{{Short description|American producer and media executive}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Charles Hirschhorn | office = President of [[Otis College of Art and Design]] | alma_mater = [[Harvard College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]]) | term_start = June 1, 2020 | birth_place = [[Chicago, Illinois]], U.S. | predecessor = [[Randall Lavender]] (interim) | birth_name = Charles Joseph Hirschhorn }} '''Charles Hirschhorn''' is an American media executive, film and television producer, and academic administrator. He is currently serving as the president of [[Otis College of Art and Design]] in Los Angeles, since 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-02-26 |title=Charles Hirschhorn Appointed President Of Otis College Of Art And Design |url=https://www.artforum.com/news/charles-hirschhorn-appointed-president-of-otis-college-of-art-and-design-246689/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=[[Artforum]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Hirschhorn grew up in Chicago. He graduated from [[Harvard College]] in 1979 with a B.A. degree in economics.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=A Q&A with Incoming Otis College President Charles Hirschhorn|url=https://www.otis.edu/news/interview-incoming-otis-college-president-charles-hirschhorn|access-date=2020-09-07|website=Otis College of Art and Design|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |date=July 2013 |title=Charles Hirschhorn '79 |url=https://www.harvardwood.org/mp201307 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107233501/http://www.harvardwood.org:80/mp201307 |archive-date=2016-11-07 |access-date=2020-09-07 |website=Harvardwood}}</ref>
== Career ==
=== Fox Broadcasting Company === In 1987 Hirschhorn was named vice president of development for the [[Fox Broadcasting Company]], where he supervised the network's prime-time development projects.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|last2=|last3=|first3=|last4=|last5=|last6=|last7=|last8=|first8=|last9=|date=1987-06-24|title=Charles Hirschhorn has been promoted to vice...|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-24-fi-6202-story.html|access-date=2020-09-07|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> He helped develop the [[Emmy Award]] winning sketch comedy television series ''[[In Living Color]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Retirement beckons to Hirschhorn {{!}} Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/retirement-beckons-hirschhorn-147747|access-date=2020-09-07|website=www.hollywoodreporter.com|date=14 August 2007}}</ref>
=== The Walt Disney Company === Hirschhorn began his tenure at [[The Walt Disney Company]] as executive vice president of Hollywood Pictures.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Charles Hirschhorn {{!}} Berklee College of Music|url=https://www.berklee.edu/people/charles-hirschhorn|access-date=2020-09-07|website=www.berklee.edu|language=en}}</ref> Under his leadership, the studio released over twenty films, including [[The Joy Luck Club (film)|''The Joy Luck Club'']], ''[[The Santa Clause]]'', and ''[[Quiz Show (film)|Quiz Show]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Charles Hirschhorn Named Next President of Otis College of Art and Design|url=https://www.otis.edu/news/otis-college-new-president-charles-hirschhorn|access-date=2020-09-07|website=Otis College of Art and Design|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> In 1997 Hirschhorn was named president of [[Walt Disney Television (production company)|Walt Disney Television]] and executive vice president of [[Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|last2=|last3=|first3=|last4=|last5=|last6=|last7=|last8=|first8=|last9=|date=1997-09-17|title=Disney Splits Television Group Into 2 Units|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-17-fi-33078-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629090855/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-17-fi-33078-story.html |archive-date=2020-06-29 |access-date=2020-09-07|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> During this tenure he relaunched [[The Wonderful World of Disney]] and oversaw the development of seventeen movies, including ''[[Cinderella (1997 film)|Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella]]'' and ''[[Life-Size]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-09-02|title=What Happened to 1990's 10 Most Promising Movie Executives?|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/what-happened-to-1990s-10-most-promising-movie-executives/|access-date=2020-09-07|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=March 2004|first=Allison Romano 15|title=Game Boy|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/game-boy-102439|access-date=2020-09-07|website=NextTV|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" />
=== G4 network === In 2000, Hirschhorn founded [[G4 (American TV network)|G4]], a cable television network focused on video games. Hirschhorn was intrigued by the work video game developers were doing with animation. He was also motivated by the enthusiasm around events such as [[E3]].<ref>{{cite web |title=g4tv.com-video58711: Charles Hirschhorn On How G4 Began, TechTV & More |url=https://archive.org/details/g4tv.com-video58711 |access-date=1 October 2022 |language=english}}</ref> He served as the company's CEO from 2000 - 2005 and oversaw the channel's official launch in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Carless|first=Simon|title=Gamasutra - The Art & Business of Making Games|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/|access-date=2020-09-07|website=www.gamasutra.com|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" />
=== Retirement Living TV === In 2007, Hirschhorn was appointed COO of [[Retirement Living TV]], a cable television network focused on programming for senior citizens.<ref name=":0" />
=== AEG Television === As president of [[Anschutz Entertainment Group|AEG]] Television, Hirschhorn launched and co-managed [[AXS TV]], a cable television channel focused on live music and entertainment programming.
=== Otis College of Art and Design === In February 2020, Hirschhorn was announced as the new president of [[Otis College of Art and Design]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=Vankin|first=Deborah |date=2020-02-26|title=Otis College of Art and Design picks entertainment executive as its new president|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-02-26/otis-college-art-design-president-charles-hirschhorn|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226180354/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-02-26/otis-college-art-design-president-charles-hirschhorn |archive-date=2020-02-26 |access-date=2020-09-07|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> His term officially began June 1.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|last2=|first2=|date=2020-02-24|title=ARTnews in Brief: Carnegie Museum of Art Names Next Director—and More from February 28, 2020|url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/breaking-art-industry-news-february-24-2020-1202678845/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225063315/https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/breaking-art-industry-news-february-24-2020-1202678845/ |archive-date=2020-02-25 |access-date=2020-09-07|website=ARTnews.com|language=en-US}}</ref> He was preceded in the role by interim president [[Randall Lavender]], in March 2019 to May 2020;<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019-03-14 |title=Otis College of Art and Design Removes President |url=http://mynewsla.com/business/2019/03/13/otis-college-of-art-and-design-removes-president/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=MyNewsLA.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and by the earlier president [[Bruce Willis Ferguson]] (1946–2019).<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-09-23 |title=Bruce W. Ferguson, former Otis College president and SITE Santa Fe founder, dies at 73 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2019-09-23/bruce-w-ferguson-dies-obituary |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == <references />
== External links == * {{IMDb name|id=nm0386607}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirschhorn, Charles}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Academics from Chicago]] [[Category:American academic administrators]] [[Category:Film producers from Illinois]] [[Category:Harvard College alumni]] [[Category:Heads of universities and colleges]] [[Category:Presidents of Otis College of Art and Design]]