Andrew Lack (executive)
Andrew Lack | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1947 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, media executive |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Known for | Chairman of NBC News and MSNBC (2015–2020); CEO of Bloomberg Media Group; CEO of Sony Music Entertainment; President and COO of NBC |
Andrew Lack (born May 16, 1947) is a distinguished journalist and media executive, recognized for his tenure as chairman of NBC News and MSNBC from 2015 until 2020.
Prior to his leadership at NBCUniversal, Lack held prominent positions including chairman and CEO of Bloomberg Media Group, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, and president and COO of NBC.
Beginning his career in journalism and production at CBS, he earned 10 Emmy Awards and received 2 Peabody Awards. Lack serves as executive producer for the PBS series Deadlock. He is also the founder of the nonprofit news outlet Mississippi Today along with its parent organization, Deep South Today.
Early life
Born in New York City into a Jewish family, Lack attended the Browning School before graduating from The Gunnery, a boarding school in Connecticut. He pursued studies at Paris-Sorbonne University and completed his degree at Boston University's College of Fine Arts in 1968. Following graduation, he appeared in television commercials and off-Broadway theater productions.
Career
After finishing his studies, Lack initially worked producing TV commercials before joining CBS News in 1976. The following year, he became part of 60 Minutes and subsequently produced CBS Reports from 1978 through 1985. In 1982, he was a correspondent for The American-Israeli Connection. During the early 1980s, he collaborated with Bill Moyers, producing programs such as Our Times With Bill Moyers (1983) and Crossroads (1984).
CBS
In 1976, Don Hewitt, creator of 60 Minutes, brought Lack on board CBS News as a producer for Who's Who, which led to a producer role on 60 Minutes. His work included segments like "Inside Afghanistan" and "Kissinger and The Oil Embargo," as well as writing and directing "The Real Malcolm X: An Intimate Portrait of the Man."
Lack served as executive producer of CBS Reports for seven years before taking charge of West 57th from 1985 to 1989. This long-form news program, hosted by Meredith Vieira, blended innovative storytelling with thorough journalism. During this period, he was involved in an extramarital relationship with correspondent Jane Wallace; following its conclusion, she made allegations regarding career intimidation and a non-disclosure agreement settlement—assertions that were denied by an individual close to Lack.
Among his CBS productions were "The Boat People" focusing on Vietnamese refugees, "Teddy" about Ted Kennedy, and "The Defense of the United States," a Cold War piece featuring Walter Cronkite.
NBC
In 1993, Lack was appointed president of NBC News to help restore the division’s reputation after Dateline staged a fabricated explosion during a truck safety report.
Within three years under his leadership, NBC Nightly News anchored by Tom Brokaw rose to become the highest-rated evening news broadcast, overtaking ABC’s World News Tonight. He expanded Dateline from airing once weekly to multiple nights per week.
Following Bryant Gumbel’s departure from the Today show, Lack appointed Matt Lauer as co-host and relocated the program to a new $15 million street-level studio known as Studio 1A. With Lauer at the helm, Today maintained its position as the top morning news show for sixteen consecutive years. Additionally, Lack was instrumental in launching the cable news channel MSNBC.
In 2001, he transitioned from leading the news division to become president and chief operating officer of NBC, overseeing the broader television network.
Sony
In 2003, Lack assumed the roles of chairman and CEO at Sony Music Entertainment. Confronted with declining music sales, he implemented a workforce reduction of 25%, bringing the employee count down to approximately 6,000.
The following year, he orchestrated a merger with BMG, resulting in the formation of Sony BMG, a joint venture equally owned by Sony and Germany's Bertelsmann. This alliance established the world's second-largest music company, with Lack serving as CEO.
During his tenure at Sony BMG, Lack broadened the company's scope to include video and television content, while also tackling the challenges posed by file-sharing platforms such as Napster that impacted sales. In 2005, he secured a $110 million contract with Bruce Springsteen.
In 2006, Lack was appointed chairman of Sony BMG and launched SonyBMG Films, producing projects like Cadillac Records, featuring Beyonce. He departed from Sony BMG in 2008.
Bloomberg
Lack returned to broadcast media in 2008 as CEO of Bloomberg Media Group, overseeing its television, radio, and digital divisions, which included 11 international TV channels. Under his leadership, losses were cut by half while revenues doubled.
He advanced to chairman of Bloomberg Media Group in 2013 and remained in that capacity until 2014.
NBCUniversal (2015–2020)
In 2015, following the suspension of NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams due to inaccuracies regarding his 2003 Iraq War reporting, Lack rejoined NBC News and MSNBC. Facing slipping ratings for Today and MSNBC programs, he appointed Lester Holt as Williams’ successor. Holt’s tenure led NBC Nightly News to achieve top ratings for the 2014–2015 period.
After Williams’ suspension concluded, Lack reinstated him as MSNBC’s breaking news anchor and steered the network toward more serious news coverage during daytime hours. He fostered greater integration between NBC News and MSNBC, discontinued three opinion-driven daytime shows, and introduced MTP Daily hosted by Chuck Todd. These strategic moves resulted in MSNBC’s daytime ratings increasing by over 100% in early 2016. Additionally, Lack consolidated NBC News and MSNBC’s digital operations under unified leadership. During this time, Today reclaimed its position as the most-watched morning show over Good Morning America.
In January 2017, Lack recruited Megyn Kelly from Fox News, reportedly offering her an annual salary between $15 million and $20 million for hosting a Sunday evening program, a mid-morning show, and coverage of elections. Kelly departed NBC in late 2018 following backlash related to comments about blackface.
In 2019, investigative journalist Ronan Farrow accused Lack of minimizing a sexual misconduct allegation involving Today host Matt Lauer and impeding Farrow’s investigation into Harvey Weinstein. Farrow further alleged that NBC News employed a "Wikipedia whitewasher" to remove mentions of the network’s involvement in the Weinstein matter from related pages, including those about Lack. NBC News refuted these claims, stating Farrow’s reporting lacked sufficient on-the-record sources for publication.
In May 2020, NBCUniversal announced that Lack would step down as Worldwide News Group President; he resigned soon after.
Nonprofit journalism
In 2016, Lack established Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news outlet that earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2022 for its coverage of the Mississippi welfare funds scandal. Mississippi Today operates under Deep South Today, an umbrella organization also founded by Lack that oversees nonprofit journalism entities across southern U.S. states.
By 2024, Lack took on the role of executive producer for the PBS series Deadlock, which features panel discussions inspired by the format of Fred Friendly Seminars.
Personal life
Lack entered into matrimony twice. His first marriage took place in 1970 when he united with Pamela Ann Blafer during a Jewish ceremony held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. From 1992 until their separation in 2020, he was married to Betsy Kenny Lack.
In April 2013, he received recognition from the Broadcast, Cable & Film Division of the UJA-Federation of New York for his contributions and support.
External links
- Andrew Lack profile at NBCUniversal