The Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors | Members

THOMAS W. SARNOFF
Syd Cassyd Founders Award 1997
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

Thomas Warren Sarnoff, President of Sarnoff Entertainment Corporation, is the youngest son of the late Brig. General David Sarnoff and the late Lizette H. Sarnoff.

Until July 1, 1977, Mr. Sarnoff served as Staff Executive Vice President, West Coast, of the National Broadcasting Company, Inc., as well as President of NBC Entertainment Corporation, which was responsible for the production and worldwide touring of live, allfamily, Arena Shows. These included PETER PAN and DISNEY ON PARADE, the latter in partnership with Walt Disney Entertainment Corporation.

Mr. Sarnoff began his career in Television with the American Broadcasting Company in Los Angeles in 1949. Starting as a Floor Manager, he advanced to Assistant Director and Assistant to the Production Manager. He rounded out his training at ABC by serving as Supervisor of Sales Operations.

Aware of the mounting importance of film techniques to Television, he then moved to MetroGoldwynMayer Studios in 1951 to obtain film production experience as an Assistant Director and a Unit Manager.

Mr. Sarnoff joined NBC's West Coast operation in late 1952 as Assistant to the Director of Finance and Operations. He subsequently became Director of Production and Business Affairs.

In 1957, Mr. Sarnoff was elected an NBC Vice President. He was elevated to Vice President, Administration, West Coast in 1960, and two years later, on January 1 1962, Mr. Sarnoff was put in charge of NBC, West Coast, including responsibility for NBC's own film productions produced by NBC Productions and California National Productions. He was elected Staff Executive Vice President, West Coast, reporting to the President of NBC, on October 4, 1965.

Mr. Sarnoff was born in New York City on February 23, 1927. He attended Columbia Grammar School, New York City, and Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. His studies at Princeton University were interrupted in 1944 by military service as a Combat Engineer and subsequently as a Signal Corps instructor at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point with the rank of T/4.

After military service, he returned to Princeton briefly, then transferred to Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, where he received a degree of B. S. in Electrical Engineering in 1948 and then studied for a year at Stanford's Graduate School of Business Administration.

Mr. Sarnoff has been an interested participant in many activities within the Television Industry as well as taking an active leadership in many civic and community affairs.

He has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and Chairman of the Past Presidents Council of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee and of the Board of Governors of ATAS as well as a member of the Board of Directors and President of the ATAS Foundation. He is also a member of the Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors.

He has also been a member of the American Film Institute Board; President of the Permanent Charities Committee of the Entertainment Industries; President of the Research Foundation at Saint Joseph Hospital of Burbank and a member of the Hospital Advisory Board; a member of the Advisory Council of the RadioTV Department of the University of Judaism; a member of the Board of Hope Enterprises; a Vice President of California National Productions; a Director of NABCAT, Inc. and Valley County Cable, Inc.; and a member of the California Commission for the Reform of Intermediate/Secondary Education.

Mr. Sarnoff also was a member of the National Board of Trustees of the National Conference of Christians and Jews as well as its Regional Board of Directors and was honored by the NCCJ's BroadcastMotion PictureRecording Division with its Humanitarian Award for 1966. He was cited "for his humanitarian work within the community, for the work he has done in other important groups, and for the example he has been for other people". He was also awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Columbia College.

Mr. Sarnoff married the former Janyce Lundon of Dubuque, lowa, in 1955. They have two sons, Daniel Jay, President, American Gaming Network, and Timothy Glenn, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sony Pictures Imageworks, and a daughter, Cynthia Dawn, a Marriage and Family Counselor. The Sarnoff's have four grandchildren.

Mrs. Sarnoff is a Past President of the California Special Olympics, having served as President for twelve years. She also serves as a member of the United States Olympic Committee, Southern California Area, and on the Los Angeles Area Olympic Committee VIP and Visitors Relations Commission. Mrs. Sarnoff has served as a member of the Congress of United Way and is active in and a officer of SHARE, Inc., a pioneer group in charity work involving retarded children. In 1972, she was named SHARE "Member of the Year".

From 1977 to 1981 Mr. Sarnoff was President of Sarnoff International Enterprises, Inc., a Company formed for the purpose of producing and touring worldwide, YABBA DABBA DOO, a live Arena Show featuring HannaBarbera characters. The Company was also associated with the production and touring of the Broadway Stage Musical, TIMBUKTU.

In June of 1981, Mr. Sarnoff formed Sarnoff Entertainment Corporation which has been active in all phases of entertainment including international syndication of TV Specials. The Company was engaged in the production and touring of SHOW YOUR SPIRIT, a musical proscenium show for Southwest Airlines. The Company also represents several entertainment properties for Television and Merchandising.

During 1987, Mr. Sarnoff succeeded in reviving GUMBY, the popular clayanimated character. In association with Art Clokey, the creator of GUMBY, a new halfhour Series was produced for and distributed in firstrun syndication by LorimarTelepictures.

Also in 1987, Mr. Sarnoff joined forces with David Dortort, the creator of BONANZA, and Bonanza Ventures, Inc. as Executive Producer of a twohour TV Movie, BONANZA: THE NEXT GENERATION, in association with Gaylord Production Company and LBS Communications, Inc. The film aired in firstrun syndication during March of 1988 and was a great success.

In 1993, Mr. Sarnoff served as Executive Producer of a twohour TV Movie, BONANZA: THE RETURN, and a onehour Retrospective, BACK TO BONANZA, both of which aired successfully on the NBC Network on November 28, 1993. In 1994, Mr. Sarnoff served as Executive Producer of another twohour TV Movie for NBC, BONANZA: UNDER ATTACK, which successfully aired on January 15, 1995.

Mr. Sarnoff is currently serving as Executive Producer of a theatrical film, WIFE-MISTRESS, to be filmed in Taiwan. The picture is written and will be directed by Christina Yao and stars Joan Chen and Tony Leung.

Sarnoff Entertainment Corporation represents for distribution the classic TV Series, THE LAWLESS YEARS, and is also in development of several properties for the stage, theatrical features, and TV Movies as well as Mini-Series, including an animated version of TIMBUKTU in association with de passe Entertainment.