Harold Gronenthal
Senior Vice President & General Manager,
Global & Program Acquisitions
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
As senior vice president and general manager of global and program acquisitions, Harold Gronenthal oversees content acquisitions for and global distribution of Rainbow Media’s AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel, WE tv and Wedding Central. He was named to his current post in March 2007.
In this role, Gronenthal has overseen channel distribution for Sundance Channel in Canada, Belgium, France, Poland, Singapore and South Korea; and WE tv in Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. He has also negotiated global programming deals for AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv. Domestically, Gronenthal has spearheaded numerous deals for Rainbow with major distributors and independent producers. He also works on key productions for the brands, most recently serving as an executive producer on IFC’s critically acclaimed documentary series Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut).
Gronenthal is a 25-year veteran of Rainbow with management experience in many of the key areas of the business, including programming, production, network operations, business affairs, sales, marketing and creative services.
Prior to his current position, Gronenthal served for nearly four years as senior vice president of program acquisitions and administration for Rainbow, overseeing content acquisitions for AMC, IFC and WE tv. In this role, he also began working on global distribution and spearheaded AMC’s launch in Canada. From 2002-2004, he served as vice president of programming for IFC Companies, which consisted of IFC, the network, and IFC Entertainment, Rainbow’s independent film distribution, exhibition and production business. During that time, Gronenthal also played a key role in the development of several of Rainbow’s on demand services and new business, including IFC on Demand, World Picks Networks and Worlds Picks On Demand (now operated by Rainbow’s parent company, Cablevision Systems Corporation), as well as the launch of the entertainment channels for VOOM HD Networks, which was a diverse suite of high-definition channels.
In 2001, Gronenthal became vice president of rights and licensing for Bravo Networks, which then consisted of Bravo (now owned by NBC) and IFC. In this role, Gronenthal helped launch IFC Canada in 2001 and directed the first roll-out of content for international sales in the company’s history.
Previously, Gronenthal worked in Rainbow’s Bravo International division, which managed the Film & Arts network, a leading pan-regional arts and entertainment network in Latin America. From 1999-2001 he served as vice president of network operations. Gronenthal previously served for as Bravo International’s director of programming and scheduling. During his tenure with Bravo International, he was a key contributor to the network’s distribution, ratings, and ad sales growth.
Gronenthal began his career in the regional sports division of the company with four years in escalating roles at PRISM, a Philadelphia-based regional pay sports and movie service then owned and operated by Rainbow. From 1996-1998 he served as director of programming and marketing. Prior to that, Gronenthal served as executive producer for program development at PRISM, helming over 150 original programs and series which earned numerous regional Emmy® awards and nominations. He joined PRISM in 1985 working in public relations and on-air promotions. As director of on-air promotions, he earned the network several key industry honors.
Gronenthal earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English with honors from Haverford College. He is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.