Ben Silverman Becomes Chairman, Co-CEO of Propagate

LOS ANGELES: Ben Silverman has been appointed chairman and co-CEO of Propagate Content, reuniting him with former partner and longtime collaborator Howard T. Owens, who is co-CEO of the U.S. indie.

Most recently, Silverman was founder and chairman of Electus, which he launched in 2009 in partnership with IAC. Prior to launching Electus, Silverman served as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. He was also the founder and former CEO of Reveille, and executive produced the NBC comedy The Office and the comedy Ugly Betty.

Silverman brings a scripted portfolio to Propagate that includes Isn’t that Rich?, adapted by Amy Harris from Richard Kirshenbaum’s best-selling book with ABC Studios, and Red Team, from the best-selling book for Amazon as a one hour, as well as a Latin cultural documentary produced with Gina Rodriguez and Morgan Spurlock. He also has large unscripted and digital slates that he brings to the company.

Propagate also received an additional round of investment from A+E Networks. The company is expanding its programming slate to span all genres, including the development, production and distribution of premium scripted series, long-form and non-scripted content for all platforms worldwide, as well as format creation and distribution that will scale globally. Propagate has partnered with Will.i.am and Apple on an unscripted series about app developers, marking Apple’s first original series.

Nancy Dubuc, the president and CEO of A+E Networks, said, “As a global media company, A+E Networks’ number one priority is diversifying our content offerings, and investing in Propagate is a key part of this strategy. I have always admired Ben and Howard’s long and lucrative track record of building thriving businesses together. They are two of Hollywood’s most impressive and prolific producers and we are very much looking forward to our successful partnership as they develop and produce multiplatform content for the global marketplace.”

Owens commented, “There is no media leader who sees around corners with more creative clarity than Ben. His creative and business track records are second to none in the world of TV and digital content. Ben’s skill at leading, inspiring and managing creatives always results in creating companies that are best-in-class worldwide in premium content creation and alternative distribution models.”

Silverman noted, “I am thrilled to partner with people who know and understand content, and believe in the transformation taking place in media and technology. I love starting and building companies while at the same time creating and enriching global culture. Howard is a brilliant executive with an incredible work ethic and great taste, and he shares a creative-led vision for a global content platform. It is an incredible time for storytellers and we are thrilled to reunite backed by friends who love storytelling as much as we do.”