Cyma Zarghami is the President of the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, overseeing all business operations for its divisions including Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite; Nick Movies; Noggin and The N; Nicktoons Network; Nickelodeon’s consumer products, magazine and recreation businesses; and Nickelodeon’s growing portfolio of digital properties, including all of the Nickelodeon branded websites, Neopets, Shockwave, AddictingGames, ParentsConnect, GoCityKids.com and Quizilla.
Under Ms. Zarghami’s leadership, Nickelodeon has been the number-one-rated cable network for 13 straight years and has continued to lead and innovate as the pre-eminent producer of original content for kids across all entertainment platforms. She has expanded the brand through the launch of hotels, theme parks and a new multi-year partnership with Sony Music Label Group. In October 2007, Nickelodeon and Sony released its first CD under the partnership featuring the soundtrack from Nick’s new hit TV series The Naked Brothers Band. In March 2008, Nickelodeon will open the largest indoor theme park in the United States with the 7,000 acre Nick Universe at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN, and in 2010 will open its first Nick-branded hotel in partnership with Marriott International in San Diego, CA, as part of a plan to build 20 Nickelodeon-branded hotels by 2020.
Over the past two years, Ms. Zarghami has greatly expanded Nickelodeon’s portfolio of digital properties for kids and families, launching Nicktropolis, the first kids virtual world featuring gaming, video and social networking in a kid-safe environment; TurboNick 2.0 a broadband site that allows kids to access the entire Nickelodeon library as well as personalize, control and mash up the content; and Nick’s ParentsConnect, a site serving parents of all ages with information, activities in a peer-to-peer environment. Nickelodeon also acquired leading gaming sites AddictingGames, Shockwave and Quizilla for its portfolio, joining the previously acquired Neopets, the largest and stickiest youth entertainment site on the web.
In television under Ms. Zarghami, Nickelodeon continues to lead and serve the broadest range of kids, tweens and families. She has overseen all of Nickelodeon’s leading programming initiatives since 1996 and introduced a continuous string of some of the most popular animated and live-action shows in TV history, from Dora the Explorer, The Fairly OddParents and the number-one kids show on television, SpongeBob SquarePants, to top-rated tween hits Zoey 101, Drake and Josh and Unfabulous. Most recently, Nickelodeon broke new ground again with iCarly, the first web-inspired scripted series that includes user-generated content sent from kids; the “mokumentary” musical series The Naked Brothers Band; and Nickelodeon’s newest CGI animated series from Steve Oedekerk (Jimmy Neutron, Ace Ventura) Back to the Barnyard.
As a committed advocate for kids, Ms. Zarghami has solidified Nickelodeon’s pro-social leadership position by committing $30 million annually to its Let’s Just Play campaign to combat childhood obesity. Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play, where the network goes dark and encourages kids to go outside and play, just celebrated its fourth straight year. Nickelodeon also continues its partnership with the William J. Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and has launched a national on-air and grassroots campaign to communicate to kids about the importance of living healthy, active lifestyles.
Ms. Zarghami began her career with Nickelodeon in 1985. She was named General Manager of Nickelodeon in 1996 and President of the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group in 2006. Ms. Zarghami is on the board of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. She lives in New York City.