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)





[08/13/25 - 02:17 PM]
Paramount+ Announces "Landman" Season Two Will Premiere on November 16
Season one ranked as a top 10 SVOD original series across all SVODs for Q4 in 2024.

[08/13/25 - 01:31 PM]
"The Beast in Me" - Official First Look & Date Announcement
Starring Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys, the series is coming to Netflix on November 13.

[08/13/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Studios Gets Unfiltered with First-Look Deal with Comedian Bill Burr's North Hill Productions
Under this partnership, Burr and Mike Bertolina will serve as executive producers and content originators for scripted and unscripted television for which FES will have first-look.

[08/13/25 - 11:02 AM]
TNT Sports Announces Commentator Teams for Inaugural Big 12 Football Season
TNT Sports will kick off its inaugural year of Big 12 football with the Arizona Wildcats hosting the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday, August 30, at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.

[08/13/25 - 10:04 AM]
ABC News Announces "Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey - A Diane Sawyer Special," Airing Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 8 P.M. on ABC, Streaming Next Day on Disney+ and Hulu
The special takes viewers inside the love story of Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis and the new reality this beloved family faces since Bruce was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2022.

[08/13/25 - 10:01 AM]
Netflix's "Big Mistakes" from Showrunner and Star Dan Levy, Announces Title and Rounds Out Cast
The comedy series, also starring previously-announced cast members Taylor Ortega and Laurie Metcalf, has started production.

[08/13/25 - 10:01 AM]
Paramount+ to Exclusively Debut "Stans" on August 26
More than just an exploration of fandom, the film examines the complicated relationship between one of the world's most private artists and his massive public persona.

[08/13/25 - 09:44 AM]
TLC Announces Return of "Seeking Sister Wife" with New Season Premiering This September
All new episodes premiere Monday, September 22 at 9PM ET/PT on TLC.

[08/13/25 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Releases Official Trailer and Premiere Date for New Documentary "Bodyguard of Lies"
The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, will open with a limited theatrical run in New York beginning September 12, followed by an exclusive streaming premiere September 23 on Paramount+.

[08/13/25 - 08:59 AM]
HBO Max and GKIDS Strike Exclusive Licensing Deal for 20 Adult Animated and Live Action Films
On September 1, the first batch of titles included in the new agreement will drop on HBO Max for all subscribers.

[08/13/25 - 08:50 AM]
Food Network Cooks up Halloween Thrills and Chills This Fall with New Seasons of "Halloween Baking Championship" and "Halloween Wars"
Fans can get into the Halloween spirit beginning Monday, September 15 at 9pm ET/PT with the return of "Halloween Baking Championship."

[08/13/25 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Katrina: Come Hell and High Water" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This is the story of a brutal coastal hurricane turned cataclysmic through human error and neglect.

[08/13/25 - 07:31 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind: Brazil" Season 5 - Official Trailer - Netflix
This season welcomes a new batch of hopeful participants over the age of 50 who are ready to find true love and prove that the heart never ages.

[08/13/25 - 07:11 AM]
Emmy Award-Winning Entertainer Derek Hough Tapped to Host Season 32 of "Extra," Marking a New Chapter for the Iconic Entertainment News Magazine
With Hough as host, the show enters an exciting new chapter with continued dynamic storytelling and deeper connections with global audiences across all platforms.

[08/13/25 - 07:08 AM]
TNT Sports & Candace Parker Reach Multi-Year Extension
The three-time WNBA Champion and two-time WNBA MVP will continue as an analyst for TNT Sports and CBS Sports' NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship coverage, a position she's held since 2019.