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EXCLUSIVE: I heard this late last night but confirmed it this morning. This week is his last. Several sources tell me Steve Mosko took the step because of Oswaks’ management style. He was a ”completely ineffective marketer, in addition to his constant internal struggles with key management caused the abrupt departure. Oswaks had many complaints against him including the fact that Harpo (Dr. Oz, Nate Berkus) thought he was completely inept.”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Bob Oswaks is a seasoned executive who BUILT SONY TV. Bob deserves more Nikki than what you and Steve Mosko are doing to ruin his good name. Steve Mosko has become a “little hitler”- imagine Steve starting his own Emmy Awards ! And it’s time for Steve Mosko to be dismantled. How dare Steve Mosko “sh-t upon” Bob Oswaks.
Now THAT is hilarious.
You are crazy. Bob didn’t build anything. Alan Daniels and the staff did all the work.
Oooh, snap.
Harpo thinks everyone is inept but that is because, primarily, Harpo is inept and not creative. They are really a joke when it comes to production
No we know that both Bob Oswaks and Chris Van Amburg can’t provide Harpo with the strategy and creativity to take Dr. Oz to the next level. Chris should be on his way out as well.
This was a LOOONG time coming. People have been complaining for years, and it’s about time. It took pressure from Harpo to make it happen, Mosko waited way too long. Congrats to all the staff who have endured Oswaks’ abuse all these years. Wonder what’ll happen to his little henchman Chris Van Amburg. Talk about inept.
Oswaks now he’s small – Van Amburg doesn’t register as a marketer!!! Was Chris a DDDDDDD student?
There’s justice! He was very difficult to deal with.
so interesting to see these comments….obviously his PR person got the first comment and then we get to the real truth with Sony-Exile. This is SO long overdue…the list is way too long of the drama that he has created in his many years there. Alan Daniels was a class act and let go a few years ago, long overdue for BO aka “mini-me” to get his walking papers!
It was Bob who was the “little Hitler” to his dept., most of whom, over the years, hated working for him. He was a miserable manager with anger issues. Even threats and personal coaching didn’t change him. He did little to support his people and only heaped work on them, work that he was a pro at avoiding. Mosko in his inevitable style, hung on waaay too long to this one and promoted him along the way!! Bob never could make peace with the Harpo group, but then again, he had trouble with almost everyone who encountered him…producers, co-workers, you name it.
Steve,
With all due respect the business has changed immensely and requires a new approach across the board. Simply removing the Oswaks is going to cure your ills throughout Sony Television. You have an epidemic amongst you and the boys in Japan are growing weary. Chris Van Amburg has to be next on your list…he’s a fake and has no professionalism in dealing with serious business issues internally or externally. Take the Oswaks dismissal as an opportunity to improve Sony’s reputation and integrity within the industry and beyond.
A more seasoned, capable executive than Bob Ozwaks I cannot imagine.
Yoda?
Nice try in supporting a friend, but truth hurts and Bob has serious mgmnt issues, least of which is how difficult and superior he thinks he is! Time for change…
Bob did not build Sony TV!!!! He took it down the drain. There is not enough space to list all the names and vendors he put through the ringer. Why this closeted freak was allowed to ascend to prexy of a division is beyond everyone who has ever worked for him. I’m just sorry that talented hard working people lost their jobs and had to go to therapy because of him. Karma could not have come full circle soon enough.
Bob has long been referred to as Bob Asswax…the guy has always been a major jerk..and to the commenter who says he ‘built Sony Tv’ …what is that supposed to mean? Sony’s Syndication unit hasn’t been able to launch a successful non judge show in over a decade…(Oz doesn’t count, because that falls under Harpo rainbow of light)
Julia – I kinda resent that DR OZ doesn’t count. We in the syndication research department worked to the bone in getting that show sucessfully distributed, my co-workers and supervisors, William Liu, Dave Mumford, and Don Roth, and a slew of others all had a guiding hand in getting that show cleared in nearly 97% of the market. I think Dr. Oz is the proudest thing I’ve assisted in during my tenue there.
Come to think of it, I don’t think Sony has ever launched a “sucessful” judge show. I was pretty much around to see them all sink into the toilet. Girls Behaving Badly kinda worked for a while.
~
Coat
Oswaks is hated by vendors, marketers, co-workers, talent, etc. He was a huge dick to many people. It’s about time his ass hit the pavement…
Can anyone who knows him honestly say that Mosko isn’t channeling Jack Donaghy?
I’ll tell you what’s effective – decimating your Current staff right before pilot-season.
All of these comments are really just mean spirited.
Hey “Get Back to Work”….everyone knows it’s mean spirited, that’s why they’re saying it. It’s called cathartic. Clearly you weren’t on the receiving end of this guy’s power trip…if you were you, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
I worked for Bob at a previous company. Everyone hated him except for the vendors who he was taking kickbacks from. He was rude, vile and disgusting. He made fun of people with disabilites, women, little people, everyone in fact because he thought he was superior to everyone. Little Hitler is a good name for him. He hid behind intelligent staff and blamed them when he did something wrong. He was the most incompetent boss I ever worked for. I’m glad he is getting finally getting the recognition he deserves. Too bad it is 17 years to late.
I have never worked for Bob, but do have the pleasure to know him personally. I heard he was difficult at work, but heck it is my understanding Hollywood is full of “screamers” and “personalities”. How can you tell who is inept in Hollywood?– as even though I watch only a little TV and go to the cinema, most of it seems inept to me, and indulgent. Mind-boggling. So how can one be happy for another ones loss. No one is without blame, no one is perfect. So, all you guys that are not working or not getting what you want and looking to blame someone for you own lack of biz success, should watch how much you spout out judgment. Also, love the comment about therapy, and Bob having sent some to it…so your saying he did them a great favor? I have no doubt Bob will find an opportunity out there, and perhaps venture beyond the madness of the Hollywood yucky stuff.
You’ve obviously never work with this man (or anywhere creative or interesting before) He, for whatever reason, loved making peoples lives miserable. Taking ‘misery loves company’ to a whole new level. And your misunderstanding of the therapy comment…are you drunk? How did you get “did them a great favor” out of that? He drove them over the edge. He was and always will be a relentless pain in the ass. Abusing people wherever he goes.
He’ll just get a new suit, a new face (again) and create a whole new bullshit persona that someone will buy into. Are you hiring? Maybe you should hire your buddy.
AND, those who discount ‘hollywood’ usually never had the chops to make it there anyway. So go back to your blah whatever it is you do and collect dust. Find it funny that you are actually reading this site if you think the biz is so ‘yucky.’
Sending the love, you are either full of it or truly clueless. What a bunch of crap. People are scarred because of their dealings with Bob, who managed through fear and intimidation. He was HATEFUL and MISERABLE, and we deserve to savor the karmic justice of it all.
I can confirm that working for Oswaks made hard labor in the gulag seem appealing. His marketing ability was modest at best (and he rarely attempted to improve it) and, as others have noted, he relied entirely on us, his staff, to carry the weight quietly and get the jobs done while he took the credit. Yet rather than throw us a bone if only to keep this charade going, Oswaks ruled by fear, insult, intimidation, public humiliation, retaliation, veiled threats and even emotional abuse. In all my years in the business, I’ve never worked in a more demeaning environment. And I never once heard a co-worker claim to like him.
While Oswaks’s behavior was reprehensible, what’s disgraceful is that Mosko, HR and Sony management knowingly permitted it for so long. It was common knowledge that Oswaks had been the target of multiple grievances and had been required to go through personal coaching and management training. This was not the case of a brilliant but complicated creative person; this was a bully with nominal skill. The fact that Mosko and Sony let this continue, then always siding with Oswaks over other staff in HR matters, has been endlessly curious while also a longstanding poor reflection of Sony’s corporate philosophy and leadership. Ultimately, it cost them some great people: those who had to leave and those who declined the opportunity to come onboard.
I wonder if Bob’s “creative” director, Tom Nikol, will be shown the door as well. Most of the glowing reviews above apply to Nikol in spades.
It’s spring cleaning at Sony TV! This has been a long time coming. It’s too bad so many had to suffer for so long under a reign of terror. While Mosko is at it, he should continue to clean house and get rid of that useless turd-blossom Chris Van Amburg. He’s all hot air, totally useless. It’s an open secret he has only lasted so long because he has his big brother to protect him.
Hopefully, with Bob’s departure, this will be the dawn of a new beginning at Sony Pictures Television. To those few defenders, your thoughts are as misguided as Bob’s anger. You should realize it speaks volumes about a person’s character when so many people take delight and pleasure at their downfall. Go watch the Wizard of Oz, “ding, dong, the witch is dead!”
You’re on the right track – this has to be looked at as Spring Cleaning. Chris Van Amburg’s stewardship of Dr. Oz should come into question his strategy has been way off the mark.
Saying that Chris Van Amburg’s Oz strategy is “off the mark” is ludacris. The show has been a success, and Harpo would not be doing business with Sony again on Berkus if this was all true. Chris’ detractors hate him because he calls them on their bullshit and makes them work harder than they’d like.
SPT has had a string of inept marketing directors who have been let go and deserved it. Clearly, they’re sounding off and blaming everyone but themselves. Bob did deserve to get his walking papers, but dragging current employees into this slambook of a post is irresponsible and shortsighted.
Hey Chris…I mean Sourgrapes….people don’t like you because you walked in off an assistant’s desk and acted like you were in charge. You’re arrogant with nothing to stand on. You’ve accomplished nothing but worming your way in and up Bob’s ass. You treat people like garbage and act superior. People would never give you credit for the success of Oz…you have nothing to do with it. You are and will always just be Zack’s little brother. Enjoy life in the shadow.
So true, well said. CVA is a shitbag.
Bob and I don’t go that far back. I just know him as a rather unkind, suspicious, homophobic back-stabber, who has little or no understanding of the pain and disappointment he caused to those working under him. He was a small man, in just about every way. \
Maybe his time off will allow for a little introspection. See, being fired is not pleasant, is it?
Danny G, homophobic is right. Isn’t it interesting that every gay man who worked for him was either laid off, fired or humiliated into leaving on their own? Please tell me HR and Mosko didn’t miss THAT one?
Homophobic? He is gay. His marriage was for his career! He shares with his wife. I know a couple of guys that shared with them. He also shares his “homophobia” while at conventions. I know of at least 1 guy who was a Sony employee in the marketing dept that shared their “homophobia” together. He came across as homophobic to protect his sham.
Dear Ex-Employee…no shit. Everyone knows. We just wanted someone else to say it. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. : )
Hey Nikki,
I just want to say hi and thanks for being the most honest writer in this town.
My friend was laid off by this bastard, but that’s another story. He’s moved on.
I wrote a letter to the LA weekly two years ago saying there should be a way to award you for your exlempary writing style because you were the only reason I even read that rag. They printed the letter!
I don’t know how you do it. You have king sized cajones. Don’t change.
One day I’ll meet you and be able to tell you this in person. No need to be afraid. I’m an educated, well traveled person with a world view. It just feels like I’m in an alternate universe in LA after living in Europe for so long. Not that they are superior, they’re not! But they know how to argue more effectively and more efficiently! Hahaha. More practice,
Anyway, I’m rambling.
Keep it up. You’re the Oscar Wilde of LA
Laurie
If Steve simply stops with Spring cleaning at the low-level of Robert Oswaks – he’s really missing the point on the unbelievable failures at SPT. Chris Van Amburg is completely incompetent and does not bring an ounce credibility to the Harpo equation. There is no way that keeping him on board will get Sony off the hook with their marketing/programming creep in the Harpo camp.
If you want to take it a step further the Sony Crackle nonsense under the direction of Eric Berger is a serious misuse of Sony’s Corporate treasure and an entirely failed model…Eric Berger does not have the skill to lead a digital unit of any major studio.
As Steve Mosko likes to say, “The Fish stinks from the head down.” He famously bails on people and organizations once he’s sapped all use for them. Case in point: NATPE, SNTA and, most recently, ATAS. Rather bogus, considering he’s made serious bank (i.e. Sherwood membership, the Bentley, copious amounts of hair gel, etc.) with the help of these three groups. I hope the folks at the Paley Center recognize this pattern soon.
What’s amazing is rumor has it even Sir Howard dislikes Mosko but for some reason or another he remains in place. Honestly, they never should’ve let Michael Grindon go. That dude is scary smart (in a good way).
if ‘spring cleaning’ is the order at Sony, there are alot more incompetent jackass that should be on the way OUT!
I had numerous interactions with Oswaks over the years and never saw the person that is described in these comments. But I have to believe there is some truth to them. Wow. If it is true, then I guess it is karma………..
Trying to do the math: Anyone know if Oswaks’s contract was up and they just cut him loose once the window opened…if he violated an HR policy (let me rephrase that: if he finally got nailed for violating an HR policy) and they owe him nothing…or if they are paying him off to make him go away? In light of all the SPT layoffs and cutbacks, would be interesting to know.
Sony is in the shitter and that whoosh is not just the sound of numerous employees being given the ol’ pink slip and blue folder of death, but the sound of a company going down the tubes. It could not happen to a better company. Japan needs to take a serious look at what is going on in Culver City and start lopping off heads at the top, instead of the people that are doing the work. The entire company is poorly mismanaged and top heavy, especially the dysfunctional husband and wife act of Michael and Amy. Get rid of one of these two or both and start over.
Unless Japan does something soon to reverse this downward spiral, don’t expect Sony Pictures Entertainment to be around much longer.