James Paratore (August 13, 1953 – May 29, 2012) was an American

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon acce ...

and longtime

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...

executive whose credits included ''

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...

'', '' The Tyra Banks Show'', and ''

The Rosie O'Donnell Show ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety show, variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on June 27, 200 ...

''. Paratore co-founded the

TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...

web site, and the company ParaMedia in 2005 and its companion television show, ''

TMZ on TV ''TMZ on TV'' (also known as ''TMZ on Fox'' and simply as ''TMZ'' or ''TMZTV'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated Entertainment journalism, entertainment and gossip news television show that premiered on September 10, 2007 (its maj ...

'', in 2007.

Biography

Early life

A native of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, Paratore earned a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

communications Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

from

Loyola University New Orleans Loyola University New Orleans is a Private university, private Jesuit university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the nam ...

Career

Paratore began his career as a programming director for several

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

television station A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth's s ...

s before joining Telepictures. Paratore was the president of Warner Bros.

Telepictures Productions Telepictures (also known as Telepictures Productions; formerly known as Telepictures Distribution and Telepictures Corporation) is an American television show and filmmaking company, currently operating as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainme ...

from 1992 to 2006. He developed Telepictures' slate of daytime syndicated and prime time

reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

s, including ABC's '' The Bachelor''. As President of Telepictures, Paratore oversaw the creation of some of the studio's most prominent shows, including ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' Paratore remained the executive producer of ''

'', the syndicated daytime talk show which debuted in 2003, even after departing his Telepictures in 2006. In 2005, he partnered with Harvey Levin to create the entertainment Web site TMZ and its daily television show. He also served as the vice president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution from 2002 until his death in 2012.

Death

Paratore died of a heart attack while bicycling in Paris, France, on May 29, 2012, at the age of 58. He was survived by his wife Jill Wickert, and daughter, Martini Paratore.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paratore, Jim 1953 births 2012 deaths American television producers American television executives Loyola University New Orleans alumni People from Louisiana 20th-century American businesspeople