Nancy Dubuc: Bringing History to Life at The History Channel - Maryann Teller - JackMyersLunchAtMichaels.com

Published: April 23, 2007 at 11:02 PM GMT
Last Updated: September 21, 2007 at 11:02 PM GMT

Naturally, the Executive Vice President and General Manager of The History Channel, Nancy Dubuc, has a love for history. "Story telling is my passion," she shared with me, "and history is full of unbelievable stories. You can't make these stories up!" Nancy, like Bonnie Hammer, president of USA and Sci Fi (03/29/07 LAM) graduated from Boston University and both began their careers at WGBH Television in Boston working on This Old House. Both also worked in live news, Bonnie with ABC affiliate WCVB and Nancy for Christian Science Monitor Cable and with NBC News in the Washington bureau. "I realized you have to have a really intense passion for news to make it a career, and I learned my passion is for TV. I loved Saturday Night Live in its heyday but I had to keep the volume low and couldn't let my parents know I was watching. It felt so devious, it was great!" She also was a fan of ER "in the George Clooney days," West Wing during its first few seasons, and Sex and the City. She also has tremendous respect for the "commitment, planning and patience" that went into the production of Discovery's hugely successful and important Planet Earth specials. "It's good for all of us when a show like this can work with audiences."

Nancy recalls her first meeting with legendary NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw, when she was just a 19-year old intern. "I had to deliver something to Mr. Brokaw personally and he was in an animated conversation, which I realized was with his daughter. He waved me into his office as he hung up. He looked at me seeing someone who was about the same age as his daughter and he asked, rhetorically, 'are you all like this with your mothers?' Here I was all business and in the presence of an icon, but he was just really human and like my dad."

Nancy could identify with Tom's daughter, referring to herself as a "troublemaker" in her teen years although her mother always considered her "the perfect daughter." Nancy realizes today her mom's attitude "helped me realize I could do things my way and have my own opinions about things, even though they might cause some trouble, and still be loved and respected. "Her zest for learning is the biggest thing she instilled in me, along with a willingness to take risks," she says of her mother. For most of Nancy's childhood, her mom had been a nurse anesthetist, but when Nancy was in high school, her mom suddenly changed her career and became a caterer. Her mother now has the largest catering business in Rhode Island (Nancy grew up in Bristol) and catered the recent marriage of the daughter of Disney's Bob Iger. Nancy's dad is an attorney.

After her internship for NBC and work with Christian Science Monitor, Nancy worked with an independent company producing the Discover Magazine television series. Abbe Raven, who was heading programming for The History Channel at the time (and is now president and CEO of AETN) was looking for a producer for This Day in History and she tapped Nancy. Since then, Abbe has been a long-time career mentor.

Nancy joined The History Channel as Director of Historical Programming in the mid-1990s, later moving to sister network A&E to spearhead that network's development of reality series, including Growing Up Gotti, Airline, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Intervention, SWAT, Criss Angel Mindfreak, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, King of Cars, The First 48 and Driving Force. Before being named to head The History Channel several months ago, Nancy was Senior Vice President, Non-Fiction Programming and New Media Content for parent company A&E Television Networks, overseeing all programming development for A&E and The History Channel.

Nancy has the unique experience, for a TV programmer, of having started as an advertising sales person for the Boston University Daily Free Press, the third largest daily newspaper in Boston. "I've never told Mel Berning" (AETN's EVP Ad Sales) she laughs. She was also rowed crew both in high school and at BU, which, she says, "kept me focused given the inevitable indulgences in college." She's committed to "raising the bar" on History Channel programming "through action and great story telling." She recently announced an aggressive slate of new programming across a wide array of genres that she believes will drive appointment viewing. For example, this year marks the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, and The History Channel will air a two-hour special produced with George Lucas. She's also excited about this summer's series premiere, Ice Road Truckers.

While military content is now less than 20 percent of the network's programming, Nancy believes the time is right to position the military genre in a more emotional way, focused less on tactics and issues and more on the emotional connections Americans have with soldiers and veterans. Next month, The History Channel will announce a major new marketing and community initiative, Take a Vet to School Day that was inspired by former A&E Television Networks' CEO Nicholas Davatzes. "Nick went to school with his grandchild to share his experiences as a vet, and was very moved by the interest and enthusiasm of the children," Nancy told me during our lunch at Michael's. Abbe Raven, loved the idea and called on our outreach executive, Libby O'Connell who thought we could replicate it as a national program. THC has enlisted R. Lee Ermey (Sgt, Hartman in Full Metal Jacket) to visit schools personally and do short-form programming for the network. "The essence of the idea is cool enough that we hope it will thrive and grow beyond a local school event to a national call to action. We are working with our cable affiliates to develop the outreach to veterans and schools. It's an opportunity for Americans to agree on the importance of respecting and honoring those who fight, and to teach the next generation what it is these soldiers are doing and what those before them did."

"We have a powerful brand message. Our vision for History is clear. We reflect the human experience. History connects the dots for our viewers and provides them a sense of belonging and comprehension of the world around them. We take our responsibility seriously in recording history. We tell powerful emotional stories that forge a deep connection with our audience. In this ever changing fast paced world – sometimes it is important to ask questions like "What kind of world do you want?"

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Please, emotion is great, but Where's the History?!?!? Ice Road Truckers - History....Where's the connection?!? That belongs on The Discovery channel or some other channel with a non-specific MODERN focus. Not The HISTORY Channel. I used to watch it 4 hours a day, no less. And digging for the truth WAS my "appointment show". I enjoy battle tactics as well. I bought the game Rome: Total War behind your use of it for "Decisive Battles" another A+ show. I check the TV guide still, and am constantly dissappointed. My TV is currently unplugged, and has been for months now. I watched the history channel a total of 5 hours in 07'. No joke. I don't want to be "thrown a bone" when holidays come around, I want the History Channel back.

This junk:
UFO Hunters, Ax Men, Ice Road Truckers, Monster Quest, Half of Modern Marvels, I am afraid to ask what obscene part of your body you pulled this out of, and what drug it is that makes you think it applies to the network's name. Change the name of the network, stop torturing all those who hold hope that one day it will hold valuable intellectual content. I guess a reality show on an archaological dig wasn't "dangerous" enough.

Stop using THC for your own Agenda, or oppose those telling you to do this crap with it, for your own dignity. You clearly are not there to preserve or improve the purpose of the channel, only to lead it off course or aid someone else in doing so.

Posted at 05:02 PM on May 6, 2008 by Tom

She has made me do something my wife never could, turn off the History Channel.

They have turned the History Channel into a weak version of the Discovery Channel. It's nothing but crap reality show's now.

Maybe we will be lucky and another channel will come along and give us back the history shows we loved to watch.

Posted at 07:05 PM on Jun 15, 2008 by me

You all at History should go back to what made this network unique from others. That is showing only shows about recorded history. Shows about prophecy, or palleintology, or cryptozoolology belongs on science channels and reality tv shows belong on network channels like ABC. The History Channel now called History was one of my favorite channels but now I don't watch it as much. Cable networks should appeal to niche segments ofsociety and not to broad markets like network channel like ABC or CBS does.

Posted at 01:02 PM on Jul 11, 2008 by shinden7000

This wording;" We take our responsibility seriously in recording history. We tell powerful emotional stories that forge a deep connection with our audience", doesn't ring true for me anymore.
'Ax-men', 'Ice road truckers', and especially,'Gangland', do nothing in forging a deep connection, actually they do everything to detract me from watching your channel at all.
I used to tune in to educate and entertain myself with your various docu-series. Now I see whats on, release a sigh of lament for the old HC and then surf on past.
Most of us understand the need to stay,"Current", and keep hooking new viewers and keeping the ratings up. But young people who thrive off action, gore and sensationalism are not your only audience. I do understand the long view here as seen by a tv executive, however, wouldn't it make sense to retain your solid mass of loyal older history geek viewers AND cater to the new A.D.D. crowd? Perhaps by adding a third channel which is chalk full of all the,'Boring', shows we adults enjoy and the other can keep its truck drivers, convicts and fighting dinosaurs for all the cool kids?
The History Channels past is respectable, it's present state is deplorable and the future,(if sticking to this new format), looks bleak indeed.
Thanks for your time. I hope this note finds you well.

Sincerely and hopeful,
your wavering fan,
Jeff Thompson

Posted at 06:59 AM on Aug 9, 2008 by Jeff Thompson

HISTORY Prime Time sucks !!! I have not watched it in two years. I would like to know what the Neilsen Ratings are for IRT, Ax Men, Shockwave and the other el stinko shows in the schedule ? Also wonder how many long time viewers you have lost, compared to how many viewers you have gained who only watch because they know somebody in the show, the show was filmed in their area, or they are employed in the field shown ? And who when the program is no longer on, they'll be gone.

Posted at 11:20 PM on Aug 9, 2008 by ltrazordaddio

I have lost all respect for History (Formerly the History Channel). Doesn't A & E have enough weak channels that serve up intellectual garbage already? Why did the one station left on TV have to be destroyed with moron worshi? There is nothing left to say. I will not watch History again, nor will I buy their programs until the leadership decides to bring quality back.

Posted at 09:58 AM on Sep 24, 2008 by sadfan

I have to agree with the rest. History Channel is in a very sad state. Nancy Dubuc cannot have a love of history, as she does not seem to know what it is. There are so many ways to present history. Want a reality show, than do something like PBS 1900 House. The idea was a family lived they way people lived during a certian time period. Anybody remember Time and Again on MSNBC, that showed the news coverage from Historical events. I have a dvd that Shows ABC news coverage from the day the Berlin Wall fell. It provides a glimpse into what people were thinking on that day. Come on we are not running out of hhistory, as History Channel likes to say during its commercials "History Happens Now." That does not mean Ice Road Truckers, with stuff like on the next episode "The Polar Bear gets his revenge" Want to appeal to kids, they are doing a good start with the Liberty's Kids Reruns. HC primetime is a different story on the other hand.

Posted at 03:34 PM on Sep 27, 2008 by sovietcollector

Nancy Dubuc is the worst thing that could have happened to our beloved THE HISTORY CHANNEL. In her tenure she has succeeded in turning a once great channel into garbage !!!

She may have did a great job at A&E, but there was no need to change THC into A&E-2, that is what THC was originally established for. THC was set up to air the many fine "History" programs that were being airred on A&E, leaving the A&E stage for the other wide variety of programs.

Every new program she has brought to HISTORY Prime Time in her tenure, should be- and would do fine- on the A&E schedule.

Nancy- since you refuse to air "history" on HISTORY- please change the name !!! May I suggest-
CRAPtv !

Posted at 08:50 PM on Oct 2, 2008 by ltrazordaddio

It's me,shinden again. I'm am now of cable and going digital. With the history channel, now called "History",I won't miss cable as much as I would if the channel would have kept it's original format of ww2,Chicage gansters, and other solid history tied programs I loved to watch. I thick that others who fill as I do should create a network like the old history channel we all come to love. It was one of the only channels along military, fox news, etc. that I cared to watch.

Posted at 05:08 PM on Dec 4, 2008 by shinden7000

Nancy- Seems like you don't have too many fans here among the faithful core audience of the former THE HISTORY CHANNEL. I guess viewers who think of "History" as the study of past events don't buy into the "HISTORY MADE EVERY DAY" bull you pawn off to justify "home movies" of guys doing their job being on a channel named HISTORY.

The viewers who do watch and support this crap, will also be gone once you no longer air their favorite program and they can no longer discuss, "Who's your favorite........?"

Please do us all a favor and change the channel's name !!! HISTORY is an insult to the word "History".

Posted at 07:03 PM on Jan 5, 2009 by ltrazordaddio

This vacant chick has wrecked the History Channel, just like A&E. I used to watch A&E. I could see fine and performing arts. I stopped watched A&E when it became home to tattoo shows. I've left History and migrated on to History International. Security should clean out her desk and never let her back in the building.

Posted at 07:26 PM on Apr 18, 2009 by John Ogden