Henry Siegel, TV Syndication Pioneer, Dies at 85

Henry Siegel, a syndication specialist who was involved in live TV events including the MTV Video Music Awards, the ESPY Awards and the much-ballyhooed 1987 special Return to the Titanic, has died. He was 85.

Siegel died Monday at his home in Newtown, Connecticut, his son, Brian Siegel, who heads global marketing for Marvel and Star Wars consumer products at the Walt Disney Co., told The Hollywood Reporter.

After a dozen years at Grey Advertising in New York, Siegel in 1976 founded Lexington Broadcast Services and was a pioneer of barter TV syndication, the advertiser-supported model in which a show is given to a station for free or at a reduced cost in exchange for a portion of the show’s ad time.

At LBS, he and his twin brother, Paul, also produced, distributed and/or created the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 and the first ESPY Awards for ESPN in 1993.

A slate of 10 live events that they came up with included Return to the Titanic, a syndicated special hosted by Telly Savalas that after two hours of buildup revealed the (disappointing) contents of a salvaged ship safe.

The brothers also produced and distributed the shows Fame, Family Feud and Baywatch and such kids TV series as Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Inspector Gadget.

In 1988, Siegel and the investment firm Warburg Pincus Capital Co. bought out Grey’s interest in LBS.

The Siegels in 1994 launched Seagull Entertainment, then merged the TV production and distribution company with Kaleidoscope Entertainment and Sports to form Kaleidoscope Media Group two years later. Henry Siegel served as chairman and CEO through its 1997 IPO.

KMG sold its sports operation in 1998 to the Interpublic Group of Companies after creating GM Event Works, a joint venture with General Motors, IPG’s largest client.

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Siegel began his career as head of media at Grey Advertising, and the publication Advertising Age would designate him one of the 50 pioneers in the first 50 years of television for his expertise in barter syndication.

In 2001, he assisted his father-in-law, popular New York sportscaster Bill Mazer, in moving his sports talk radio show to Whitney Broadcasting’s two stations in Westchester, and he helped market the three-hour weekday program as well.

Also that year, he and his brother got involved in boxing by investing in a group of fighters promoted by Banner Promotions and producing a series of bouts for ESPN.

Survivors include his wife, Fran; his children, Brian, Mickey, Scott and Leigh; and his brothers, Paul and Aryeh.