View source for Don Ohlmeyer

{{Short description|American television producer (1945–2017)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Don Ohlmeyer
| image       =
| caption     =
| birth_name  = Donald Winfred Ohlmeyer Jr.
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1945|02|03}}
| birth_place = [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{death date and age|2017|09|10|1945|02|03}}
| death_place = [[Indian Wells, California]], U.S.
| alma_mater  = [[University of Notre Dame]]
| occupation  = Entertainment executive, live broadcast director, liberal arts professor
| spouse      = Linda Jonsson
| children    = 4
}}

'''Donald Winfred Ohlmeyer Jr.''' (February 3, 1945{{spaced ndash}}September 10, 2017) was an American [[television producer]] and president of the [[NBC]] network's west coast division. He fired [[Norm Macdonald]] from ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' in early 1998, a move that is widely believed to have been motivated by Macdonald's refusal to stop making jokes at the expense of Ohlmeyer's friend, [[O. J. Simpson]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Young|first=Kathleen Rizzo|title=The Unfunny Revenge of Norm MacDonald|url=https://buffalonews.com/news/the-unfunny-revenge-of-norm-macdonald/article_9154fb57-20a6-54b6-9f6b-53e6ce3a0262.html|access-date=2021-11-16|website=The Buffalo News|date=June 18, 1998 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Canfield |first=Kevin |date=2016-09-20 |title=For Norm Macdonald, facts are just starting points for comedy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/for-norm-macdonald-facts-are-just-starting-points-for-comedy/2016/09/20/ad39cfd6-7f42-11e6-8d13-d7c704ef9fd9_story.html |access-date=2025-05-23 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

Ohlmeyer also directed [[Olympic Games|the Olympics]] and other live sporting events while working for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[ESPN]]. He was a professor of television communications at [[Pepperdine University]] in [[Malibu, California]].

==Early life==
Born in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], Ohlmeyer grew up in the [[Chicago]] area and attended [[Glenbrook North High School]]. He graduated from the [[University of Notre Dame]] in 1967.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-28-sp-40610-story.html |title=Ohlmeyer, a Big Shot at NBC, Calls Shots for ABC at Indy 500 |first=Larry |last=Stewart |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 28, 1993}}</ref>

==Career==
===ABC Sports===
Ohlmeyer began his career with [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]]. A disciple of [[Roone Arledge]], he worked on ''[[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]]'', was the first hired producer of ''[[Monday Night Football]]'', brought ''[[Superstars (American TV program)|Superstars]]'' to television, and also produced and directed three [[Olympic Games|Olympics]] broadcasts (including the [[1972 Summer Olympics|Munich Olympics]]).

===NBC Sports===
Ohlmeyer later moved to NBC as executive producer of the network's [[NBC Sports|sports division]], a position he held from 1977 to 1982. Over those five years, he created the popular sports anthology series ''[[SportsWorld]]'' and served as Executive Producer of NBC coverage of the [[Super Bowl]] and [[World Series]]. He also earned notoriety for the prime-time series [[Games People Play (1980 TV series)|''Games People Play'']] and the made-for-television movie ''The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story''. Ohlmeyer became well known for expanding the network's sports coverage as well as introducing innovative production techniques. He launched ''NFL Updates'', NCAA Basketball 'Whip-arounds,' and instituted NBC's live coverage of ''Breakfast at [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]]''. Ohlmeyer is credited with conceiving the one-time experiment of airing a [[1980 NFL season|1980]] [[National Football League|NFL]] telecast [[Announcerless game|without announcers]].<ref>Julian Rubenstein, [http://www.julianrubinstein.com/football.html "Monday Night Football's Hail Mary,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125044458/http://julianrubinstein.com/football.html |date=November 25, 2010 }} ''[[New York Times Magazine]]'', September 3, 2000.</ref>

===Ohlmeyer Communications Company===
Ohlmeyer formed his own production company, Ohlmeyer Communications Company (OCC), in 1982. While there he produced several made-for-television movies, network series, and specials. He won an [[Emmy Award|Emmy]] for ''[[Special Bulletin]]'', a harrowing 1983 depiction of nuclear terrorism. His company was also responsible for producing [[Championship Auto Racing Teams|CART]] [[IndyCar World Series]] race telecasts, and golf, including PGA Tour events, "[[Skins Game (PGA Tour)|The Skins Game]]", and Senior PGA TOUR broadcasts. While at OCC, Ohlmeyer also oversaw [[Nabisco]]'s 20% stake in ESPN.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=ohlmeyer_don&id=4381738 "Ohlmeyer to begin term as ombudsman"]. July 14, 2009, ESPN.com.</ref> Ohlmeyer also gained a 49% controlling interest in ''[[Hockey Night in Canada]]'' starting in 1986,{{citation needed|date=March 2018}} taking over the Canadian Sports Network that ran the program under the [[McCann (company)#McCann Canada|MacLaren Advertising]] agency.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cbc.ca/archives/why-dave-hodge-was-cut-from-the-hockey-night-in-canada-team-1.5491241| title = Why Dave Hodge was cut from the Hockey Night in Canada team {{!}} CBC Archives}} </ref> He later sold his interest to Molstar Communications, the company which already possessed the other 51%.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

===Return to NBC===
Ohlmeyer returned to NBC in 1993 to become president of its West Coast division at a time when the network was in third place in the ratings, following the conclusion of popular shows such as ''[[Cheers]]'' and ''[[The Cosby Show]]''. During his tenure, NBC returned to first place with such hits as ''[[Seinfeld]]'', ''[[Friends]]'', ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]'', ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street|Homicide]]'', ''[[Frasier]]'', ''[[Providence (American TV series)|Providence]]'', ''[[Will & Grace]]'', and ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''. While Ohlmeyer was at the helm of NBC, it was the only profitable national network in America. Ohlmeyer also spearheaded NBC's adoption of an aggressive promotional campaign to [[brand]] the network such as superimposing the Peacock logo in the corner of the screen and coining the phrase "[[Must See TV]]."<ref>[https://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,294003_7 |42744||0_0_,00.html "Master of Its Domain"]{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''[[Entertainment Weekly|EW.com]]'', issue #343, September 6, 1996.</ref>

During the [[1997 World Series]], Ohlmeyer caused a stir when he publicly wished that the [[World Series]] would end in a four-game sweep so that its low ratings wouldn't derail NBC's primetime leading Thursday "Must See TV" entertainment schedule.<ref>Charles Krauthammer, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930095541/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,996511-1,00.html "Requiem for the Summer Game,"] ''[[Time (magazine)|Time.com]]'', April 3, 2000.</ref> The series went the full seven games.

==== Firing of Norm Macdonald ====
In early 1998, Ohlmeyer had [[Norm Macdonald]] fired from his role as anchor of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''{{'}}s popular ''[[Weekend Update]]'' segment, claiming supposedly declining ratings and a drop-off in quality as the reason. It is widely speculated that the actual reason for the decision was retaliation for Macdonald's inclusion of a series of scathing jokes calling [[O. J. Simpson]] a murderer during and after his [[O. J. Simpson murder case|murder trial]] (1994–95).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/03/arts/tv-notes-ohlmeyer-vs-macdonald.html |title=TV Notes; Ohlmeyer Vs. Macdonald |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |author=Bill Carter |date=June 3, 1998 |access-date=December 24, 2015}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The jokes were written primarily by Macdonald and longtime ''SNL'' writer [[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]], who was fired from ''SNL'' outright at the same time (Downey was rehired in 2000). Downey said later that Ohlmeyer and Simpson were good friends.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://splitsider.com/2014/06/snls-james-downey-on-working-with-norm-macdonald-and-getting-fired-for-making-fun-of-oj-simpson/ |title='SNL's James Downey on Working with Norm Macdonald and Getting Fired for Making Fun of OJ Simpson |author=Mike Sacks |date=June 24, 2014 |access-date=December 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225082839/http://splitsider.com/2014/06/snls-james-downey-on-working-with-norm-macdonald-and-getting-fired-for-making-fun-of-oj-simpson/ |archive-date=December 25, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Shortly after Macdonald was taken off the ''Weekend Update'' desk, [[David Letterman]] (during a taping of the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman|Late Show]]'') called Ohlmeyer an "idiot" and made a reference to his [[alcoholism]] by labelling him "[[Happy hour|Happy Hour]] Don".<ref>{{cite news|first=Ray |last=Richmond |url=https://www.variety.com/vstory/VR1117466648.html?categoryid=38&cs=1 |title=Ohlmeyer checks into Ford Center |periodical=Variety |publisher=[[Reed Business Information|Cahners Business Information]] |date=December 6, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418105627/http://www.variety.com/vstory/VR1117466648.html?categoryid=38&cs=1 |archive-date=April 18, 2007}}</ref> Letterman later reconsidered and had the remarks removed for broadcast, but the comment was publicized shortly thereafter in a report in the ''[[New York Post]]''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Adam |last=Buckman |title=Situation Norm-al: Macdonald show forced to change name |url=https://nypost.com/1999/07/27/situation-norm-al-macdonald-show-forced-to-change-name/ |newspaper=[[New York Post]] |publisher=[[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] |date=July 28, 1999}}</ref> During subsequent televised interviews with Macdonald, Letterman stated that Ohlmeyer "fancies himself creative" and disparaged that notion, saying "Here's a man who could not create gas after a bean dinner".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6ke6O4Q8tI "Norm Macdonald Collection on Letterman, Part 3 of 5: 1998"], videos of Macdonald on the [[CBS]] weeknight program ''Late Show with David Letterman''; begin compilation at timestamp 21:18, which is part of the March 6, 1998 episode and subtitled "'Dirty Work' opening in May (later, moved back to June)"; all videos, uploaded by Don Giller, November 23, 2019. Retrieved via [[YouTube]] ([[San Bruno, California]]), May 27, 2023.</ref>

In an appearance on [[Live with Kelly and Ryan|''Live with Regis and Kathie Lee'']], Macdonald said, "Ohlmeyer is best friends with O.J. Simpson. If he can like O.J. Simpson, he can like me."<ref>{{cite video|title=Norm Macdonald Live with Regis and Kathie Lee 06 04 1998|date=June 4, 1998|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=Fos0p6rG6Kc}}</ref>

Ohlmeyer's animosity toward Macdonald continued when he caused NBC to block a promo spot for Macdonald's 1998 film ''[[Dirty Work (1998 film)|Dirty Work]]'' from airing and would not allow the film studio to buy air time during other times to promote the film.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ryan|first=Joal|title=NBC Nixes Norm...Again!|url=http://beta.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,3093,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070718134749/http://beta.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,3093,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-07-18|publisher=[[E!]]Online|date=1998-06-02|access-date=2018-10-07}}.</ref> Ohlmeyer said, "I just don't think it would be appropriate for us to turn around and take a check for a movie that's promoting somebody who has badmouthed ''Saturday Night Live'' and NBC."<ref>[https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1998-06-04-9806030375-story.html Norm, Don Feud is Down and Dirty.] ''Sun Sentinel''. June 4, 1998.</ref> However, Ohlmeyer was later overruled by his bosses.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hontz|first=Jenny|url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/norm-warms-to-tv-1117478370/|title=Norm warms to TV|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=1998-07-13|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref>

In September 2021, following Macdonald's death, ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien|Late Night]]'' host [[Conan O'Brien]] revealed that Ohlmeyer had ordered him to stop booking Macdonald as a guest. O'Brien protested and ultimately won out, later booking him numerous times in the years that followed while he was at NBC.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Holub |first1=Christian |title=Conan O'Brien says ex–NBC exec tried to ban Norm Macdonald from his show |url=https://ew.com/tv/conan-o-brien-says-nbc-exec-tried-to-ban-norm-macdonald-from-his-late-night-show/ |access-date=17 September 2021 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}}</ref>

===Return to ''Monday Night Football''===
After his time at NBC, Ohlmeyer was lured out of retirement in 2000 to spark interest and provide some vigor to the ''MNF'' broadcast. Besides the on-air talent, Ohlmeyer's changes included clips of players introducing themselves, new graphics, use of a sideline [[Steadicam]], and music. In another temporary change, the [[score bug]] used nicknames of teams, such as "Skins" and "Fins", instead of the teams' actual names or cities (the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins, in this instance). He also made the controversial decision to hire comedian [[Dennis Miller]] to join [[Al Michaels]] and [[Dan Fouts]] in the broadcast booth, an experiment since widely regarded as a failure.<ref>{{cite news
| url        = http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/09/best-worst-monday-night-football-announcers-rankings-espn-abc
| title      = Ranking every 'Monday Night Football' announcer ever
| newspaper = [[USA Today]]
| publisher = [[Gannett Company]]
| author     = Chris Chase
| date       = September 15, 2015
| access-date = December 27, 2015
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| url        = http://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dennis-miller-is-a-jerk-and-other-lessons-learned-in-allen-last-saturday-7086632
| title      = Dennis Miller Is a Jerk, and Other Lessons Learned in Allen Last Saturday
| newspaper = [[Dallas Observer]]
| publisher  = [[Voice Media Group]]
| author     = Jaime-Paul Falcon
| date       = October 21, 2013
| access-date = December 27, 2015
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url        = http://awfulannouncing.com/2012-articles/top-10-sports-media-busts.html
| title      = Top 10 Sports Media Busts
| work       = Awful Announcing
| author     = Ryan Yoder
| date       = January 25, 2012
| access-date = December 27, 2015
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| url        = http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20100302tvguide01
| title      = TV Guide Network's "25 Biggest TV Blunders"
| website = [[The Futon Critic]]
| date       = March 2, 2010
| access-date = December 27, 2015
}}</ref>

Ohlmeyer left ''Monday Night Football'' after one season. Ratings for the program had dropped 7% compared to the previous year.<ref>Gabriel Spitzer, [http://medialifemagazine.com/news2001/mar01/mar05/2_tues/news1tuesday.html "Ohlmeyer exits Monday Night Football,"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025051537/http://medialifemagazine.com/news2001/mar01/mar05/2_tues/news1tuesday.html |date=October 25, 2006 }} ''Media Life''.</ref>

He later served as [[ombudsman]] for ESPN.com for 18 months between 2009 and 2011.<ref>Don Ohlmeyer,[https://www.espn.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=ohlmeyer_don&id=6063051 "Can you hear me now?"],''[[ESPN]].com'' January 26, 2011</ref>

===Death===
After a month of poor health, Ohlmeyer died from cancer in [[Indian Wells, California]], on September 10, 2017, at the age of 72.<ref name="nytobit">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/sports/don-ohlmeyer-dead-television-abc-nbc.html |title=Don Ohlmeyer, 'Monday Night Football' Producer, Dies at 72 |first=Richard |last=Sandomir |author-link=Richard Sandomir |newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/don-ohlmeyer-man-who-fired-norm-macdonald-snl-dies-at-72-1037491 |title=Don Ohlmeyer, Former NBC West Coast President, Dies at 72 |first=Abid |last=Rahman |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |publisher=[[Eldridge Industries]] |date=September 10, 2017 |issn=0018-3660}}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1996, Ohlmeyer was admitted into rehab for [[alcohol abuse]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-06-fi-6233-story.html|title = Archives|website = [[Los Angeles Times]]| date=December 6, 1996 }}</ref> 

[[Jamie Tarses]], an executive at NBC, had accused Ohlmeyer of [[sexual harassment]]. Both parties refused to talk about it on the record, and charges were dropped. Tarses was let out of her contract and became president at [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].<ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/13/magazine/jamie-tarses-fall-as-scheduled.html|title = Jamie Tarses' Fall, as Scheduled|newspaper = [[The New York Times]]|date = July 13, 1997|last1 = Hirschberg|first1 = Lynn}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
{{Unsourced|section|date=June 2023}}
Ohlmeyer was honored with 16 [[Emmys]], including the [[Lifetime Achievement Award]], two [[Peabody Awards]], [[Cine Golden Eagle]] Award, [[Miami International Film Festival]] Award, [[National Film Board]] Award, [[Glaad]] Media Award, and three [[Humanitas Prizes]]. In 2007, he received the [[Lifetime Achievement in Sports Broadcasting]] from the [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]], and in 2008 was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

===Credits (partial)===
====Television series====
* 1972–76 ''Monday Night Football'' (producer)
* 1980 ''[[Games People Play (1980 TV series)|Games People Play]]''
* 1990 ''[[Lifestories]]'' (director/executive producer)
* 2000–01 ''Monday Night Football'' (executive producer)

====Made-for-television movies====
* 1980 ''The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story''
* 1983 ''Special Bulletin'' (executive producer)
* 1986 ''Under Siege''
* 1987 ''[[Right to Die (film)|Right to Die]]''
* 1989 ''[[Cold Sassy Tree]]'' (executive producer)
* 1991 ''[[The Heroes of Desert Storm]]'' (executive producer/director)
* 1992 ''[[Crazy in Love (film)|Crazy in Love]]''

====Television specials====
* 1972 [[1972 Summer Olympics|''XX Summer Olympic Games'']] (director)
* 1976 [[1976 Summer Olympics|''XXI Summer Olympic Games'']] (director)
* 1976 [[1976 Winter Olympics|''XII Winter Olympic Games'']] (director)
* 1977 ''[[Primetime Emmy Award|The 29th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards]]'' (producer)
* 1977 ''Us Against the World'' (also director)
* 1980 [[1980 Summer Olympics|''XXII Summer Olympic Games'']] (executive producer)
* 1988 ''Crimes of the Century''
* 1988 ''[[Indianapolis 500|The 72nd Indianapolis 500]]'' (director)
* 1989 ''Walt Disney World's 4th of July Spectacular'' (also director)<!-- leave as "4th of July" - actual title -->
* 1990 ''Disney's Christmas on Ice''

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/O/htmlO/ohlmeyerdon/ohlmeyerson.htm The Museum of Broadcast Communications Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061213085239/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/O/htmlO/ohlmeyerdon/ohlmeyerson.htm |date=December 13, 2006 }}
* Jen Clay, [https://web.archive.org/web/20060901111808/http://graphic.pepperdine.edu/perspectives/2004/2004-03-25-don.htm " 'Don' of a New Era," ''Pepperdine University Graphic''], March 25, 2004.
* {{EmmyTVLegends name|don-ohlmeyer}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090705084800/http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/04/don_ohlmeyer_receives_lifetime.php Don Ohlmeyer Receives Lifetime Achievement Award]
* [https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=4327128 Don Ohlmeyer hired as ESPN Ombudsman]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081221174756/http://www.sportsvideo.org/portal/hof/articles/publish/Ohlmeyer.shtml Don Ohlmeyer inducted into Sports Broadcasting HOF ]
* [https://www.espn.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=ohlmeyer_don&id=4381738 Don Ohlmeyer's ESPN Biography]

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{{succession box | title=President, West Coast [[NBC]] | before=position established | after=[[Scott Sassa]] | years=1993-1999}}
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{{Sports Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{CEOs of NBC}}
{{Presidents of NBC Sports}}
{{ABC's Wide World of Sports}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohlmeyer, Don}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:American television executives]]
[[Category:American television producers]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Greater Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from New Orleans]]
[[Category:Sports Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:NBC executives]]
[[Category:NBC West Coast presidents]]
[[Category:NBC Daytime executives]]
[[Category:Glenbrook North High School alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]