VH1 has promoted Michael Hirschorn to executive vice president, Original Programming and Production. Hirschorn will oversee all current VH1 original programming and development for both the East and West coasts as well as music development and celebrity talent development. He is also driving the network's foray into scripted series including the upcoming "So Notorious" with Tori Spelling. He continues to report to Brian Graden, president, Entertainment, MTV Music Networks Group and president of Logo.
"Michael has spent a significant part of his life around music, including stints as editor-in-chief of Spin magazine and overseeing the music industry coverage on Inside.com. Because he understands the passion, energy and meaning 'behind the music,' Michael is the right person to move VH1's development forward," said Graden. "Michael not only has amazing taste, but he is an extraordinary editor. He's relentlessly drawn toward new ideas, and quite simply, ideas get better in his hands."
Hirschorn will continue to oversee series developed under his watch such as "I Love The…," "Hogan Knows Best," "But Can They Sing," "Celebrity Fit Club," "Best Week Ever," "My Fair Brady," "The Fabulous Life" in addition to such VH1 original series "The Surreal Life," "Being Bonaduce," and the "All Access" and the "100 Greatest" franchises and documentaries including a slate being created under the new "Rock Docs" banner.
Hirschorn came to VH1 in July 2001 from his position as editor-in-chief of Inside.com, a digital news service that covered the converging entertainment, media, and technology businesses. Prior to Inside's merger with Brill Media Holdings and Primedia, he was also co-chairman and co-founder of Inside's parent company, Powerful Media.
Previously, Hirschorn was features editor at Esquire (1990-94) and executive editor at New York Magazine (1994-97) before becoming editor-in- chief of Spin magazine (1997-99), which subsequently received two National Magazine Award nominations. Hirschorn has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New Republic and Slate and was also a columnist for Esquire.
–Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
