Illustration by Orianna Fenwick.
Bonnie Hammer’s Next Chapter
After four decades in televison, the Emmy-winning media executive is guided by pure excitement. She hopes her new book will help other women succeed.
Bonnie Hammer’s home office is filled with the trophies of a long and storied career. Some are personal, like the decorative arrow (sometimes called a “prayer arrow”) that reminds her that a new perspective (and a little faith) can turn a tough situation around. Some are inspiring, like the framed black-andwhite family- and television-related photographs Hammer took—a nod to the creative outlet that still fuels her today. And some are literal trophies: two Emmy Awards sit just behind her, a testament to the quality of her instincts and vision. Hammer has led television networks, including USA and SYFY, to 167 Emmy nominations for shows including Monk and Battlestar Galactica.
After graduating from Boston University, Hammer (CGS’69, COM’71, Wheelock’75, Hon.’17) got her start at WGBH, the public television station in Boston, as a postproduction supervisor on ZOOM and then an associate producer on This Old House. Slowly—and, Hammer will tell you, circuitously—she took on more responsibility within bigger and bigger networks. Today, she is vice chair for NBCUniversal; in 2020, she launched NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock, which hosts original shows such as Dr. Death as well as series from NBCUniversal’s library of titles, including Suits and the Emmy-nominated The Sinner—both of which come from Hammer’s cable portfolio.
Along the way, Hammer has picked up a number of awards for her professional and activist work. She’s consistently been named to Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100, an annual list of the most influential women in Hollywood, and she was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2007. In 1996, while Hammer was at USA Network, she spearheaded an antidiscrimination campaign called “Erase the Hate.” It earned a National Emmy Governors Award, an honor that recognizes transformational contributions to the television industry.
After 40-plus years in the business she is embarking on another, more personal, venture. This spring, 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work… And the Truth We Need to Succeed will be published by Simon & Schuster. She describes it as “a pocket mentor” for women in corporate America, pulled from her own experiences with the goal of debunking the trite advice women often receive, and replacing it with lessons that are actually helpful.
COM/365 spoke to Hammer about her career, the state of television and what’s next for a person who has reached the highest echelons of the business.
Q&A
With Bonnie Hammer
COMtalk: Your book comes out this spring. What has the writing process been like?
Bonnie Hammer: As someone who’s worked successfully in media all my life, this foray into writing and publishing has been sobering. It’s not a memoir, but it draws on my life experiences and calls for a lot of introspection and digging deep inside. Though it’s been more work than I ever could have imagined, it has also been extremely fulfilling. Trying to do something you’ve never done before really does take a village!
I’ve been a mentor—especially for women—for virtually my entire career, and my book will serve as a kind of “pocket mentor” for anyone who wants to get ahead in the corporate world. The book calls BS on all the clichés that women are taught to believe and have become conventional wisdom—but actually serve as barriers and self-sabotage to advancement in real life.
One example is, fake it until you make it.
My point of view is, the minute you start faking something, the minute you start leading people to believe that you can do things that you really can’t, they turn into lies, and those lies build on other lies. So, it puts you in a situation where you can’t win. My belief is, don’t fake anything; make it by learning, getting advice, talking to people, trying to figure out the capabilities you’ll need to get somewhere.
COMtalk: What makes a good mentor?
Bonnie Hammer: Mentors come in two flavors: sweet/supporting and spicy/challenging. My father was the first type—nurturing and encouraging, leading by example. He convinced me I could do anything I set my mind to. The word “can’t” wasn’t in his vocabulary—if I felt I couldn’t do something, according to my dad, I just wasn’t trying hard enough. A couple of early bosses at WGBH were like that too—patient and understanding while they taught me the ropes.
The spicy/challenging types are all about tough love, and they’re the ones that you might actually learn the most from. They push you beyond your limits and teach you grace under fire. They force you to build up your inner resources so you can thrive in just about any circumstances you find yourself in. I’ve had a few challenging mentors in my time, but Barry Diller [longtime media executive] was—and still is—the all-time champ.
COMtalk: Would you say you’re more of a sweet or spicy mentor?
Bonnie Hammer: There is a flavor trend called “swicy”—which, you guessed it, is the mixing of sweet and spicy into one product. Think mango salsa, jalapeno margarita or hot honey. With that in mind, I would say that my mentorship style is swicy, a sweet-and-spicy combo of supportive and challenging—and everyone needs both. These days as a mentor, I challenge, I support, I push and I hug.
COMtalk: Do any mentors—or lessons—stand out from your
time at BU?
Bonnie Hammer: The person who stands out most for me was the most challenging mentor I had ever encountered to that point—the late Harris Smith, a brilliant ex-Army sergeant who taught photography and ran his darkroom like a boot camp.
In those predigital days, you weren’t able to take dozens of shots at a click or instantly delete unwanted images. Harris wouldn’t tolerate a wasted frame, so he made us submit our contact sheets—a relic of those bygone days—to make sure every photo was clearly thought out. He taught me to frame and capture an entire story in a single shot. To this day, I attribute my attention to detail in my life and job to Harris.
COMtalk: You’ve had a hand in bringing a wide range of shows to the small screen. How do you know when something will work?
Bonnie Hammer: The common denominators in virtually all successful content are strong, authentic characters, inspired casting and compelling storytelling. If you have all three, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, but it will definitely minimize the chance of failure.
A great example of that theory in action was USA Network’s content strategy. We had a checklist for anything we green-lit: a show needed strong characters; drama with a touch of humor; blue skies, literally and figuratively; and an aspirational tone. That brand filter made USA the top-rated cable network for 13 consecutive years, with hits such as Royal Pains, Psych, Burn Notice and White Collar.
Of course, you also need flexibility in order to adapt to shifts in culture and in our audiences. We launched Mr. Robot, a huge critical and ratings hit, when we sensed an appetite for darker, more complex fare. The show satisfied the most critical USA criteria—strong characters and compelling storytelling—but it was certainly darker than our previous content. But it was conscious risk-taking. I was surrounded by the best team in the business, and it was a totally collaborative process.
COMtalk: There’s been much ado about the state of television and about the financial feasibility of supporting content on streamers. What’s your outlook?
Bonnie Hammer: The TV business has always been about change—from black and white to color, from broadcast to cable, from videotape to DVDs, from DVR to streaming. But through all the changes in tech, one thing has never changed—people’s desire for great content. And they’ll find it—wherever it lives and however it’s delivered. The business will adapt as it always has.
COMtalk: Does your book mark the end of a long and successful career? A new chapter? (Pardon the pun.)
Bonnie Hammer: It definitely does not mark the end of it! In fact, I feel like I did when I first started in this business, guided by pure excitement and agenda-free passion.
I often think about this in football terminology—we speak a lot of “footballese” in our house. When quarterbacks talk about why they become better as they get older, they say it’s because the speed of play seems to slow down in their mind’s eye. They’re able to focus only on what’s important—like knowing when to change a play and knowing who should get the ball. They also develop an intuitive sense of when a big defensive lineman is about to flatten them. Most impressively, they are able to do this quickly and decisively. I’m told that Tom Brady—one of the oldest quarterbacks to ever play— would get rid of the ball a half second faster than his peers. There may be players on the field who are faster and stronger, [but] sometimes the more experienced guys have a little something extra that can make the difference. I can relate to the idea that over time you develop an intuitive, big-picture sense of what’s happening on the field, whatever field it may be.
Today I feel far more focused, more intuitively decisive, much less afraid to take risks. I feel energized and eager. Most important, I’m having fun. Why would I stop when I am having so much fun?
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
