Bonnie Hammer’s Hit Factory - Inside the USA Network's Winning Streak

Bonnie Hammer, a 33-year veteran of the television industry, knows about pressure. Since she took over in 2004, USA has produced a string of hits. Among other assignments, she inherited oversight of World Wrestling Entertainment, a pillar of USA's programming. Televised wrestling dates back to the earliest days of the medium in the late 1940s, and USA's Monday Night Raw, with its mix of scripted faux drama, acrobatic athleticism, and over-the-top shtik, is the longest-running prime-time cable program in history. Unlike the network's boss at the time, Hammer fashioned a warm working relationship with WWE owner Vince McMahon. She also approached the wrestling franchise like any other show, offering notes on how to improve plotlines and story arcs. Hammer even persuaded McMahon to hire soap-opera and comedy writers, and used cross-promotion by casting wrestlers in USA shows. She arbitrated some of WWE's less tasteful tendencies: for one live episode, in which one wrestler used a machete to attempt to castrate an opponent, Hammer stayed on the phone with the cameraman while watching from home, instructing him on precisely when to pull the camera away. WWE's ratings, already high, soared further, helping push USA toward the top of the cable rankings...More?

source: newsweek.com