or


[01/10/12 - 09:16 AM]
Syfy Expands Unscripted Programming Department
Robyn Lattaker-Johnson, Wayne Sampson and Colin Whelan have been named Vice Presidents, Alternative Programming at the cable channel.

[via press release from Syfy]

SYFY EXPANDS UNSCRIPTED PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT

ROBYN LATTAKER-JOHNSON, WAYNE SAMPSON AND COLIN WHELAN APPOINTED VICE PRESIDENTS, ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMMING

NEW YORK - January 10, 2012 - Syfy has named Robyn Lattaker-Johnson, Wayne Sampson and Colin Whelan as Vice Presidents, Alternative Programming, it was announced today by Tim Krubsack, SVP, Alternative Programming, to whom they will report. Also added to the programming department are Tori Socha and Andrew Whitney, who join as Directors, Alternative Programming.

In making the announcement, Krubsack said: "On the heels of Syfy's most watched year in history, we will be launching a record number of unscripted series in 2012. With their diverse experiences, creative sensibilities and stellar accomplishments, these five very gifted executives will play a key role in shaping that programming expansion and the continuing growth of the Syfy brand."

In their new roles, Lattaker-Johnson, Sampson and Whelan will oversee Syfy's current slate of hit reality series, including Face Off, Ghost Hunters, Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, Haunted Collector, Paranormal Witness, Hollywood Treasure, and the upcoming Monster Man, Dream Machines and Total Blackout, as well as developing new unscripted projects.

Socha and Whitney will support the programming team, as well as identify new projects for development.

All five executives will be based in Syfy's Los Angeles office.

Prior to joining Syfy, Robyn-Lattaker Johnson was an independent producer, most recently serving as the show runner of Comic View: One Mic Stand. She also served as Senior Vice President, Original Programming, for BET Networks, where she spearheaded the development on some of the network's most successful and acclaimed original series, including American Gangster, Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, Hell Date, Sunday Best, Baldwin Hills, and Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown. Lattaker-Johnson graduated with an MFA in Film from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Wayne Sampson joins Syfy from Dick Clark Productions, where he played a key role in expanding the company's reality division as Vice President of Development. Prior to Dick Clark Productions, Sampson worked at the Discovery Channel and Spike TV, where he helped develop series such as Auction Kings, Ghost Lab, Deadliest Warrior, MANswers, The Ultimate Fighter and 1000 Ways to Die. Sampson graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in History and Business Administration.

Colin Whelan was most recently Director of Production / Executive Producer at TLC, where he was responsible for Sarah Palin's Alaska, LA Ink and the network's first successful foray into competition, Ultimate Cake-Off. During his tenure, he also developed and launched NY Ink and Surprise Homecoming. Before joining TLC, Whelan was Vice President, Programming, at Dalaklis McKeown Entertainment. Whelan graduated with an MFA from the UCLA School of Film and TV Producers' Program.

Tori Socha was previously Manager of Development at TLC. In this role, she spearheaded development on series such as Cake Boss, Four Weddings, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, Sister Wives, Extreme Couponing and Hoarding: Buried Alive. Prior to TLC Socha worked at Discovery Studios, CBS, and the William Morris Agency. She received her BS in Television, Radio & Film from Syracuse University.

Andrew Whitney joins Syfy from CMT, where he served as Manager of Development for three years. He was instrumental in all phases of development on presentations, pilots, and series, including Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Top Secret Recipe, Sweet Home Alabama, World's Strictest Parents, Trick My Truck, Country Fried Home Videos, and The Singing Bee. Whitney also worked at Dick Clark Productions, MTV, Magical Elves and Katalyst. He graduated from William & Mary in Virginia.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)





  [january 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· DREAM MACHINES (SYFY)
· FACE OFF (SYFY)
· FACT OR FAKED: PARANORMAL FILES (SYFY)
· GHOST HUNTERS (DISCOVERY)
· HAUNTED COLLECTOR (SYFY)
· HOLLYWOOD TREASURE (SYFY)
· MONSTER MAN (SYFY)
· PARANORMAL WITNESS (SYFY)
· TOTAL BLACKOUT (SYFY)





[05/15/25 - 02:07 PM]
"9-1-1" Hits Six-Month High as Show Builds Toward Season Finale
Standing as the No. 1 non-sports telecast of the night in the key Adult demo, "9-1-1" delivered 6.48 million Total Viewers and a 0.63 rating among Adults 18-49 on linear.

[05/15/25 - 01:05 PM]
ABC News Studios Announces "Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam" Begins Streaming May 20, Only on Hulu
There's big money in the lonely-hearts business with online scammers primed to take advantage of vulnerable women around the world.

[05/15/25 - 11:00 AM]
"Cleaner" Begins Streaming Exclusively on Max June 13
Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company's annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts.

[05/15/25 - 10:01 AM]
"Raid the Cage" Is Back Wednesdays at 9 PM Starting May 28
The series returns to CBS with five new installments.

[05/15/25 - 09:34 AM]
Meet the 15 Contestants Competing on "The Snake," Premiering Tuesday, June 10 at 9/8c on FOX
"The Snake" is social survival of the fittest, where each contestant must leverage their unique skills, training and powers of persuasion as they face a multitude of challenges designed to showcase the traits needed to be successful in the game.

[05/15/25 - 09:31 AM]
Peacock Releases First Look Images, Key Art, and May 22 Premiere Date for Soccer Drama Series "90 Minutes"
The series, due on May 22, stars José María de Tavira, Teresa Ruiz, Raúl Méndez and Álvaro Guerrero.

[05/15/25 - 09:16 AM]
Powerful Crime Thriller Featuring Top Swedish Cast and Creatives "Mafia" Makes Exclusive US Debut Thursday, June 19, 2025 on Viaplay
In this powerful six-episode crime series drawing inspiration from actual events, "Mafia" charts the transformation of Sweden in the 1990s, evolving from a relatively tranquil nation untouched by organized crime into a land marked by intense gang conflicts and violent shootouts.

[05/15/25 - 09:00 AM]
HBO Original Drama Series "Task" Debuts This September
Set in the working class suburbs of Philadelphia, an FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) heads a Task Force to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man (Tom Pelphrey).

[05/15/25 - 09:00 AM]
Kountry Wayne Sets New Prime Video Comedy Special
The new special will be taped on October 4 at The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

[05/15/25 - 08:11 AM]
FOX Sports Takes the Pole for Network's First Indianapolis 500 With 60 Hours of Live Coverage Highlighted by an Impressive Lineup of Talent and Dignitaries
The network's first Indianapolis 500 flanks the airwaves with a whopping 60 hours of live coverage featuring an impressive lineup of talent and dignitaries.

[05/15/25 - 08:01 AM]
Nickelodeon and Spin Master Entertainment Double Down on "PAW Patrol" with New Slate of Five Original Hour-Long Specials
Each of the animated specials center on a different pup, with the first featuring jungle rescuer Tracker set to premiere this fall, followed by a pup-tacular holiday event focusing on construction-savvy Rubble.

[05/15/25 - 08:01 AM]
AMC Networks' June Highlights Include "Nautilus," "The Walking Dead: Dead City," "Scrublands," "Art Detectives," "Hell House" and More
Other debuts include "The Killer Clown: Murder at the Doorstep," "Butchers of L.A." and "Inside."

[05/15/25 - 08:00 AM]
"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Sets Course for Season Three Premiere on Thursday, July 17 on Paramount+
Following the two-episode premiere, new episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays, with the season finale on Thursday, September 11.

[05/15/25 - 07:01 AM]
Paramount+ and Pluto TV Offer Endless Outdoor Movie Screenings This Summer
As part of the program, Paramount+ will return as the official sponsor of Bryant Park Movie Nights, the longest running outdoor movie series in New York City, and BK Mag Movie Nights, at four parks across Brooklyn.

[05/15/25 - 07:00 AM]
Performers Announced for the "2025 American Music Awards"
Blake Shelton, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Reneé Rapp, and AMA nominees Benson Boone and Lainey Wilson are among those scheduled to perform.