Grant Tinker

Grant Almerin Tinker (January 11, 1926 – November 28, 2016) was an American television executive who served as Chairman and CEO of NBC from 1981 to 1986. Additionally, he was the co-founder of MTM Enterprises and a television producer.

Grant Tinker
Grant Tinker at the 64th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2005
Born
Grant Almerin Tinker

(1926-01-11)January 11, 1926
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedNovember 28, 2016(2016-11-28) (aged 90)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materDartmouth College
OccupationTelevision producer and executive
Known forCEO of NBC (1981–86)
Spouse(s)
Ruth Byerly
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(m. 1950; div. 1962)​

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(m. 1962; div. 1981)​

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(m. 2004)​
Children4, including Mark and John Tinker
AwardsTelevision Hall of Fame (1997)

Life and career

Tinker was born in Stamford, Connecticut, the son of Margaret (née Hessin) and Arthur Almerin Tinker.[1][2]

During World War II, Tinker served in the United States Army Air Forces Reserve. He graduated from Dartmouth College. His sons, Mark and John, are also television producers. In 1961, Tinker rejoined NBC and was the head of West Coast programming, where he developed I Spy, Dr. Kildare, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.[3]

Tinker married Mary Tyler Moore in 1962. In 1969, they formed the television production company MTM Enterprises. Tinker hired Room 222 writers James L. Brooks and Allan Burns to create and produce the company's first television series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. MTM produced such popular American sitcoms and drama television series as Rhoda, The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues, and St. Elsewhere. After his divorce from Moore in 1981, Tinker left MTM to become the chairman and CEO of NBC, then the perennial last-place American television network (in terms of Nielsen ratings and profits). During Tinker's tenure in NBC's top position, the network regained ratings and produced the popular shows The Cosby Show, Family Ties, The Golden Girls, Cheers, Night Court, and Hill Street Blues. Tinker left the network in 1986, shortly after its parent company RCA was bought by General Electric. After leaving NBC, Tinker tried to repeat his success with MTM by forming GTG (Grant Tinker-Gannett) Entertainment, but the business venture failed and the company closed in 1990.

Personal life

Tinker was married three times. In 1950 he married Ruth Byerly, with whom he had three sons and a daughter: Mark (b. 1951), Mike (b. 1952), Jodie (b. 1954) and John (b. 1958).[4] Mark and John are successful producers. Tinker's marriage to Byerly ended in divorce in 1962.[4] Later that same year, Tinker married actress Mary Tyler Moore. This marriage also ended in divorce in 1981, though they had separated in 1979, following a 1973 breakup and patch-up. Tinker's third marriage was in 2004 to aviator Brooke Knapp, to whom he remained married until his death in 2016.

Death

Tinker died at his Los Angeles home on November 28, 2016, at the age of 90.[3] His death came just two months before the death of his ex-wife Mary Tyler Moore.[5]

Awards and honors

References
  1. "Miss Ruth Byerly Connecticut Bride; a Bridal Couple, a Bride and an Engaged Girl". The New York Times. 1950-03-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  2. "Arthur Almerin Tinker". longislandsurnames.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  3. McFadden, Robert D. (2016-11-30). "Grant Tinker, Former Chairman of NBC, Dies at 90; Made Network a Ratings Powerhouse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  4. Shah, Diane K. (1987-10-25). "Starting Over: Tv's Grant Tinker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  5. Heffernan, Virginia (2017-01-25). "Mary Tyler Moore, Who Incarnated the Modern Woman on TV, Dies at 80". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  6. "Personal Award: Grant Tinker". Peabody Award. Winter 2004.

Further reading
  • Tinker, Grant; Rukeyser, Bud (1994). Tinker in Television: From General Sarnoff to General Electric. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0671759407.

Find A Grave

Business positions
Preceded by
Fred Silverman		 CEO of NBC
1981–1986		 Succeeded by
Bob Wright
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