Jac Venza, Pioneer of Cultural Television, Died at 97

Jac Venza, a pioneer in bringing performing arts to public television and a former IMZ board member, has passed away at the age of 97.

“I will come away from the system without a large bank account or a swimming pool, or owning one of those programs I produced. What I will have 20 years from now, a lot of people in television won’t have. Our programs won’t spoil. They will be in schools and in videodisc collections. What we have won’t diminish with age.”

Jac Venza, the visionary public television producer who brought performing arts to American households through iconic programmes like Great Performances died last week at 97. We mourn the loss of a true pioneer, whose vision has been instrumental in shaping our industry.

Born in Chicago in 1926, Venza began in set design before transitioning to television production at CBS and later National Educational Television, now The WNET Group. As creator and Executive Producer of PBS performing arts television series Great Performances, he introduced millions to the arts, featuring artists like George Balanchine and Leonard Bernstein. He headed the Cultural & Arts Programs of Thirteen/WNET until his retirement in 2004.

Venza’s role in bringing performing arts to public television cannot be overstated. His work earned him numerous awards, including ten Primetime Emmy Awards and the International Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Jac Venza was not only influential for our entire industry but also for the IMZ. It has been an honour to have had him as an IMZ Board Member. For many years, he was a familiar face at Avant Première and dancescreen, contributing his expertise and passion to our network. His unwavering dedication to cultural film and television will be greatly missed.