NCISfanatic LIVE — Saturday, FEB 16 2013 — Guest TED LINHART (SVP of
Research, USA Network) discusses Television, Ratings & TV Memorabilia.
Ted Linhart serves as Senior Vice President, research, USA Network and Cloo. Linhart oversees and manages all of USA and Cloo’s ratings and multi-platform metrics, including primary, sales and digital/new media areas, thus overseeing qualitative and quantitative research for both networks. Previously, Linhart was vice president, working on USA’s quantitative research. He reports to Chris McCumber and Jeff Wachtel, Co-Presidents, USA, and is based in New York.
In April 2010, USA fans were given a direct line to the network via Twitter from Linhart with @TedOnTV. Tapping into USA’s social media fanbase, which now includes show-related Twitter feeds in the double digits, Linhart tweets about all things USA, including current hit show production, developing series and breaking news, all with an offbeat sense of humor. In his year of “tweeting,” he’s acquired more than 11,000 followers (and counting!), including fans, the stars of USA’s hit shows and members of both consumer and trade press. He is a constant at red carpet events, tweets from senior staff meetings, and rewards followers with autographed giveaways and exclusive show memorabilia. A walking encyclopedia of TV programming information and overall smarts, Linhart has tweeted about the overall television landscape, including his favorite shows, awards show commentary and, naturally, ratings, and in the process has become a go-to expert for all things television.
Born and raised in Manhattan, Linhart attended The Dalton School on the Upper East Side, where his classmates included future USA star Mark Feuerstein ("Royal Pains"). Linhart has degrees from Northwestern University for both undergraduate and graduate school, earning an MBA from the university’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. After graduation, Linhart worked in the programming department at Chicago's WPWR-TV (UPN affiliate), followed by jobs at several entertainment-related internet companies. In 2004, he returned to TV in the research department at VH1, joining USA in 2005 as senior director in program research before being promoted to vice president in 2008.
Passionate about TV content and ratings for as long as he can remember, Linhart began memorizing TV schedules and grids when his peers were focusing on sports stats and scores. He was an avid fan of Variety at age ten; at thirteen, his hero was Brandon Tartikoff, a clear indication of the path he would follow professionally. Linhart collects TV memorabilia and among the many items in his cherished collection are Desi Arnaz's autobiography inscribed to Desi's mother, a pristine copy of the first issue of TV Guide and a ticket to attend NBC's first official television broadcast when President Roosevelt opened the 1939 World's Fair. Linhart lives in Brooklyn with his wife Rachel and his two cats, Sonny and Cher.
Ted's Blog: Musings and "important" info from the SVP of Research at USA Network
Photos from the Saturday, February 16th Webcast with Ted Linhart