Albie Hecht, president of Spike TV, announced his resignation today (Jan. 31, 2005) due to creative differences.
Hecht oversaw the transformation of TNN into Spike TV, the first network for men. At Spike TV, Hecht showcased an original, new adult animation block entitled, THE STRIP, a weekly two-hour animation block including GARY THE RAT, starring Kelsey Grammer, Stan Lee's STRIPPERELLA, starring Pamela Anderson and John Kricfalusi's REN & STIMPY ADULT PARTY CARTOON. He also launched MXC, MOST EXTREME ELIMINATION CHALLENGE, and the networks' first two signature events, THE VIDEO GAME AWARDS and AUTOROX, the first car awards show.
"As Spike TV's first president, Albie Hecht, led the effort to create the first network for men, said Herb Scannell, MTV Networks Group president. He's a talented producer and executive who will be missed. Albie has accomplished much as a producer in film and television and we're beginning discussions about how he might continue working with our company in those capacities."
"I feel immensely satisfied in the job that I have done and I've told Herb and the company that I will do everything to make this transition as smooth as possible," offered Hecht.
Prior to coming to Spike, Hecht was president, film and television entertainment for Nickelodeon where he developed and exec produced THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE and LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, which, together, turned in more than $200 million at the box office. Hecht also served as the exec producer of RUGRATS: THE MOVIE, RUGRATS IN PARIS and THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON.
In television, Hecht developed SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, THE FAIRLY ODD PARENTS, BLUE'S CLUES, and the long running live-action hit All That, the first multicultural sketch comedy show for kids, which spun off the hit series' KENAN AND KEL, and THE AMANDA SHOW. He also created and exec produced THE KIDS CHOICE AWARDS.
Hecht also supervised the creation of Nickelodeon's first television animation studio in Los Angeles and Nickelodeon's first digital animation studio in New York.
Spike TV (www.spiketv.com) is available in 87 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks.MTV is a division of Viacom International Inc.
