Fred Seibert

Fred Seibert is an American television producer, co-founder of MTV and the CEO of FredFilms, an animation production company based in Burbank, California. His official biography states he has led five (working) lives. He has held leading positions with MTV Networks, Hanna-Barbera, Next New Networks, and (founded) Frederator Studios and Networks. Seibert is an angel investor in several technology and media start-ups, has produced live action and animated programs for cable television and the internet, and began his professional career as a jazz and blues record producer. Seibert's work has been honored in numerous fields. In music production his production has been nominated for a Grammy Award, he has received an AIGA Medal for lifetime exceptional achievements, he is a member of the Animation Magazine Hall of Fame and has been awarded several Annie Awards and Emmy Awards for his television productions. Animated cartoons In his time working in cartoons at three studios, Seibert has helped jumpstart the creator careers of over 100 animated filmmakers, including people like Genndy Tartakovsky, Pendleton Ward, Butch Hartman, Kevin Kolde, Craig McCracken, David Feiss, Van Partible, John Dilworth, Larry Huber, Rob Renzetti, Eric Robles, Breehn Burns, Bill Burnett, Elyse Castro, Mike Rosenthal, James Kochalka, Bob Boyle, Warren Ellis and Natasha Allegri. From 1992 until 1996, as the last president of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon studio, Seibert was able to reinvigorate the company's creative reputation with the establishment of the animation incubator What a Cartoon!. Modeled on the Golden Age of mid-20th century cartoons, the 48 short films from creators around the world, Hanna-Barbera was able to launch seven hit series after a dry spell since the launch of The Smurfs in 1981 for NBC. The shows included Genndy Tartakovsky's Dexter's Laboratory, David Feiss' Cow and Chicken and I Am Weasel, Van Partible's Johnny Bravo, John R. Dilworth's Courage the Cowardly Dog, and Craig McCracken's The Powerpuff Girls. After Ted Turner included Hanna-Barbera in Turner Broadcasting's 1996 sale to Time Warner, Seibert established Frederator Studios as an independent animation producer based in Burbank, California.