CBS and Disney Legend Dies of Cancer: Jamie Bennett Was 78

CBS and Disney legend Jamie Bennett has died at 78.

Bennett, who developed Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, died on July 6 of cancer, his family told Deadline.

Born James Stark Bennett II on June 1, 1947, he attended the University of California at Berkley and was the program director of its radio station, KALX, where he also produced the annual Jazz Festival. When Bennett graduated, he received the Kenneth Preistley Award, which recognizes a graduating senior for their outstanding student leadership and contributions to student welfare. He later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

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Bennett worked at CBS for 13 years, where he held executive positions at radio and TV stations in San Francisco and Chicago, later moving to Los Angeles to become VP and general manager of KCBS-TV. After CBS, he switched over to the Walt Disney Company and became the senior VP of Buena Vista Television Productions.

While working on Disney, he developed syndicated shows including Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, Siskel and Ebert, and Win, Lose or Draw. After CBS and Disney, Jamie Bennett became president and CEO of the Los Angeles-based television and theatrical film distribution company, ACI. After it was sold to Fremantle Limited (then Pearson Television), he moved to London with his family to run its worldwide production.

Additionally, he was on the Board of the Ojai Music Festival and later became its CEO and president for several years. He was also on the board of the W. Alton Jones Foundation, the National Environmental Trust, Phoenix Pictures, the St. Nicholas Theater, the Marlborough School, the UC Berkeley Alumni Association, and the Television Advisory Board of the Annenberg School at USC.

“I first met Jamie at the beginning of my return as Artistic and Executive Director in 2020,” said Ojai Music Festival Artistic and Executive Director Ara Guzelimian. “He was extremely helpful in providing grounding and much information to get me started. He was also an extraordinary ambassador to the Festival with his natural knack for putting people together. I have numerous rewarding recent friendships that began with Jamie saying, ‘You should meet this person, I think you would like them.’ He was right in each case. His devotion to community in both his home cities of Los Angeles and Ojai led to his generous involvement in many worthy civic organizations and causes. We will miss him.”