Meet our Speakers

Burke was named executive vice president, Programming and Development at Freeform in October 2014, where she was charged with overseeing all scripted and unscripted development and current original programming, in addition to casting and talent development. Burke was also responsible for creating and executing a cohesive programming strategy for multiplatform distribution, and accelerating and amplifying the high-quality, brand-defining content for which Freeform is known. During her tenure, she had great success building on Freeform’s strong foundation, delivering the No. 1 new cable comedy and No. 1 new cable drama of 2018 for the network’s target audience of W18-34 with “grown-ish” and “Siren.” She also continued Freeform’s dominance as the No. 1 most social cable channel with buzz-worthy shows like “The Bold Type” and “Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger.”

Prior to joining the network, Burke partnered with director Todd Holland (“Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Larry Sanders Show”) in Dark Toy Entertainment, which they created in 2010, producing “Free Agents” for NBC, as well as Matthew Perry’s comedy “Go On.” Previously, she joined forces with Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg as the third partner in their company, Katalyst Films. Burke oversaw the television division and a busy slate of scripted and reality programming, including “Miss Guided” and “The Beautiful Life,” in addition to the groundbreaking digital series “Blah Girls” and “Katalyst HQ.”

Before joining Katalyst, she partnered with Jamie Tarses in an overall production deal with NBC Universal Television. From 1999 until 2003, she served as executive vice president of Primetime Series at NBC, overseeing production of all prime-time comedy and drama programming, including such Emmy® Award-winning shows as “West Wing,” ”Will & Grace” and “ER.” During this time, she supervised the development of such acclaimed series as “Freaks and Geeks,” “Scrubs,” ”American Dreams,” “Boomtown,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Ed.” As senior vice president of Primetime Series from 1996-1999, Burke was involved in the development and production of such series as “Friends,” “Mad About You,” “Providence” and “Just Shoot Me,” among others.

Burke began her career as a comedy development assistant at NBC after graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA with a degree in communication studies. 

In his first two years in the new role, Kahl has led CBS to the top of the network standings. CBS was #1 in viewers in the 2017-2018 broadcast season, and is on pace to finish the current season (2018-2019) on top as well, marking the 15^th time in 16 seasons, and 11 straight as America’s Most Watched Network.

During his previous 21 years at the company, Kahl served as the Network’s head of scheduling, helping build CBS’ durable and successful scheduling framework that nurtured hit shows for the Network and valuable programming assets for CBS Corporation. He also made key scheduling moves that vaulted many shows to huge success, including BULL, BLUE BLOODS, SURVIVOR, THE BIG BANG THEORY, YOUNG SHELDON, “CSI” and all three editions of the NCIS franchise.  He has also had a significant hand in the scheduling of CBS’ newest hits FBI, GOD FRIENDED ME, THE NEIGHBORHOOD and MAGNUM P.I.

Before being named President of Entertainment, Kahl had been Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime, since 2005. He joined CBS in January 1996 as Vice President, Scheduling, CBS Entertainment, following three years as Director, Network Research at Warner Bros. Television. He joined Lorimar Television in 1990 (before Lorimar and Warner Bros. Television combined operations) as a research intern and quickly rose through the ranks as a research analyst and then manager, before assuming responsibility for the research department in 1993.

Kahl is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison (B.A., communications, 1989) and the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications (M.A., communications management, 1991). 

Additionally, Thorn oversees the new dramas THE PASSAGE and PROVEN INNOCENT, from creator/executive producer Danny Strong.  Other programs that fall under Thorn’s purview include the hit drama EMPIRE, STAR, LETHAL WEAPON and GOTHAM.

Thorn is also responsible for overseeing FOX’s slate of iconic animated hits, including the Emmy Award winner BOB’S BURGERS; THE SIMPSONS, the longest-running scripted series in television history; and ground-breaking comedy FAMILY GUY. FOX’s upcoming animated comedies include BLESS THE HARTS, from producers Emily Spivey, Chris Miller and Phil Lord, and featuring the voices of Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell and Ike Barinholtz; and DUNCANVILLE, from Amy Poehler and Mike and Julie Scully, and starring Poehler, Rashida Jones and Wiz Khalifa.

Prior to joining FOX, Thorn was Executive Vice President of Development at 20th Century Fox Television, where he led scripted development efforts, including both the comedy and drama teams.  At the Studio, he developed dozens of successful dramas and comedies, including breakout hit “This Is Us,” which in its first season was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards and won the Humanitas Prize for Drama, EMPIRE, “Life in Pieces,” and “Speechless.”

Thorn joined the studio eight years ago as Senior Vice President, Drama Development, after working at Lost Marbles Television, where he oversaw all scripted television and served as an executive producer on “Teen Wolf,” “Supreme Courtships” and “Cop House.” Previously, he served as Drama Development Team Head at NBC, helping to develop such hits as “Heroes” and “Friday Night Lights”; and Vice President, Primetime Series, for NBC Studios, where he oversaw all drama development and current programming for the studio, including series “Las Vegas,” “Crossing Jordan” and “Boomtown.” Prior to NBC, Thorn served as Vice President, Series Development and Programming at the USA Network, where he helped develop the cable network’s flagship series, “Monk,” as well as “Touching Evil,” “Traffic,” “Peacemakers” and “Red Skies.” He also developed shows for Big Ticket Television and La Plante Productions LTD. 

Katz joined NBC as Executive Vice President of Drama in July 2016 and had since been overseeing the buying and development of all one-hour projects as well as shepherding the pilots and first seasons of all new dramas. In her role at NBC, she developed last season’s midseason hit series “Good Girls” and has been instrumental in shepherding NBC’s fall drama hits “Manifest” and “New Amsterdam.

In her previous capacity at 20th Century Fox Television, Katz developed two of the most successful recent broadcast hits with Dan Fogelman’s “This Is Us” for NBC and Lee Daniels’ and Danny Strong’s “Empire” for Fox (with Imagine TV). During her 12 years at the studio, Katz developed the long-running global hit “Bones” (Fox, Hart Hanson, Barry Josephson) as well as “Star” (Fox, Lee Daniels and Tom Donaghy), “Sleepy Hollow” (Fox, Alex Kurtzman & Bob Orci), “Lie to Me” (Fox, Sam Baum, Imagine TV) and “The Unit (CBS, Shawn Ryan and David Mamet).

Before joining 20th, Katz started her career at Brillstein-Grey where she worked for seven years on both comedy and drama series, including “The Sopranos,” “Just Shoot Me,” and “The Steve Harvey Show.”

Katz is a graduate of Duke University, where she majored in English. She lives in Valley Village, Calif., with her husband, Dan, and their two sons. 

Previously, Pakosta served as Executive Vice President, Comedy Development, NBC Entertainment, a position she held since May 2015.  While in a leadership role with the network, she has developed a number of acclaimed series including “The Good Place,” “Superstore,” “A.P. Bio” and “Great News,” among several others.

Prior to her arrival at NBC, Pakosta was Executive Vice President, Comedy, Universal Television, where she led the comedy department of the studio — one of the most successful production companies in the television business. Universal Television produces such critically acclaimed and award-winning comedies as “Will & Grace,” “The Good Place” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” among many others.

Before joining Universal Television, Pakosta was a partner at Green Mountain West, Craig Ferguson’s production company for CBS Television Studios, which included a first-look development deal at the CBS Television network.

She previously served as Executive Vice President of Comedy Development at The WB network, where she co-ran the comedy department and developed many projects, including hits such as “Reba,” “What I Like About You” and “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.” Pakosta spent more than a decade at The WB, initially joining in 1995.

Pakosta received a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing and promotion from the University of Arizona. She and her husband, Jeff, have two sons and reside in Calabasas, Calif. 

Littleton is the author of “TV on Strike: Why Hollywood Went to War Over the Internet” (Syracuse University Press, 2013), the definitive account of the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike and the impact of the disruptive digital advancements that fueled the labor strife. She is also the co-author with Susanne Daniels of “Season Finale: The Unexpected Rise and Fall of the WB Network and UPN” (HarperCollins, 2007). Littleton edited the essay collection “What I Told My Daughter: Lessons From Leaders on Raising the Next Generation of Empowered Women” with Nina Tassler (Simon & Schuster, 2016).