Michael Sorensen serves as Vice President, Development and Production for Discovery Channel. In this role he is responsible for bringing new series to Discovery while supervising the development and production of concepts to green light, in addition to maintaining the quality of current series through production and delivery. Additionally, Sorensen identifies producers and talent necessary to develop compelling new characters and programming that has included SKYWIRE LIVE WITH NIK WALLENDA, BERING SEA GOLD: UNDER THE ICE, VEGAS RAT RODS, FAT N’FURIOUS, and YUKON MEN. He also oversaw the network’s slate of 2013 and 2014 SHARK WEEK programming, the highest rated and most watched years of SHARK WEEK in the history of the event. 

Prior to his tenure with Discovery Channel, Sorensen was senior director of program development at Science Channel, where he worked on series such as Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, Dark Mattersand Oddities. He also led the creative team in establishing the network’s ‘Sci-Sports’ strand with programming such asPunkin’ Chunkin’ andLarge Dangerous Rocket Ships (LDRS).

Sorensen earlier worked at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in Los Angeles in the Television Alternative Department. He earlier worked as a development executive for Atlas Media Corporation in New York where he worked on such shows asIt Can Happen Tomorrowfor The Weather Channel andSkeleton Storiesfor Discovery Health. He received his Masters of Science in Media Studies from Brooklyn College and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Television and Film Production from Chapman University.

Speaking on: Speed Pitching Two