Oliver E. Treyz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Oliver Ernest Treyz (1918-04-23)April 23, 1918 Willowemoc,New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 14, 1998(1998-06-14) (aged 80) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Hamilton College |
| Occupation | Network television executive |
| Years active | 1939–1967 |
| Spouse | Janet Treyz (deceased) |
| Children | Donald C. Treyz James Treyz |
Oliver Ernest Treyz (April 23, 1918 – June 14, 1998) was an American network television executive. Treyz was best known as the racy and controversial president of theAmerican Broadcasting Company. He was promoted from vice president to president in 1958 after the departure ofJames T. Aubrey. He served as network president until 1962.
During his two-year tenure as vice-president and his four-year tenure as president, Treyz was responsible for the creation of several popular and memorable programs includingAdventures in Paradise,Cheyenne,Hawaiian Eye,77 Sunset Strip,Surfside 6,Maverick,The Rifleman andThe Untouchables.[1]
Oliver Ernest Treyz was born on April 23, 1918, inWillowemoc, New York to Harry August Treyz (September 25, 1889–May 26, 1959) and Marthanée Davey (1891–1984). Treyz graduated fromHamilton College in 1939. After graduation, Treyz began his career in broadcasting working at a small radio station inBinghamton, New York. He then went to work at advertising agencyBBDO. During World War II, Treyz served in theArmy Air Corps.
After the war, in 1948, Treyz began his association withABC as a presentation writer for the company's radio division. On November 2, 1953, he was named Director of the ABC Radio Network.[2] Treyz left ABC in 1954 and became the founder and first president of theTelevision Bureau of Advertising, a trade group for local television stations.[1]
On October 17, 1956, Treyz succeededRobert E. Kintner (1909–1980) as vice-president of the television division of theAmerican Broadcasting Company. Kintner stepped down as president due to, what was termed as, "a dispute over policy".[3][4]
The next year on February 17, 1958, Treyz filled in and took over the seat as president of ABC. That position had been filled byLeonard Goldenson, at the time, the president ofAmerican Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, ABC's former parent company, who took over after the sudden departure of former network presidentJames T. Aubrey.[5][6]
During his years as president on ABC, Treyz was responsible for the creation and production of several memorable shows of that era includingHawaiian Eye,77 Sunset Strip,Surfside 6,Maverick,The Rifleman,The Untouchables,The Real McCoys andThe Flintstones.
Bus Stop premiered on ABC in October 1961. Several memorable episodes were produced during the show's single season run. But one in particular,A Lion Walks Among Us, was the end to Treyz's tenure as president of ABC.
The episode originally aired on December 3, 1961. It starred teenage heartthrobFabian Forte and the synopsis of that episode was as follows: "Fabian plays a degenerate drifter capable only of deceit, betrayal and murder. To win acquittal of one charge of murder in the town, he had an affair with the D.A.'s alcoholic wife, and then used that to blackmail the D.A. Once released he killed his own lawyers. And in a perverse 'balance of justice', the D.A.'s wife then killed him."[7]
The episode was highly criticized and caused great controversy due to its depiction and portrayal of what some called "graphic violence". The episode stirred so much controversy that 25 ABC affiliates refused to air the episode.[8] The public outcry was so massive that, in January 1962, theFederal Communications Commission scheduled a congressional hearing to be headed by SenatorThomas J. Dodd.[9]
Neither executive producerRoy Huggins, directorRobert Altman or Goldenson were subpoenaed to the hearing. Instead, Treyz was summoned to the proceedings for his publicly known support to broadcast the episode.[10] After an intense verbal exchange between Treyz and Dodd, the hearings eventually move on to Goldenson. The scandal brought so much shame to the network that Treyz was asked to step down from his position.
In the summer of 1966, warehouse mogulDaniel Overmyer announced plans to create afourth television network to compete against theBig Three television networks and to take the place of the failedDuMont Television Network. The network would be called theOvermyer Network. Overmyer hired Treyz to head the new network.[11]
The Overmyer Network debuted as the United Network on May 1, 1967. Unfortunately, the network folded one month later and Treyz's chance to make a comeback also failed.
Treyz was married to Janet Treyz. They had two sons together; Donald C. Treyz (born 1949) and James Treyz (born 1952). He was widowed. Treyz, who suffered with alcoholism later in life,[1] moved into theActors' Fund Retirement Home inEnglewood, New Jersey in the 1990s. Treyz died June 14, 1998, of kidney failure due to prostate cancer at the age of 80.[1]
He was survived by his two sons and two granddaughters.[12] He is buried with his parents in Orchard Street Cemetery inLivingston Manor, New York.
oliver treyz.