BIO

Stephen Friedman

President of MTV

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Stephen K. Friedman is President of MTV, the world’s premier youth entertainment brand and the #1 rated, full-day, ad-supported cable network for teens and young adults.  In this position, he oversees MTV and all its screens, including MTV2, mtvU, MTV.com, MTV Hits and MTV Jams.

Mr. Friedman has led the charge to transform MTV into the cultural home of the millennial generation, spearheading a reinvention of the brand and a new programming strategy.  Under his leadership, MTV has more top-rated cable series for young viewers than any other network and a diverse slate of shows, including “Teen Mom,” “Awkward,” “Teen Wolf,” “Jersey Shore,” and “World of Jenks.”  MTV ended 2010 with its biggest ratings gains in a decade and 19 of the top 20 cable telecasts excluding sports.  In 2011, MTV continues its strong momentum with the #1 series on television for its demographic and its seventh consecutive quarter of growth. In addition, the “2011 MTV Video Music Awards” was the network’s most watched telecast in its 30-year history.  Mr. Friedman has continued the network’s strong commitment to pro-social initiatives with the widely acclaimed “A Thin Line” campaign to combat digital abuse among young people.

Prior to being named to his current role in 2008, Mr. Friedman was the General Manager of mtvU, MTV’s channel dedicated to college students, which he launched in 2004. Under Mr. Friedman’s leadership, the network’s distribution grew more than 70% and advertisers quintupled. Mr. Friedman also launched mtvU’s Sudan campaign to fight the genocide in Darfur, which has been honored with two Emmy Awards, and the Peabody Award-winning Half of Us campaign, to raise awareness of mental health issues on college campuses.

Mr. Friedman joined MTV in 1998 to found the network’s department of Strategic Partnerships and Public Affairs. During his tenure, he created the Emmy Award-winning Fight For Your Rights campaigns and managed the Choose or Lose campaign.

Before joining MTV, Mr. Friedman served as a Director for the PEN American Center (the international writers’ human rights organization).  Mr. Friedman was named by Mediaweek as one of its “Mediaweek 50” for 2010.  He currently serves on the Advisory Board of Hollywood, Health and Society (partnering entertainment, education and the CDC). He holds a B.A. with Honors from Wesleyan University.