Jewett Promoted to Executive VP at Debmar-Mercury

Alexandra Jewett has been promoted to Debmar-Mercury’s executive VP of programming, working in partnership with Lonnie Burstein, who also holds that title.

“Alexandra has done a remarkable job and is a major contributor to our first-run success,” said Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus, co-presidents of Lionsgate-owned Debmar-Mercury, in a statement.

“With her strong creative instincts and production skills, keen eye for talent, profound understanding of the daytime audience and innate ability to effectively utilize social media, Alexandra has played a key role in turning Wendy into a rare success story. Combined with the invaluable creative contributions she has made to Celebrity Name Game and many other accomplishments, Alexandra is very deserving of this promotion and we are thrilled to have her and Lonnie lead all of our programming efforts.”

Jewett joined Debmar-Mercury in September 2010 from CBS Television Distribution, where she had been East Coast VP of programming and development since 2006.

Since then, Jewett, along with Burstein, has worked to improve The Wendy Williams Show, and has been rewarded for her efforts with consistently growing ratings.

This fall, Debmar-Mercury will launch Celebrity Name Game and both Jewett and Burstein will supervise that show as well. FremantleMedia North America co-produces Celebrity Name Game.

While at CTD, Jewett helped launch The Rachael Ray Show and the final seasons of The Montel Williams Show.  From 2004-06, Jewett created and executive produced TLC’s Operation Homecoming—also serving as a programming consultant for the network—as well as Discovery Health's Rebuilt: The Human Body Shop.

In 2002, Jewett launched and executive producedNBC Universal's The John Walsh Show. Earlier, as executive VP of All American Communications/Orbis Entertainment, Jewett developed and adapted U.S. formats for the international marketplace. She also developed, launched and executive produced talk shows for multiple territories in Europe, while serving as an executive producer for Multimedia Entertainment from 1993-96. Jewett began her TV career as a producer for The Phil Donahue Show in 1989, where she worked for four years.

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.