Starz Entertainment has elevated Marta Fernandez and Karen Bailey to senior vice presidents of original programming.
Based in Beverly Hills, Fernandez and Bailey have contributed to the early successes of Starz in the originals space and will be instrumental as the company ramps up its original programming slate in the future, a slate that includes
"Da Vinci's Demons" (2013) with David Goyer and BBC Worldwide Productions, "Spartacus: War of the Damned (2013)," "Magic City," season two (2013), and the pirate drama "Black Sails" (2014) from Michael Bay and Jon Steinberg.
"I am extremely pleased to announce the well-deserved promotions of Marta Fernandez and Karen Bailey to senior vice presidents of original programming," said Carmi Zlotnik managing director in announcing the promotions. "Our programming efforts are becoming increasingly more ambitious, and Marta and Karen have not only been instrumental in building up Starz in the early days of its entrance into originals, but they will be a driving force for our future original programming expansion as well."
Fernandez has been with the network since 2007. Promoted to vice president of originals at Starz Entertainment in 2010, she took the lead on the creative development and production of the highly rated "Spartacus" franchise ("Blood and Sand," "Gods of the Arena," "Vengeance," and "War of the Damned"), the critically acclaimed series, "Boss," and upcoming series including "Da Vinci's Demons" with David Goyer, and "Black Sails" from Michael Bay and Jon Steinberg.
Bailey joined Starz in 2006 as a feature producer, overseeing the development and production for the company's studio slate of television movies and mini-series for external networks such as Syfy, Lifetime and IFC. Bailey also served as executive producer on a number of projects for Starz's home entertainment division, Anchor Bay Films. Promoted to vice president of production in 2010, Bailey oversaw the production for early STARZ Original series, "Crash" and "Party Down," and later "Spartacus." In 2011, Bailey joined the creative development division as vice president of original programming overseeing the STARZ Original series, "Magic City," in Miami. Bailey has been a key contributor in expanding STARZ Original series production into the global community, resulting in successful partnerships with production entities in New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and China.
