BalthazarThroughout his career, Brian Balthazar has maintained a double life – balancing work as a television executive producer and director with appearances as a pundit and journalist on camera.

Currently, Balthazar is vice president of programming and development for Scripps Networks Interactive’s brands HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country. In this role, he is currently creating, developing and overseeing several new specials, pilots and series on the three networks.

Thanks to his popular website PopGoesTheWeek.com, his mix of quirky humor and reliable journalistic cred has made him a frequent guest and expert on entertainment news, pop culture, viral trends and celebrity buzz on many national television programs including The Wendy Williams Show, The TODAY Show, CNN’s New Day and VH1’s I Love The 2000’s and Politics Nation With Al Sharpton. He has also been interviewed and quoted for several newspapers and magazines.

In 2014, Balthazar was co-executive producer of ABC’s popular daytime talk show The View, working alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell, Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace and a long list of talented guest co-hosts.

Prior to his work on The View, Balthazar was Vice President of Programming and Executive Producer of Digital content production for AOL.com’s main homepage, where he helped launch the portal’s 24/7 video strategy and content. He was often the host of AOL Spotlight, where he sat down with celebrities in the world of film, television and Broadway for fun, light-hearted laughs – and sometimes intimate insights. His guests have included Jim Parsons, Adam Levine, Aaron Eckhart, Wendy Williams, George Lopez, Jerry Springer, Kristin Chenoweth, Naomi Campbell, Joan Rivers and more.

As director of programming at HGTV in 2008, Balthazar oversaw countless hours of television programming over the next five years. Under his creative leadership, his shows, The House Hunters franchise, Selling New York, and dozens more, consistently ranked as the network’s highest performing programs each week.

Balthazar was also responsible for launching the wildly popular fourth hour of NBC’s TODAY Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, serving as the show’s leading creative force. Simultaneously, he was nurturing a side hobby as a standup comic, performing in New York City clubs, and going in front of the camera as a features reporter for NBC-owned local stations as well as United Airlines in-flight entertainment.

In his spare time, Balthazar works on his two new blogs – writing about cocktails for DrThirsty.com and food for FlavorHunting.com. He’s also renovating and flipping a home in the Poconos.