Brand Builders: John Weiser

John Weiser serves as president, U.S. distribution for Sony Pictures Television (SPT). He oversees all domestic sales operations for SPT, including sales of feature films produced by Sony Pictures, first-run and off-network syndicated programs and Sony Pictures library titles to U.S. broadcast networks, cable networks and television station groups along with video-on-demand, subscription video-on-demand and domestic pay television.

Weiser also manages the personnel and operations of four regional offices located in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Atlanta.

Joining the company in 1990 as account executive, West Coast, Weiser became division manager in 1992. In 1995, he was promoted to vice president, West Coast, managing all sales activities for the regional office. In 1999, Weiser was named senior vice president, sales for Columbia TriStar Television Distribution, expanding his duties to include sales of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (SPE) vast library. With more than 400 television series and 5,000 films, it is the largest catalogue of its kind. Weiser became executive vice president, Sony Pictures Television in 2002.

Before joining the studio, Weiser served as senior vice president, Guber-Peters Entertainment and as head of sales for Chuck Barris Entertainment. His television career began at Tribune Broadcasting, where he oversaw its Northeast and Midwest sales offices.

Weiser has served on the board of directors of the Television Bureau of Advertising since 2004. In 2006, he served on the board for the Broadcasters Foundation charity event. From 2003-06, Weiser was the cochairman of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), and from 2003-05, he served on the fund-raising steering committee board for the Cedars-Sinai Prostate Cancer Center. Weiser also served on the board of the Southern California chapter of UNICEF. —biographical info provided by Sony Pictures TV