.

Sassa joined Turner Broadcasting in 1982, first as director of Sales promotion, then executive producer of Night Tracks in 1983 which led to him becoming vice president and general manager of the company's Cable Music Channel in 1984. He began his career with Rogers & Cowan public relations agency.

Sassa is credited with building Turner's entertainment cable channels into industry leaders, launching seven networks over a seven-year period – including three of the top five rated basic cable networks. From 1992 to 1996, he was responsible for all operations and programming for TBS Superstation, Turner Network Television, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies and Turner's international entertainment networks in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

From May 1999, Sassa served as president of NBC West Coast, responsible for overseeing all of NBC's entertainment-related businesses and reported to Bob Wright, chairman and chief executive officer, NBC. Sassa made the transition to that position after working with his predecessor, Don Ohlmeyer, and serving as president of NBC Entertainment since October 1998. During this time, he oversaw the development and production of NBC's new primetime series, including such shows as The West Wing, Freaks and Geeks, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Fear Factor. Under Sassa, NBC was the number-one network three out of four seasons.

Friendster

From 2004 to 2005, Sassa served as president and CEO of Friendster, a top 50 Internet site that pioneered social networking. Friendster was backed by Kleiner Perkins and Benchmark Capital. After Friendster, he served as Residence with Kleiner Perkins, a leading technology venture capital firm.

Hearst Sassa joined Hearst in 2008, where he was president of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication, the operating group responsible for Hearst's interests in cable television networks, including ESPN, Lifetime, A&E and History; television production and distribution; newspaper syndication; and merchandise licensing. In February 2013 Hearst Ventures became part of the Entertainment & syndication group. He left Hearst after executives became aware of an extortion plot involving a stripper with whom he was sexting.

El Rey Network Sassa was vice chairman of El Rey Network, a new US cable network founded by director Robert Rodriguez, from 2013 to 2015.