NATPE Names Four Tartikoff Legacy Winners

Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Fernando Gaitán, Dennis Swanson and Matthew Weiner will receive NATPE||Content First’s ninth annual Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Awards, to be presented during the NATPE 2012 Market & Conference in Miami on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Named in honor of Brandon Tartikoff, arguably one of television’s greatest programmers, the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award was created to recognize a select group of television professionals who exhibit extraordinary passion, leadership, independence and vision in the process of creating television programming.

“Our honorees for 2012 have lived, worked and traveled all over the globe. Their common interest and the reason we have chosen them, is their passion for great TV programming. Cecile, Fernando, Dennis and Matthew love what they do and we are pleased to honor them in Brandon’s name,” said NATPE President-CEO Rick Feldman.

The cocktail reception celebrating the recipients will take place on Tuesday, January 24 during NATPE 2012 at the Fontainebleau Resort. Event tickets are available for $150, benefiting the NATPE Educational Foundation, and can be purchased online here.

Cecile Frot-Coutaz is CEO of FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) and executive producer of Fox’s American Idol. Frot-Coutaz oversees the development, production and business operations of more than 400 hours of network, cable and syndicated programming; FMNA also produces America’s Got Talent, Let’s Make a Deal, The Price is Right and The X Factor. She spearheaded the acquisition of All-American Freemantle by The Pearson Television Group, and played a key role in transforming a local enterprise into one of the largest independent production companies in the world.

Fernando Gaitán is vice president of production and content for Colombia’s RCN TV. He is widely known as the creator of Ugly Betty (Yo Soy Betty la fea) which has been recreated in 21 different versions in countries including the United States, Russia, China, India, Spain, Germany, and Mexico. Ugly Betty, which won two Golden Globes and one Emmy, was the first Latin American production to reach North American primetime audiences.

Dennis Swanson, president of station operations for Fox Television Stations Inc., is responsible for some of the most influential television programming developments of the last 30 years. As vice president and general manager of Chicago’s WLS, he gave Oprah Winfrey her first daytime talk show. Later, as president of ABC Sports, he persuaded the International Olympic Committee to stagger its winter and summer games and hold them every two years. Under his watch, Monday Night Football became one of television’s top-rated primetime programs.

Swanson led New York’s WNBC to great ratings success as president and general manager. As the executive vice president and COO of Viacom Television Stations, he oversaw 39 television stations. At Fox Television Stations, he manages the 27 Fox O&Os.

Matthew Weiner is the series creator and executive producer of AMC’s critically acclaimed and award-winning drama Mad Men, which launches its fifth season in March 2012. One of television’s most honored series, “Mad Men” has earned numerous accolades, including four consecutive Emmy Awards for outstanding drama series; three consecutive Golden Globe Awards for best television drama series; and a Peabody Award, among many others.

Prior to Mad Men, Weiner was an executive producer and Emmy-nominated writer on The Sopranos. Weiner also wrote for various other series, including The Naked Truth, Becker and Andy Richter Controls the Universe, and wrote and directed the independent feature, What Do You Do All Day?