After a seven month search to fill the vacancy, Columbia College named 15-year Hollywood entertainment executive Jon S. Katzman as the director of its popular five-week Semester in L.A. Program.
He will be the second director in the program’s six-year history. The six-year old program was founded and directed by Bob Enrietto, who died suddenly late last December.
Said Columbia president Warrick L. Carter: “Jon’s connections in the entertainment industry, through his associations with NBC, Warner Bros., New Regency Television, and his own production company, KCW Productions, coupled with his interest in educating our youth, make him the right person to lead the program.”
Katzman has been a member of the Semester’s adjunct faculty since last summer when he developed the five-week Sitcom Program, wherein students can write episodes of existing series and original pilots.
Katzman is executive producer of “Redemption” (FX), “The Five Coolest Things” with Matt LeBlanc (Discovery Home & Leisure), and “The Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story” that aired last week on VH1.
Katzman started his career in NBC’s associates training program and moving into NBC Productions where he worked on several top-rated prime-time shows. He went to Warner Bros. as director of comedy development and director current programming on “Lois and Clark,” “The George Carlin Show” and “Full House.” He has produced several indie features, including “You’re Killing Me.”
He will continue to develop and produce shows while serving as Semester director.
The Semester in L.A. program is permanently located in Bungalow 25 on the CBS Studio Lot in Studio City.
