Eddy Hartenstein

Eddy W. Hartenstein
Born	Alhambra, California, U.S.
Occupation	Media executive
Years active	1972–present
Known for	CEO and chairman of DirecTV; publisher and CEO of Los Angeles Times; board member of Broadcom, Sirius XM Radio, TiVo, Tribune Publishing

Eddy W. Hartenstein is a prominent figure in the media sector with an extensive professional background. He holds positions as a board member and lead independent director at both Broadcom and Sirius XM Radio, while also serving on the boards of TiVo and Tribune Publishing. His previous governance roles include appointments at City of Hope, Oath (previously Yahoo!), SanDisk, Technicolor, and at Converse prior to its acquisition by Nike.

Early life

Hartenstein was born in Alhambra, California, where his fascination with technology was sparked by the space race. He obtained Bachelor of Science degrees in aerospace engineering and mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona. Beginning his career at Hughes Aircraft in 1972, he further advanced his education by earning a Master of Science in applied mechanics from Caltech in 1974. Additionally, Cal Poly Pomona awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

Career

In 1981, Hartenstein took on the role of Vice President at Hughes Communications, spearheading the growth of commercial communications satellite ventures. By 1990, he was appointed President of a Hughes subsidiary dedicated to direct-to-home satellite television services, which he successfully transformed into DirecTV.

His leadership in satellite digital video and data transmission earned him election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2001.

Hartenstein held the positions of chairman and CEO at DirecTV until its acquisition by News Corp in 2004.

He assumed the roles of publisher and CEO at the Los Angeles Times in August 2008, a tenure that lasted until August 2014.

Between 2009 and 2013, he chaired the board of Sirius XM Radio before continuing as a member. Prior to January 2013, he served as president and CEO of Tribune Media Company.

Recognition

In 2001, Hartenstein was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), followed by his inclusion in the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2002. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored him with a lifetime achievement Emmy in 2007. The following year, he was inducted into the Consumer Electronics Association Hall of Fame.

Further reading

• "Tribune Appoints Hartenstein as Publisher of Los Angeles Times", Tribune Company, August 19, 2008.
• "DirecTV pioneer to take Times reins", Los Angeles Times, August 16, 2008.
• "DirecTV mastermind Eddy Hartenstein named publisher in Los Angeles", Muckety, August 18, 2008.
• "Eddy W. Hartenstein Forbes Profile", Forbes
• "HD Partners Acquisition Corp. Eddy W. Hartenstein Executive Profile", Bloomberg Businessweek