Brian Balthazar is Vice President of Programming and Development for Scripps Networks Interactive’s brands HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country. In this role, he is responsible for creating, developing and overseeing several new specials, pilots and series on the three networks. He previously held the position of Director of Programming at HGTV, where he oversaw countless hours of television programming. Under his creative leadership, the House Hunters franchise, Selling New York, and dozens more series, consistently ranked as the network’s highest performing programs each week.

Balthazar is the former co-executive producer of ABC’s popular daytime talk show The View, where he worked alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell, Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace and a long list of talented guest co-hosts.

Prior to his work on The View, Balthazar was Vice President of Programming and Executive Producer of Digital Content Production for AOL.com’s main homepage, where he helped launch the portal’s 24/7 video strategy and content. He was often the host of AOL Spotlight, where he sat down with celebrities in the world of film, television and Broadway for fun, light-hearted laughs – and sometimes intimate insights. His guests have included Jim Parsons, Adam Levine, Aaron Eckhart, Wendy Williams, George Lopez, Jerry Springer, Kristin Chenoweth, Naomi Campbell, the late Joan Rivers and more.

Balthazar was also responsible for launching the wildly popular fourth hour of NBC’s TODAY Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, serving as the show’s leading creative force. Simultaneously, he was nurturing a side hobby as a standup comic, performing in New York City clubs and going in front of the camera as a features reporter for NBC-owned local stations, as well as the United Airlines in-flight entertainment.

Throughout his career, Balthazar has remained closely tied to current events and popular culture, thanks to the launch of his popular website PopGoesTheWeek.com. His mix of quirky humor and reliable journalistic cred made him a frequent guest and expert on entertainment news, pop culture, viral trends and celebrity buzz on many national television programs including The Wendy Williams Show, Politics Nation With Al Sharpton, The TODAY Show, CNN’s New Day and VH1’s I Love The 2000’s. Balthazar has been interviewed and quoted for newspapers and magazines including USA Today, The Daily News, The Christian Science Monitor, US Weekly and more.

Speaking on: Luncheon Roundtables (12:30pm-1:45pm)