The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Allen Sabinson
2004

Veteran senior television and entertainment executive Allen Sabinson was appointed director of the Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies in the College of Media Arts & Design. A little while later, Broadcast Pioneers member Allen Sabinson became Dean of the Antoinette Westphal College at Drexel University. A native of New York City, Sabinson went to Stuyvesant High School and received his Bachelor's degree in 1972 from Brandeis University, the only nonsectarian Jewish sponsored college or university in the USA. It's located in Waltham, MA.

Sabinson has a distinguished creative and business leadership record in the entertainment industry. Most recently, he was senior vice president of programming with the A&E Television Network. Under his leadership, the network received more Emmy Award nominations for two consecutive years than any basic cable network, winning Emmys for "Best Miniseries" (Horatio Hornblower), "Best Non-Fiction Series" (Biography) and "Best Performing Arts Specials."

Under Sabinson, the A&E network shifted its emphasis from non-fiction programming, such as Biography and Investigative Reports, to scripted dramas like "Nero Wolfe." Allen was also the Executive Producer for the 2002 A&E TV movie, "Lathe of Heaven." Plus "Boxing: In and Out of the Ring," "The Sandra Bernhard Experience" and "Behind Closed Doors with Joan Lunden."

Among other productions he’s been responsible for are Sidney Lumet’s "100 Centre Street," It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (Showtime), Stephen King’s "It" (on ABC-TV) and the Emmy Award-winning miniseries "Separate But Equal" and "The Old Testament."

In the nineties, he has served as president of production and television for Miramax and executive vice president of original programming at TNT for five years. There, he developed and aired such films as the Emmy-winning biblical mini series, "Joseph," "Geronimo," "The Good Old Boys," "Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long," the Civil War miniseries epic "Gettysburg," seven-time Emmy-nominee "Andersonville" and four-timer "The Heidi Chronicles."

Previously, he was executive vice president of movies-for-TV and miniseries at ABC for a decade. Sabinson was also the former programming chief. a senior management position at Showtime. Allen also held a senior management position with NBC. Allen is also credited with bringing film stars such as Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Duvall, Matt Damon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Diane Keaton and Catherine Zeta Jones to television films.

The Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies was established at Drexel by the Rudmans in April 2004. The Rudman Institute focuses on research studies in all aspects of the entertainment business from film, television and music to the Internet, video gaming and the performance arts. The Institute combines Drexel's strengths in technology and business with innovative CoMAD programs, such as the Music Industry major.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com