FAME’US ARTICLE:
From Hollywood to the World: Larry Namer on Media, Technology, and What Comes Next
I believe in listening to and partnering with our clients in order to achieve the greatest results.
Larry Namer is a pioneering media executive and co-founder of E! Entertainment Television, the global entertainment network now valued at over $10 billion USD. With more than five decades of experience in television and media, he has played a defining role in shaping modern entertainment programming and global content distribution.
As President of Metan Global Entertainment Group and Chairman of LJN Media, Namer continues to influence the intersection of storytelling, technology, and international markets. In this conversation, he reflects on the origins of E!, the evolution of global media, and the future of storytelling in an increasingly connected world.
INTERVIEW:
You co-founded E! Entertainment Television, which went on to redefine entertainment media. What was the original vision behind E!, and did you ever imagine it would become a global brand valued at over $10 billion?
When Alan and I started our thinking process, it was when MTV was still showing music videos. We said if they could stand a host in front of a green screen to introduce a music video, we could stand a host in front of a green screen to introduce a movie trailer. First thought was MTV of the movies. But when we really dug into developing the concept, we realized it could be so much more than that. We settled on ‘Entertainment Tonight 24 hours a day.’ Just like CNN brought the news all day long and the Weather Channel gave you the weather all day, we realized that we could be all ‘Hollywood’ all day long. But in a million years, we never imagined this would grow into a multi-billion-dollar company reaching 142 countries and being the most important source of Hollywood-related content in the world. You could say we were an influencer before being an influencer was cool.
You helped build E! into a global force. If you were launching it today, what would you do differently?
When we launched, it was still in the era of analog TV signals. In today’s digital world, we would have launched this more as an on-demand service—what the audience chooses to watch, when they want to watch it, and on the device they want to watch it on, instead of only having a time-anchored offering that the audience would hopefully make an appointment to see.
The media landscape has shifted dramatically—what do most people still misunderstand about where the industry is heading?
If you go back 100 years, anyone who wanted to make filmed content had to come to Hollywood to do so. You needed big sound stages and very expensive equipment. Geographically, Hollywood was the center of the filmed entertainment world. As technology began to change that by making it less expensive to film in other places, eventually Hollywood became a measure of quality and creativity, not the only place you had to be.
I can take my iPhone and shoot a film in Africa tomorrow if I choose to do so. Then on top of that, audience behavior has changed because of technological advancements. Audiences now have more choices of when and where they want to consume media. They can choose if they want to dedicate two hours to a film or 90 seconds to a microdrama shot vertically.
The settled-in media Goliaths have a difficult time adjusting to changes in audience behavior. In the end, what the audience wants is going to win out every time.
You’ve worked across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. What separates content that travels globally from content that doesn’t?
Regardless of what part of the world we are in, we have about 75% in common with all other humans. If you tell stories that any human can relate to, then they will tend to travel well. But the other 25% is unique to the territory, and only those who are there can relate to it.
In Asia, I learned very quickly that there is a reverence for age and that grandparents are valued much more than in the Western world. In the U.S., most kids grow up hardly knowing their grandparents, and then they move away and have little to no contact. In China (and most of Asia), kids grow up in extended families and have much deeper and closer relationships with their grandparents.
Then, of course, there are historical references that don’t travel well. For example, in China there have been dozens of films and TV series about Empress Wu, yet in the West, no one knows who that was or why she was such an important part of Chinese history
Technology continues to reshape storytelling—where do you draw the line between innovation and losing the human element?
I think technology has enabled great storytellers to tell great stories anywhere in the world. As technology made the ability to tell stories visually more affordable and accessible, it lets everyone with a story to tell have the opportunity to tell it. Now, incorporating technology simply for the sake of showing it off is a big mistake. If it enhances the story, use it, but if it doesn’t, it’s best to keep things simple and let the story speak for itself.
AI is becoming part of the creative process. Is this a revolution or just another tool in the evolution of media?
AI is a great tool to be added to the arsenal of the creative community. When I got involved in the media world, I had a typewriter and would have to use that to generate a script. When I made a mistake, I would have to use a little bottle of white-out to fix it. If I wanted to revise a part of the story, I would deliberate as to whether that change was worth the pain I would have to go through to retype the script.
It would take me about 3 months to generate the script, and I always wished I could make changes that would otherwise be so cumbersome. Then came computers and word processing, and what used to take me 3 months now took 5 days. Now, with AI, I can get my research done, a rough budget, a presentation, and a finished draft in about 2 hours, which includes reviewing and editing the AI-generated text.
In 2 hours, I can accomplish what would have taken me 5 days just 2 years ago. I’ve reclaimed the most valuable thing we as humans have, and that’s our time on the planet. I can do more projects and make more money, or I can spend time with my little grandson.
Our lawmakers need to catch up and create rules for AI so that there are real consequences for bad actors. Right now, all the guardrails are not in place.
What drew you to support KTOWN International Film Festival as an advisory member?
I love the creativity and quality of what I have seen coming out of Korea in particular and Asia in general over the last decade. It deserves more attention and more accolades, so I’m thrilled to be part of bringing that amazing quality and creativity to wider audiences.
KTOWN IFF is about bridging cultures and communities—why does that matter now more than ever?
As humans, we better start appreciating and celebrating our differences as much as our similarities. We are living in crazy times, and anything that helps people realize that we are all here to make it a better place for all of God’s creations is something I want to be part of.
How can festivals like KTOWN IFF serve as a bridge between Hollywood, global cinema, and local communities?
I think that KTOWN IFF will help expose a wider audience to the great stuff that is coming out from all over the world. By seeing fabulous, relatable stories coming out of Asia, I think most people will begin to see we have much more in common with each other, and that where there are differences, those make life more interesting and should be celebrated.
What do emerging filmmakers need to understand today that your generation didn’t have to face?
When I started, you either made films or network television. There weren’t a lot of choices for the audience. Now, today’s creators have to learn to tell stories that are consumed in different ways on different devices and platforms. I’m still going, so I face those same issues, but I have the advantage of having lived through many of the great transitions, so I’m more comfortable with change.
After more than 50 years in the industry, what still excites you—and what worries you?
I love that we now have a ‘media world’ and that anyone who has the talent to create has the opportunity to do so. I think that while audiences for content may shrink, the economics that make them sustainable and viable will allow for some incredible content to be exposed on a global scale.
What worries me the most are really two things. I hate seeing media so politicized from all sides. I long for the days of Walter Cronkite just telling the news as it was meant to be told, without catering to politics or corporations.
On the technology side, we need to ensure that people don’t lose their rights to their personal AI needs to some big corporations who would love to control and profit from it all.
CONCLUSION:
From pioneering 24-hour entertainment television to embracing today’s global, on-demand media landscape, Larry Namer’s career mirrors the evolution of the industry itself. From the early days of analog broadcasting to a world defined by streaming, mobile platforms, and AI-driven content, his journey reflects a constant willingness to adapt, experiment, and lead. His perspective reinforces a central truth: while technology continues to transform how stories are created and consumed, the heart of impactful storytelling remains deeply rooted in human connection—emotion, relatability, and shared experience.
Namer’s insights also highlight a broader shift in the media ecosystem—where barriers to entry have fallen, audiences have gained control, and creators from anywhere in the world can contribute to the global narrative. Yet, even in this rapidly changing environment, the most powerful stories are still those that transcend borders and speak to something universal.
As KTOWN International Film Festival continues to bridge cultures, communities, and innovation, voices like Namer’s serve as both a guide and a reminder. The future of media is not simply about technology or scale—it is about purpose. It lies in embracing new tools while preserving authenticity, fostering collaboration across cultures, and championing stories that connect people in meaningful ways. In doing so, festivals like KTOWN IFF become more than platforms for films—they become catalysts for dialogue, understanding, and a more connected global creative community.