TBS Taps Michael Bloom To Head Unscripted Series, Specials

Turner Thursday named industry veteran Michael Bloom as its senior vice president of unscripted series and specials.

Bloom, who will officially join the company June 20, will oversee the creative development and production of unscripted content across platforms for both TNT and TBS, according to the company.

Bloom was most recently senior vice president of IMG’s Original Content group. where he was instrumental in forging the architecture for ELeague, the eSports co-venture between Turner and WME.  Prior to IMG, Bloom served as executive development consultant for AMC, where he helped established the non-fiction programming department and AMC’s first non-fiction series including The Talking Dead and Comic Book Men.  

"We have ambitions to inject some different thinking in the unscripted arena,” said Kevin Reilly, president of TNT and TBS and chief creative officer of Turner Entertainment, to whom Bloom will report. “I've known and worked with Michael for years and I'm looking forward to what comes from having his tremendous energy and relationships aimed at that target."

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.