Rose Catherine Pinkney is a versatile television executive, who has been both a buyer and a seller having worked for networks, studios and independent production companies. She has developed content in the scripted arena (comedy, drama, movies and miniseries) as well as the unscripted arena (alternative, reality, reality-competition, comedy, variety, talk, game shows, docu-series, documentaries and specials). Highly regarded by her peers, this Princeton University graduate and UCLA Anderson School of Management alumna is known for both her creative abilities as well as her business acumen.
Rose Catherine is currently Sr. Vice President, Scripted Programming at BET where she leads the development and current team in scripted programming. In this role, she is charged with developing new scripted content for BET network and BET+, the recently launched streaming platform as well as overseeing current productions. During her tenure she has been involved in a variety of projects including Being Mary Jane (series and finale movie), Real Husbands of Hollywood (series and upcoming movie), Tales, a Hip Hop Anthology, American Soul, a period drama focusing on the iconic and complicated Don Cornelius, Games People Play, The Comedy Get Down and the critically acclaimed Twenties. She also works with the acquisition team on some movie co-productions.
Before BET, Rose Catherine consulted for ABC Network where she covered comedies for the Current Programming Department. These included returning hits The Goldbergs and Fresh Off the Boat as well as new entries Dr. Ken and The Real O'Neals. Under her care, both new shows that were up for back nine pick-ups received them.
Prior to ABC, she served as VP, Development and Original Programming at TV Land. There she developed new series for Viacom network’s “hipper” rebrand which included the critically acclaimed Younger, and The Jim Gaffigan Show as well as more traditional content such as Kirstie and the Candid Camera reboot. At TV Land, she also oversaw The Exes and Happily Divorced.
As Head of Television and Producer at Cinema Gypsy Productions (Laurence Fishburne’s company), she developed content for the broadcast and cable networks that spanned drama, comedy, TV movies and miniseries as well as unscripted projects. She launched the TV division of the Oscar-nominated actor and producer’s company and managed their first look deal with CBS Television Studios. She also sold projects to broadcast and cable networks including FOX, CBS and Lifetime in addition to developing the TV Movie “Wedding Planner Mysteries” which aired on Hallmark Channel in Fall 2014.
Prior to working for Fishburne’s production company, Rose Catherine served as the Executive Vice President of Programming & Production at TV One. As Head of Programming, she was charged with formulating a programming philosophy and branding for the start-up network which was, at the time, distributed in forty-three million households. At TV One, she made all programming decisions which included green-lighting original productions and selecting projects for acquisition. She also oversaw program planning and scheduling, research, casting, talent relations and VOD. Notable shows during her term include the long running hit Unsung, Bill Bellamy’s Whose Got Jokes? and Baisden After Dark. She won the network’s first NAACP Image Awards for Unsung and several White House Interview specials.
As Senior VP and Head of the Comedy Development department at Paramount Network Television, Rose Catherine was in charge of the development of comedy series which included identifying concepts, writers, directors, and talent as well as cultivating the studio’s A-list roster of writers. During her time at Paramount, she sold more than 30 series across all six broadcast networks including Andy Richter Controls the Universe (FOX), Becker (CBS) and Girlfriends (UPN).
Between TV jobs, Rose Catherine developed and co-produced the popular romantic comedy movie Def Jam’s How To Be A Player; released by Island Pictures/Polygram.
At Uptown Entertainment (MCA/Universal Based Production Company), as VP and Head of Television, Rose Catherine developed the FOX hit New York Undercover shortly after leaving her first executive job in the industry at Twentieth Century Fox Television. At the studio, as Manager and then Director of Programming, she helped develop the cutting-edge series X-Files, South Central and Alien Nation and covered In Living Color for several seasons. She also volunteered to oversee Twentieth Century Fox’s Television Writer Training Program where she was responsible for launching the careers of several successful writers.
Rose Catherine has been involved in a host of organizations over the years. Recently she has been a mentor in the Sundance Creative Summit for filmmakers as well as at their Episodic Lab. She is the treasurer of Colour Entertainment Group which recently received its 501 c3 status. Rose Catherine believes that knowledge is power so often sits on industry panels.
Rose Catherine’s early career includes stints as an assistant to a TV packaging agent at CAA, a freelance story editor, a radio reporter and commercial producer.
Rose Catherine received an M.B.A. in Entertainment Management and Marketing from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and has a B.A. in sociology with an emphasis in Communications and Economics from Princeton University.