Executive Vice President, Touchstone Television
Howard Davine serves as executive vice president of Touchstone Television, the TV production studio of the Walt Disney Company, which develops and produces primetime television programming for network broadcast and cable exhibition.
In his role as executive vice president, Mr. Davine oversees Business Affairs and Administration for Touchstone Television. The studio’s slate for the 2006-07 television season encompasses 16 productions, including the top-rated Grey’s Anatomy, the Emmy Award-winning drama Lost and Best Comedy Golden Globe winner Desperate Housewives.
As head of Business Affairs, Mr. Davine is Touchstone’s chief dealmaker, managing a team of executives that structures and negotiates the studio’s business dealings with “above-the-line” talent – writers, producers, directors and actors; networks and other exhibitors that license the studio’s programming; and emerging technological platforms on which the studio’s content is distributed. Mr. Davine also oversees all administrative aspects of the studio, including human resources, and manages Touchstone’s relationships with Disney’s key distribution arms: Buena Vista International Television, Buena Vista Television, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and the Digital Media division of the Disney-ABC Television Group.
Mr. Davine joined Touchstone Television in 1995 as vice president, Business Affairs. He was promoted to senior vice president in 1998 and to executive vice president in 2000. Prior to joining Disney, Mr. Davine was of counsel to the Century City law firm of Christensen, White, Miller, Fink & Jacobs, where he headed that firm’s entertainment practice.
Touchstone Television has established itself as one of Hollywood's leading production companies, supplying critically acclaimed, quality entertainment to the television industry. For the 2006-07 TV season, Touchstone Television is in production on a slate of 16 new and returning series for broadcast and cable networks. New series Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty, Six Degrees, The Knights of Prosperity, Day Break and In Case of Emergency join the studio's returning successes, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost, According to Jim and What About Brian on ABC. Sophomore seasons of the drama series Criminal Minds and Ghost Whisperer return to CBS’ primetime lineup, while a sixth season of the critically-acclaimed Scrubs airs on NBC. On cable, Dirt, a new dramatic series starring Courteney Cox, will premiere on FX, and a second season has been ordered of ABC Family's hit drama Kyle XY. Additionally, the studio produces ABC’s late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live, and is a distributor for The Amazing Race. Touchstone Television is part of Disney-ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company.
Mr. Davine also serves as a trustee of the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, an international charity providing entertainment-related products and services to seriously ill children.
Mr. Davine is a graduate of Loyola Law School and holds a Masters of Business Taxation degree from the University of Southern California. Married and the father of three, Mr. Davine resides in Los Angeles.