Randy Douthit is a man who has seen the future of TV news, and he’s optimistic about what it holds. Douthit is the former CEO of the New York Times Television division and had a hand in some of your favorite TV shows. He’s also worked on some other great channels, like ESPN and Bravo. But his work at CBS really changed TV news in whole new ways. He helped develop the technology that allowed news stories to be delivered in a new way, as well as the technology that powered some of your favorite TV shows like Survivor and Big Brother.
- Early Life
Born in Long Island, New York, Randy Douthit earned a BA in economics from the University of Pennsylvania before working in finance. He soon realized he was more interested in the creative side of things, so he decided to major in advertising at Yale University. During his time at Yale, Douthit started to go on study abroad programs throughout Europe and the Middle East. By the end of his undergraduate degree, he knew he wanted to work in advertising forever.
- Career
At 24, Douthit was the youngest account executive ever hired by the Leo Burnett agency, where he helped write commercials for clients like Burger King and McDonald’s. He worked there until 1987 when he was recruited to join CBS in New York as an account executive. At CBS, Douthit worked on products like an intro service that brought video news releases into living rooms and a news program called Top News that aired on a 24-hour news channel.
- Achievement
In 1992, Douthit became the head of the CBS News division. He was responsible for launching the 24-hour news network and helped bring in other high-profile journalists like Dan Rather and Linda Ellerbee. As the head of CBS News, Douthit made a name for himself by developing new advertising strategies beyond simple 30-second spots. He was part of a team that launched a video source service that allowed producers to purchase video clips directly from news organizations and use them on nightly programs.
To be successful, you also need to learn how to deal with stress and difficult situations. Douthit also developed the CBS Market Watch programming, initially designed for financial news. It soon became a popular program for weekend viewers, who enjoyed the information in such a relaxed setting. Douthit later helped launch the reality show Survivor, which is still going strong today after 15 seasons on the air. He joined NBC in 1998 as vice president of television and was promoted to president of NBC News two years later.