Geraldine Laybourne

Geraldine Laybourne founded Oxygen Media and has served as its chairman and chief executive officer until it was sold in 2007 to NBC Universal. Oxygen was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape -- creating a television network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is the only women-owned and operated cable network. Available in more than 71 million cable households, Oxygen airs series including "Campus Ladies", "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," "Talk Sex with Sue Johanson," and "The Bad Girls Club."

Career

A pioneer in creating innovative television programming for kids, Laybourne spent 16 years at Nickelodeon, taking over the management of the network in 1984.

Laybourne and her team were responsible for creating and building the Nickelodeon brand and, in 1985, for launching Nick at Nite, the successful primetime line-up of retro sitcoms. Under her leadership, Nickelodeon became the top-rated 24-hour cable programming service and won some honors, including Emmys, Peabodys, CableACE and Parent’s Choice awards. She further expanded the brand by launching and distributing Nickelodeon programming to countries around the world, developing theme park attractions, and creating Nickelodeon movie, toy and publishing divisions.

Under Laybourne's stewardship, Nickelodeon became the first global television network to profit from selling advertising to children.

Prior to starting Oxygen, Laybourne was president of Disney/ABC Cable Networks (from 1996–1998) where she was responsible for overseeing cable programming for the Walt Disney Company. While there, she was also in charge of developing future television programming for cable and other platforms. In addition, Laybourne played a role in the creation and management of ABC’s Saturday morning children’s programming schedule.

Awards

Laybourne has been singled out for her many contributions to the industry. She was ranked No. 1 among the 50 most influential women in the entertainment industry by The Hollywood Reporter in 1996 and named one of the 25 most influential people in America by Time magazine that same year. Her numerous awards include the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s award for Distinguished Lifetime Contribution to Children and Television, the New York Women in Communications Matrix Award for Broadcasting, and the Creative Coalition’s Spotlight Award. Her other honors include the Grand Tam Award from the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), the Governor’s Award from the National Academy of Cable Programming, the American Women in Radio and Television Genii Award, the Women in Cable Award, and the Sara Lee Corporation’s Frontrunner Award. She also received both the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and the New York Women in Film Muse Award. In 1995, she was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. In October 2004 she was inducted into The Cable Center Hall of Fame.

Civic Involvement

Laybourne sits on a number of boards and advisory committees, including The National Cable Television Association, The National Council for Families and Television, New York Women in Film & Television (Advisory Board), Cable Positive (Honorary Chair), the Board of Trustees of Vassar College, and Insight Communications.

Personal

Laybourne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Vassar College and a Master of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to her entertainment career, Laybourne was a teacher, conducted research with children and was an early advocate of education through media. A native of Martinsville, New Jersey, she and her husband Kit, a producer, author and animator, have two children and two grandchildren.