Institute for Creative Technologies

Creative Director

Kim LeMasters brings significant Hollywood writing and producing experience to his role as creative director at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies.

He started in the television business in 1972 with ABC Television where he was supervisor of primetime development. In a three-person department he oversaw the development of such series as Happy Days, Kung Fu and the Six Million Dollar Man. From ABC he went to Warner Bros. TV developing Wonder Woman and Harry O for ABC.

LeMasters joined CBS television in 1976 as director of drama development. During the next seven years he experienced a star rise with CBS culminating as executive vice president of development and current programming. During his tenure, CBS benefited from a long string of primetime hits, including Dallas, Knots Landing, Trapper John, Dukes of Hazzard, The Incredible Hulk, Newhart and Simon and Simon.

LeMasters left CBS in 1983 to join the Walt Disney Studios as executive vice president of worldwide motion pictures. Within a year Disney began a turnaround by releasing such hit films as Splash, The Secret of My Success and the Journey of Natty Gann. In 1985, LeMasters was asked to return to his faltering alma mater, CBS.

As vice president of mini-series, LeMasters developed huge rating hits like Sins and put what was to be a legendary mini-series, Lonesome Dove, into development. Less than a year into his return he was named vice president of programming for the CBS entertainment division. His first season as the head of programming yielded Wiseguy, Tour of Duty, Murphy Brown, Beauty and the Beast and Rescue 911. In 1987, LeMasters was named president, CBS entertainment division. He held this position until 1990 when he left to form his own production company, LeMasters Productions.

Working as a writer and producer he created a series of pilots and movies of the week before collapsing his company and becoming president of Stephen J. Cannell Productions, where he not only increased the television output from 83 hours yearly to over 145 but also continued creating and writing with series such as Hawkeye and Profit. He finished his career with Cannell by executive producing, writing and directing the USA cable hit, Silk Stalkings, for three seasons.

In 1999, LeMasters became chairman and CEO of ReplayTV. After resigning, he reformed LeMasters Productions and resumed writing and directing.

LeMasters earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calfornia, Los Angeles. He and his wife Donna live in Los Angeles and have three children, Bree, Jill and Earle IV, who is a JTJG SWO nukes aboard the USS John C. Stennis.