Back when NBC boasted a “Must-See TV” swagger, two of that era’s most rambunctious architects were marketing co-head Vince Manze and program planning and scheduling chief Preston Beckman.
The duo, whose offices were next to each other, played a winning hand by strategically deploying and marketing the network’s wares, like “ER” and “Friends,” in all the right ways. And for a time, they were unstoppable.
That was more than two decades ago. But Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav, who was an NBC cable exec back then, never forgot Manze’s and Beckman’s competitive spirit.
That’s why Zaslav recruited his former colleagues to help launch streamer Discovery Plus, which is by far his most important initiative yet. Manze and Beckman were hired to consult with Discovery’s various marketing teams and help put the finishing touches on a launch plan for the service, which officially went live Jan.
The duo, whose offices were next to each other, played a winning hand by strategically deploying and marketing the network’s wares, like “ER” and “Friends,” in all the right ways. And for a time, they were unstoppable.
That was more than two decades ago. But Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav, who was an NBC cable exec back then, never forgot Manze’s and Beckman’s competitive spirit.
That’s why Zaslav recruited his former colleagues to help launch streamer Discovery Plus, which is by far his most important initiative yet. Manze and Beckman were hired to consult with Discovery’s various marketing teams and help put the finishing touches on a launch plan for the service, which officially went live Jan.
- 3/11/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Rick Squire, a director and former marketing executive for CBS, NBC and Fox Broadcasting Co., died Dec. 17 at his home in Long Beach, Calif. He was 68.
Squire most recently had been working with former NBC marketing chief Vince Manze’s InVinceable Marketing on the promotional and marketing campaigns for the soon-to-launch Discovery Plus streaming service.
Squire worked as a director of special projects for NBC’s promotion department from 1982-1985. He also directed a handful of pilots, series and live events including a Christmas event for Disneyland.
Squire joined Fox as senior VP of creative marketing in 2000. He steered campaigns for such series as “24,” “That ’70s Show,” “Malcolm in the Middle” and “American Idol” before leaving in 2003.
Squire also launched Planet 3 Entertainment, a creative boutique that produced promotional campaigns for numerous broadcast and cable networks. The banner was active in the 1990s and again from 2004 to 2011.
Squire earned multiple...
Squire most recently had been working with former NBC marketing chief Vince Manze’s InVinceable Marketing on the promotional and marketing campaigns for the soon-to-launch Discovery Plus streaming service.
Squire worked as a director of special projects for NBC’s promotion department from 1982-1985. He also directed a handful of pilots, series and live events including a Christmas event for Disneyland.
Squire joined Fox as senior VP of creative marketing in 2000. He steered campaigns for such series as “24,” “That ’70s Show,” “Malcolm in the Middle” and “American Idol” before leaving in 2003.
Squire also launched Planet 3 Entertainment, a creative boutique that produced promotional campaigns for numerous broadcast and cable networks. The banner was active in the 1990s and again from 2004 to 2011.
Squire earned multiple...
- 12/22/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
The executive makeover at NBC under new chief Bob Greenblatt continues. Following the departure of Angela Bromstad last month, NBC's longtime head of scheduling Mitch Metcalf also is leaving the network effective immediately. The move comes just before the most critical time of the year for broadcast network schedulers as they are assigned with putting together the networks' lineups for next season that are presented to advertisers in May. Metcalf's No.2, Svp scheduling Lisa Vebber, will now step up and take charge as interim head of scheduling presumably at least through the upfronts. Metcalf has been at NBC since 1999, serving as Evp of programming planning and scheduling since 2005. In 2007, he took back seat for a year or so when former NBC marketing guru Vince Manze was given the reins of the network's scheduling department. He is credited with successfully launching Deal or No Deal as a strip and moving Law...
- 3/4/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Writer Harris Goldberg (Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo) has sold a comedy to ABC in addition to several feature projects he has in the works. The ABC half-hour, titled A 100% Chance of Rayne, is executive produced by Goldberg and former NBC marketing topper-turned-producer Vince Manze. It was originally set up at NBC where Manze had a producing deal. Based on Goldberg's real-life experiences, Rayne centers on a perpetually single guy whose younger sister's ugly duckling childhood girlfriend shows up on his door step 10 years later, now blossomed into a gorgeous, yet flawed 21 year old. Goldberg is writing the project whose deal was brokered by Apa and manager David Greenblatt. Also in TV, Harris recently wrote To Be Continued, a project at HBO about generational love, which he is executive producing with Gary Randall. He is also writing/producing Just the Facts, an hourlong drama for Canada's CBC, which Canadian-based Prodigy Pictures is deficit financing.
- 11/23/2010
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
NBC marketing guru Vince Manze is leaving the network after 18 years to start his own production and new-media company.
Manze is credited with slogans ranging from 1990's famous "Must See TV" tagline to promote Thursday night comedies, to 2006's successful "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World" campaign for "Heroes." He was also part of the team that came up with the now-standard practice of squeezing closing credits to the side to make room to promote other shows between programs.
"I have done everything there is to do at NBC," Manze said. "This was the perfect opportunity to go outside and do things on my own. I've always been a creative guy who never really was a corporate guy."
Two years ago, former entertainment president Kevin Reilly promoted Manze from his longtime position as president of NBC Agency to president of program planning and scheduling. In February, under new co-chair Ben Silverman,...
Manze is credited with slogans ranging from 1990's famous "Must See TV" tagline to promote Thursday night comedies, to 2006's successful "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World" campaign for "Heroes." He was also part of the team that came up with the now-standard practice of squeezing closing credits to the side to make room to promote other shows between programs.
"I have done everything there is to do at NBC," Manze said. "This was the perfect opportunity to go outside and do things on my own. I've always been a creative guy who never really was a corporate guy."
Two years ago, former entertainment president Kevin Reilly promoted Manze from his longtime position as president of NBC Agency to president of program planning and scheduling. In February, under new co-chair Ben Silverman,...
- 10/15/2008
- by By James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vince Manze has stepped down as president, NBC program planning, scheduling and strategy to assume a new high-level consulting role as president, NBC Universal Television Creative Services.
Mitch Metcalf, NBC's executive vp, program planning and scheduling, who had run the network's scheduling department until Manze took over in April 2007, will resume oversight of the department. Lisa Vebber, senior vp, scheduling and strategic analysis, will serve as Metcalf's No. 2.
Manze and Metcalf will report to NBC co-chairmen Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff. Vebber will report to Metcalf.
In this new position, Manze -- a former producer and top NBC marketing executive -- will serve as an in-house creative consultant to all of NBC Universal's television properties, new media and program development.
"I will be free to come up with any idea that I can dream up with regard to programming, marketing and sales integration, stunt weeks, casting, plot lines on shows, even observations on ratings and scheduling," he said.
Mitch Metcalf, NBC's executive vp, program planning and scheduling, who had run the network's scheduling department until Manze took over in April 2007, will resume oversight of the department. Lisa Vebber, senior vp, scheduling and strategic analysis, will serve as Metcalf's No. 2.
Manze and Metcalf will report to NBC co-chairmen Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff. Vebber will report to Metcalf.
In this new position, Manze -- a former producer and top NBC marketing executive -- will serve as an in-house creative consultant to all of NBC Universal's television properties, new media and program development.
"I will be free to come up with any idea that I can dream up with regard to programming, marketing and sales integration, stunt weeks, casting, plot lines on shows, even observations on ratings and scheduling," he said.
- 2/22/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NBC has set a new premiere date and a new time slot for "Quarterlife".
The acquired Internet series will now launch on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 10 p.m. behind "The Biggest Loser". Beginning March 2, it will air in its regular Sunday 9 p.m. time period.
"Quarterlife", from Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, was originally slotted to premiere Feb. 18 and air Mondays at 9 p.m. after the new reality series "Baby Borrowers".
"'The Biggest Loser' is one of the strongest shows on television right now among young viewers, especially young women, and we see this as a perfect opportunity to capture that audience with the highly anticipated broadcast premiere of 'Quarterlife, '" said NBC's scheduling chief Vince Manze. "In addition, in its regular Sunday time period we're providing a young-skewing original scripted alternative in an hour where the competition will be mostly unscripted programming or encores."
"Quarterlife"'s competition in the Sunday 9 p.m. berth will include the midseason reality series "Oprah's Big Give" on ABC, repeats of "Cold Case" on CBS and as "Family Guy" reruns or the new comedy "Unhitched" on Fox.
The acquired Internet series will now launch on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 10 p.m. behind "The Biggest Loser". Beginning March 2, it will air in its regular Sunday 9 p.m. time period.
"Quarterlife", from Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, was originally slotted to premiere Feb. 18 and air Mondays at 9 p.m. after the new reality series "Baby Borrowers".
"'The Biggest Loser' is one of the strongest shows on television right now among young viewers, especially young women, and we see this as a perfect opportunity to capture that audience with the highly anticipated broadcast premiere of 'Quarterlife, '" said NBC's scheduling chief Vince Manze. "In addition, in its regular Sunday time period we're providing a young-skewing original scripted alternative in an hour where the competition will be mostly unscripted programming or encores."
"Quarterlife"'s competition in the Sunday 9 p.m. berth will include the midseason reality series "Oprah's Big Give" on ABC, repeats of "Cold Case" on CBS and as "Family Guy" reruns or the new comedy "Unhitched" on Fox.
- 1/27/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lisa Vebber has been promoted to senior vp scheduling and strategic analysis at NBC.
Vebber, who was upped from vp, will continue to work on scheduling, long-term planning, competitive tracking and coordinating cross-platform efforts with the NBC Universal cable networks. She reports to Mitch Metcalf, executive vp program planning and scheduling at NBC Uni.
"Lisa's extensive background in research, scheduling, cable and international programming, coupled with her proven abilities as a creative and strategic leader, make her perfectly suited for this position," said Vince Manze, president of program planning, scheduling and strategy at NBC Uni.
Before joining NBC as vp scheduling and strategic analysis in 2003, Vebber was director of programming at G4. She was part of the launch team of the video games-centered cable network and oversaw scheduling, planning, acquisitions and research.
Before that, Vebber was director of network programming at Disney Channel Worldwide. Based in London, she oversaw program planning and scheduling for six international Disney Channels in Europe and the Middle East.
Vebber, who was upped from vp, will continue to work on scheduling, long-term planning, competitive tracking and coordinating cross-platform efforts with the NBC Universal cable networks. She reports to Mitch Metcalf, executive vp program planning and scheduling at NBC Uni.
"Lisa's extensive background in research, scheduling, cable and international programming, coupled with her proven abilities as a creative and strategic leader, make her perfectly suited for this position," said Vince Manze, president of program planning, scheduling and strategy at NBC Uni.
Before joining NBC as vp scheduling and strategic analysis in 2003, Vebber was director of programming at G4. She was part of the launch team of the video games-centered cable network and oversaw scheduling, planning, acquisitions and research.
Before that, Vebber was director of network programming at Disney Channel Worldwide. Based in London, she oversaw program planning and scheduling for six international Disney Channels in Europe and the Middle East.
- 9/14/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Veteran NBC Agency executives Frank Radice and Jim Vescera have been elevated to executive vps at NBC's promotional arm.
Radice has been named exec vp, East Coast, while Vescera has been appointed exec vp, on-air advertising.
The promotions come four months after the NBC Agency president and creative director Vince Manze moved to NBC's programming side as president of program planning, scheduling and strategy. Key executives within the NBC Agency had been expected to take on more responsibilities in the wake of Manze's departure.
Radice and Vescera report to John Miller, chief marketing officer of NBC Universal TV Group and president of the NBC Agency.
"Together, the creative vision shared by Jim and Frank have helped shape NBC's promotional efforts that have made The NBC Agency the gold standard of the industry," Miller said. "These promotions are well-deserved and will expand the leadership roles of these talented executives."
Radice, who will continue to be based in New York, will continue to shepherd promotion of NBC's New York-based programs with an emphasis on all marketing for NBC News and MSNBC and will continue to be involved in digital initiatives.
Radice has been named exec vp, East Coast, while Vescera has been appointed exec vp, on-air advertising.
The promotions come four months after the NBC Agency president and creative director Vince Manze moved to NBC's programming side as president of program planning, scheduling and strategy. Key executives within the NBC Agency had been expected to take on more responsibilities in the wake of Manze's departure.
Radice and Vescera report to John Miller, chief marketing officer of NBC Universal TV Group and president of the NBC Agency.
"Together, the creative vision shared by Jim and Frank have helped shape NBC's promotional efforts that have made The NBC Agency the gold standard of the industry," Miller said. "These promotions are well-deserved and will expand the leadership roles of these talented executives."
Radice, who will continue to be based in New York, will continue to shepherd promotion of NBC's New York-based programs with an emphasis on all marketing for NBC News and MSNBC and will continue to be involved in digital initiatives.
- 7/28/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a surprising move, NBC's new scheduling topper Vince Manze is bringing back theatrical movies -- a genre that largely has been written off by the broadcast nets and relegated to graveyard Saturdays -- to three high-profile Sunday nights during the May sweep.
The move is part of the strategy of veteran NBC promotion executive Manze, who said this month when he was named president of program planning, scheduling and strategy that he would focus on building event programming.
Looking to do that, he saw that the network had runs on romantic comedy "Along Came Polly", action-adventure "National Treasure" (both broadcast TV premieres) and a final run of "Shrek" and decided to put them on.
"Sunday seemed like the best place -- the place where we used to do events and miniseries," Manze said. "It seemed like a great thing to do and it accomplishes two things: building events and serving as counterprogramming to what the others are doing (on the night)."
In picking the movies, Manze said he put on his marketing hat, going for titles he can easily promote.
The move is part of the strategy of veteran NBC promotion executive Manze, who said this month when he was named president of program planning, scheduling and strategy that he would focus on building event programming.
Looking to do that, he saw that the network had runs on romantic comedy "Along Came Polly", action-adventure "National Treasure" (both broadcast TV premieres) and a final run of "Shrek" and decided to put them on.
"Sunday seemed like the best place -- the place where we used to do events and miniseries," Manze said. "It seemed like a great thing to do and it accomplishes two things: building events and serving as counterprogramming to what the others are doing (on the night)."
In picking the movies, Manze said he put on his marketing hat, going for titles he can easily promote.
- 4/20/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a surprising move, NBC's new scheduling topper Vince Manze is bringing back theatrical movies -- a genre that largely has been written off by the broadcast nets and relegated to graveyard Saturdays -- to three high-profile Sunday nights during the May sweep.
The move is part of the strategy of veteran NBC promotion executive Manze, who said this month when he was named president of program planning, scheduling and strategy that he would focus on building event programming.
Looking to do that, he saw that the network had runs on romantic comedy "Along Came Polly", action-adventure "National Treasure" (both broadcast TV premieres) and a final run of "Shrek" and decided to put them on.
"Sunday seemed like the best place -- the place where we used to do events and miniseries," Manze said. "It seemed like a great thing to do and it accomplishes two things: building events and serving as counterprogramming to what the others are doing (on the night)."
In picking the movies, Manze said he put on his marketing hat, going for titles he can easily promote.
The move is part of the strategy of veteran NBC promotion executive Manze, who said this month when he was named president of program planning, scheduling and strategy that he would focus on building event programming.
Looking to do that, he saw that the network had runs on romantic comedy "Along Came Polly", action-adventure "National Treasure" (both broadcast TV premieres) and a final run of "Shrek" and decided to put them on.
"Sunday seemed like the best place -- the place where we used to do events and miniseries," Manze said. "It seemed like a great thing to do and it accomplishes two things: building events and serving as counterprogramming to what the others are doing (on the night)."
In picking the movies, Manze said he put on his marketing hat, going for titles he can easily promote.
- 4/20/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Veteran NBC promotion executive Vince Manze, president and creative director of the NBC Agency, is making a leap to the programming side as president of program planning, scheduling and strategy.
In the newly created position, Manze will shepherd the network's long-term strategy in scheduling and promotion, with an emphasis on creating more noise with event programming -- specials, tie-ins with other NBC Universal divisions and stunts in the vein of supersizing NBC's Thursday comedies -- to drive viewership to the network's series. He also will oversee cross-platform programming and marketing initiatives, including series extensions on the NBC 360 digital initiative. Manze will report to NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly.
Mitch Metcalf, NBC executive vp program planning and strategy, who is in the last year of a three-year contract extension with NBC he inked in November 2004, will report to Manze. Sources said that Metcalf, who will continue to handle NBC's day-to-day scheduling operations, is in talks for a new deal with the network.
In the newly created position, Manze will shepherd the network's long-term strategy in scheduling and promotion, with an emphasis on creating more noise with event programming -- specials, tie-ins with other NBC Universal divisions and stunts in the vein of supersizing NBC's Thursday comedies -- to drive viewership to the network's series. He also will oversee cross-platform programming and marketing initiatives, including series extensions on the NBC 360 digital initiative. Manze will report to NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly.
Mitch Metcalf, NBC executive vp program planning and strategy, who is in the last year of a three-year contract extension with NBC he inked in November 2004, will report to Manze. Sources said that Metcalf, who will continue to handle NBC's day-to-day scheduling operations, is in talks for a new deal with the network.
This fall, most of the major broadcast networks are taking their cue from ABC's marketing success last season with Desperate Housewives and Lost by putting most of their resources behind a few select shows and trying to surround target audiences with marketing messages everywhere they can. Faced with limited resources and fierce competition, most of the networks now believe that in order to break through the clutter and get their new shows sampled, they have to focus on their top priorities -- particularly during the crush of the fall launch period -- rather than spread their marketing dollars across the schedule. "I do think you're seeing everyone taking their top priorities and going to what we call 360-degree marketing, which is trying to reach them in every possible way that we can," said NBC chief marketing officer John Miller. Added Vince Manze, president, NBC Agency, "If you're working on more than three shows at a top level, you're probably doing too many."...
- 9/12/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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