Judy McGrath
CEO, MTV Networks
Judy McGrath is the Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks, a position she has held since July 2004. In this role, she oversees the management and operation of MTV Networks’ more than 145 channels and more than 300 web sites, which reach more than 510 million households worldwide in more than 160 countries and in 32 languages.
The company’s multiplatform portfolio includes MTV: Music Television, MTV2, mtvU, MTV Tr3s, VH1, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, CMT, Logo, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, Spike TV, AddictingClips.com, AddictingGames.com, AtomFilms, Shockwave.com GameTrailers.com, Harmonix, IFILM, Neopets, Quizilla, Xfire, Y2M, as well as MTVN International and all of the company’s consumer products businesses.
Ms. McGrath has held a succession of positions at MTV Networks since the launch of MTV in 1981. Prior to being named Chairman and CEO, she was the MTV Networks Group President responsible for MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT: Country Music Television and Comedy Central.
In her time at the helm of MTVN, her teams have developed programs and events across the entire company’s portfolio of brands that have become cultural landmarks to people everywhere, including the “MTV Video Music Awards,” the “MTV Movie Awards”, “Total Request Live”, “The Real World”, “Punk’d”, “Laguna Beach”, “Newlyweds”, “The Osbournes”, VH1’s long-running, award winning Save the Music campaign, “Flavor of Love”, “The Hogans”, CMT’s “CrossRoads”, Nickelodeon’s “Go, Diego, Go!”, and Spike TV’s “Ultimate Fighter,” among countless others.
Consistently recognized as an inspiring and creative leader, Ms. McGrath has always maintained a passionate commitment to developing pro-social initiatives at the channels. Among the programs she has championed are mtvU’s Darfur is Dying, the Peabody Award-winning Choose or Lose campaign, as well as the Emmy award-winning Fight For Your Rights series, including “Take a Stand Against Violence”, “Take a Stand Against Discrimination”, and “Protect Yourself”, an AIDS Awareness campaign on MTV. Throughout her career, Ms. McGrath has worked tirelessly to raise the consciousness of viewers, address their issues in a meaningful way and facilitate/empower audience involvement.
A member of the MTV family since its first days, Ms. McGrath joined Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company (WASEC), MTV Networks’ predecessor company, in 1981 as Copywriter, On-Air Promotions, MTV, where she made her mark with contests like “Devo Goes Hawaiian” and “One Night Stand with Journey.” She subsequently moved up the ranks and became Editorial Director, MTV; Executive Vice President and Creative Director, MTV; and then, President, MTV.
Under her direction as President, MTV grew from a maverick cable channel to the maverick global brand it is today, symbolizing a culture, a style, an attitude and a vibrant musical landscape. From the beginning, she helped MTV bring the creativity of music, with its passion, originality and energy, to television.
Before joining the company, she held positions as Copy Chief of Glamour magazine and Senior Writer for Mademoiselle magazine.
Ms. McGrath is on the board of the New York City Ballet, the McCarton School and Rock the Vote, and serves on the advisory board of LifeBeat. She has been honored by GLAAD and the Harlem Children’s Zone, and in 2003, she was named Humanitarian of the Year by the T.J. Martell Foundation. At the 2004 Promax & BDA conference she received the Television Century Award, which recognizes industry leaders for their contributions to building brands. She has also been honored with the NCTA’s Vanguard Award, CTAM’s Grand Tam, and was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2006.
