BELA BAJARIA TAPPED FOR NEW DUAL-PROGRAMMING ROLE AT CBS PARAMOUNT NETWORK TELEVISION AND CBS ENTERTAINMENT
Bajaria To Assume Newly Created Development Position
for Movies and Scripted Series for Cable at CBS Paramount Network Television
While Continuing To Oversee Movies and Mini-Series For CBS Entertainment
Bela Bajaria has been named to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Movies & Cable Programming, CBS Paramount Network Television and Senior Vice President, Movies and Mini-Series, CBS Entertainment, it was announced today by Nancy Tellem, President, CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group, who oversees operations for both divisions.
In this dual-programming role, Bajaria will spearhead development of scripted series and long-form projects produced for the basic and pay cable networks by CBS Paramount Network Television, reporting to David Stapf, President, CBS Paramount Network Television. Additionally, Bajaria will continue to oversee movie and mini-series development and production for CBS, reporting to Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment.
"We're a content company that wants to develop and sell to as many programming platforms as possible," said Stapf. "We see basic and pay cable as potential growth areas and this is a dedicated position to serve and supply these markets. We welcome Bela and the talent, experience and relationships she brings to the position as we seek to further expand our production slate."
"Bela has been responsible for a terrific resume of commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies at CBS," said Tassler. "Even without a dedicated movie night, we are still very much in the long-form business with a slate of event projects and franchise movies, and we look forward to Bela's continued leadership in this area."
Currently on the CBS movie and mini-series slate, Bajaria is overseeing the six-hour epic "Comanche Moon" from Oscar-winner Larry McMurtry; a remake of the critically acclaimed movie "Sybil;" and "Sea Change," the fourth installment of the Jesse Stone franchise starring Tom Selleck.
Bajaria started at CBS in the movies and mini-series department. After a brief stint at Warner Bros. Television, where she was manager of Movies and Mini-Series, she returned to CBS in December 1997 as Director, Movies and Mini-Series. She was promoted to Vice President in 1999 and was named Senior Vice President, Movies and Mini-Series in January 2002.
While at CBS, Bajaria has overseen development and production of several critically acclaimed and high-rated mini-series, including the Emmy-nominated "Joan of Arc," "Jesus," "Elvis," "Hitler: The Rise of Evil," and "Pope John Paul II." She has also overseen the television movies "A Painted House," "The Magic of Ordinary Days" and "Riding The Bus With My Sister," all from the critically acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame franchise.
Bajaria began her career at First Serve Entertainment as a creative executive in charge of production, where she anchored, wrote and produced a weekly entertainment and news show on KSCI-TV Los Angeles. She graduated from Cal State University, Long Beach with a bachelor's degree in communications.
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