born Jan. 13, 1949, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Aug. 27, 1997, Los Angeles, Calif.
U.S. television executive.
He successfully promoted local ABC television stations before being hired by Fred Silverman as ABC's director of dramatic development. From 1978 the two men worked together at NBC, and in 1980 Tartikoff became president of NBC entertainment (then the bottom-rated television network) and the youngest division chief in U.S. network history. He developed dramatic series such as St. Elsewhere and Hill Street Blues as well as the popular sitcoms Family Ties , The Golden Girls , The Cosby Show , Cheers , and Seinfeld , making NBC the top-rated network. Tartikoff later became head of Paramount Pictures and New World Entertainment.