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Vincent Favale

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vinnie Favale
Born (1959-09-04) September 4, 1959 (age 66)
EducationBrooklyn College
OccupationsTelevision executive, producer and writer
Years active1982–present
Known forCo-founding Comedy Central; CBS late-night programming; Hereafter
SpouseDebbie Slotin
Children1
Websitewww.vinniefavale.com

Vincent "Vinnie" Favale (born September 4, 1959)[citation needed] is an American television executive, producer, and writer. He was one of the original founders of Comedy Central and served as its vice president of programming, where his work included developing State of the Union Undressed, creating and hosting The 800 Club, and executive-producing The Real Deal.[1][2]

Favale joined CBS's late-night division in 1996 and supervised Late Show with David Letterman through the end of its run in 2015. He later served as a program executive for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and as senior vice president of talent development at CBS Television Studios.[1][3] Outside television, he co-wrote and produced the musical Hereafter, which was inspired in part by the deaths of two of his brothers.[4][5]

Early life and education

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Favale is a native of Bath Beach, Brooklyn. He attended Saint Finbar School and William E. Grady Vocational High School before graduating from Brooklyn College in 1982.[4][6] While he was a teenager, two of his brothers died within three years of each other. Favale later cited the experience as an inspiration for Hereafter.[5][7]

Broadcasting career

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Early work and Comedy Central

[edit]

In 1982, while working in the commercial traffic department at WYNY, Favale auditioned for and appeared as a stand-up comedian on Late Night with David Letterman.[3][1] He later worked in cable television before becoming one of the original founders of Comedy Central and its vice president of programming.[1] At the network, he developed the television series State of the Union Undressed, created and hosted The 800 Club, and served as an executive producer of The Real Deal.[1][8]

CBS late-night programming

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Favale joined CBS's late-night division in 1996. He supervised Late Show with David Letterman from that year through its finale in 2015 and became a recurring on-air participant in Letterman's comedy pieces.[1][9] Actor Danny Aiello, who worked with Favale, also described him as a producer for Letterman.[10]

Between 1998 and 2001, Favale also oversaw The Howard Stern Radio Show as part of CBS's late-night programming and appeared on the program as himself.[1][9] In 2003, a Letterman comedy piece featuring Favale received a "Cheer" in TV Guide.[11]

In 2004, Stern's program held the "Restless, Restless Song Contest", in which listeners recorded versions of a song written by Favale and Tom Gesimondo. One of the best-known submissions was performed by Robert Goulet, who was named the contest's runner-up.[12] A compilation of recordings was later released through Bandcamp.[13]

Another recurring subject of Favale's appearances on Stern's program was a series of video love letters that he had recorded in 1984 while courting his future wife, Debbie. The recordings became known on the program as the "Debbie Tapes" and were revisited in later broadcasts.[14]

In 2015, Favale was an executive producer of David Letterman: A Life in Television, a CBS prime-time retrospective.[1][15] He was the only member of Letterman's senior production team retained when Stephen Colbert took over CBS's late-night program.[3] Favale helped oversee the refurbishment of the Ed Sullivan Theater before the launch of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and then served as the program's supervising executive.[16][1]

Favale eventually became vice president of East Coast late-night programming at CBS. In April 2017, he was appointed senior vice president of talent development at CBS Television Studios, with responsibility for identifying comedic talent and developing programming for the studio while continuing his role with Colbert's program.[1][2][17]

In June 2018, Favale added creative oversight of CBS Experiences, the company's live and experiential-events division. He was an executive producer of the division's inaugural event, An Evening with Sunday Morning.[18][19]

Workplace allegations and departure from CBS

[edit]

In October 2018, CNN reported that nine current and former CBS employees had accused Favale of making sexual and derogatory comments in the workplace, including homophobic remarks. One former employee also alleged that he had retaliated after she raised concerns about his conduct. CBS placed Favale on administrative leave and said that the comments described in the report were inconsistent with the company's standards.[20]

Favale denied retaliating against anyone and disputed the context in which the remarks had been presented. He stated: "Allegations that I have ever retaliated against anyone in any fashion are 100% false. I have spent my entire career working at comedy shows, where there has always been a wide latitude to make transgressive jokes while preparing the program. While we make a lot of jokes, these jokes attributed to me, whether said in rehearsals or production meetings, are being taken out of context and were not said in the way being presented here."[21] Colbert subsequently said on air that members of his staff had previously complained to CBS human resources and that the company had investigated Favale.[21][22]

Favale's employment with CBS ended in 2019. In September of that year, he announced the formation of Favale Media, an independent production company. CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said in the announcement, "We thank Vinnie for his many years and accomplishments at CBS and wish him and his new company all the best."[19]

In 2021, Favale and fellow Comedy Central co-founder Art Bell co-hosted Constant Comedy, a podcast about the development of the Comedy Channel and Comedy Central that included interviews with former colleagues and performers.

Other work

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Theater, film and publishing

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Favale co-wrote, with Frankie Keane, and produced Hereafter, an Off-Broadway musical about coping with the death of a loved one.[4][23] Favale began developing the musical after the 2003 death of a New Jersey teenager, an event that revived memories of the deaths of two of his brothers while he was a teenager.[24][5]

After raising approximately $60,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, the musical opened at Theater 80 in New York in April 2012.[25][26] A second production opened at the Snapple Theater Center in October 2014 and was featured by WPIX.[23][4] Reviews of the 2014 production included favorable assessments from local theater publications, although some critics found its treatment of grief overly sentimental.[27][7]

An Argentine production of Hereafter, titled El otro lado, opened at the Metropolitan Sura theater in Buenos Aires in 2017.[28] Actor and singer Danny Aiello recorded the Hereafter song "Talk to Me", and Favale worked with Aiello on a proposed film version of the musical before Aiello's death in 2019.[3][29]

Favale and Art Bell also wrote Comedy Central's Web Sightings: A Collection of Web Sites We'd Like to See, published by Pocket Books in 1996.[30] Variety later described it as one of the earliest consumer-oriented books about the Internet.[17]

Boards, charitable work and honors

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Favale served as a board member of Project Rebirth, the nonprofit organization behind Rebirth, a documentary about the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.[1][31] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and received a Peabody Award.[32][33]

Favale has volunteered with the New Jersey grief-support organizations Good Grief and Common Ground. He produced fundraising videos for Common Ground in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and Good Grief presented him with its Hope Award in October 2012.[34] He was honored by Fight for Sight at the organization's 2016 Lights-On Gala.[35]

Favale served on the board of the Asbury Park Music in Film Festival in 2017 and 2018.[36] He also served on the board of the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, beginning in 2010.[37] Brooklyn College named Favale its Alumnus of the Year in 2014.[6]

Personal life

[edit]

As of 2016, Favale lived in the Lincroft section of Middletown Township, New Jersey, with his wife, Debbie Slotin, and their son, Jonathan.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "CBS Late Night Executive Vinnie Favale Named Senior Vice President, Talent Development, CBS Television Studios". Paramount Press Express. CBS Television Studios. April 12, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (April 12, 2017). "CBS TV Studios Taps CBS Late-Night Exec Vinnie Favale As SVP Talent Development". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Josselyn, Jim (October 8, 2016). "Funny Guy: Vinnie Favale's improbable journey from one night of standup to long-standing gigs with Letterman and Colbert". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Katinas, Paula (October 23, 2014). "'Hereafter Musical' takes a joyful look at the afterlife". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Considine, Bob (March 16, 2012). "Crossing Over". NJ.com. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Brooklyn College Alumni Association Awards". Brooklyn College. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  7. 1 2 King, Stewart (October 13, 2014). "'Hereafter Musical' offers hope and healing". NJArts.net. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  8. ↑ McCarthy, John P. (July 31, 1995). "The Real Deal". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Kaplan, Dan (May 20, 2015). "CBS exec Vinnie Favale enjoyed a long run on the David Letterman laugh track". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  10. ↑ Aiello, Danny (July 21, 2015). I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, On the Stage, and in the Movies. Simon & Schuster. p. 292. ISBN 978-1-4767-5191-7.
  11. ↑ "Cheers & Jeers". Twitter. TV Guide. August 23, 2003. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Hemorrelief Awards Restless Restless Song Contest Winner" (Press release). GlobeNewswire. August 20, 2004. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  13. ↑ "The Very Best of Restless, Restless". Bandcamp. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Show Rundown: February 6, 2012". HowardStern.com. February 6, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  15. ↑ Lowry, Brian (May 5, 2015). "David Letterman farewell begins in earnest with Obama, CBS special". Boston Herald. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  16. ↑ Koblin, John (September 9, 2015). "Stephen Colbert's Shiny New Home on Broadway Reflects Its Past". The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  17. 1 2 Holloway, Daniel (April 12, 2017). "Late-Night Veteran Vinnie Favale Named Talent-Development Exec at CBS Television Studios". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  18. ↑ "CBS Corporation Announces Launch of CBS Experiences (CBSX), a New Live and Experiential Events Division" (Press release). CBS Corporation. June 12, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "CBS Veteran Vinnie Favale Launches Independent Production Company Favale Media" (Press release). PR Newswire. September 18, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  20. ↑ Melas, Chloe (October 3, 2018). "CBS executive placed on leave following allegations of sexual and homophobic language in the workplace". CNN. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  21. 1 2 Melas, Chloe (October 4, 2018). "Stephen Colbert addresses workplace misconduct allegations against CBS executive". CNN. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  22. ↑ Bradley, Laura (October 4, 2018). "Stephen Colbert Addresses Misconduct Allegations Against CBS Executive". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Hereafter Musical Opens Off-Broadway Oct. 25". Playbill. October 25, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  24. ↑ Biese, Alex (December 28, 2014). "Local tragedy inspires 'Hereafter Musical'". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Hereafter Musical". Kickstarter. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Hereafter Musical Makes Off-Broadway Debut April 24". BroadwayWorld. April 11, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  27. ↑ Schwartz, Ethan (October 30, 2014). "Review: Hereafter Musical". StageBuddy. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  28. ↑ Vena, Fabián (August 31, 2017). "Fabián Vena: entre la comedia y el musical". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  29. ↑ Sullivan, Al (August 21, 2016). "Danny Aiello returns to film at Loews Theater". Hudson Reporter. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  30. ↑ Bell, Art; Favale, Vinnie; Kolin, David (1996). Comedy Central's Web Sightings: A Collection of Web Sites We'd Like to See. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-00299-2.
  31. ↑ Van Embden, Edward (September 9, 2011). "Rebirth: Hope Found in the Decade Since 9/11". Patch. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  32. ↑ Spielberg, Theo (January 25, 2011). "Project Rebirth: An Interview With Jim Whitaker". HuffPost. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  33. ↑ "Rebirth (Showtime)". Peabody Awards. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  34. ↑ Clark, Melinda (September 19, 2012). "Good Grief Presents the Second Annual Great Pumpkin Ball". Patch. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Fight for Sight's 2016 Lights-On Gala". Getty Images. October 25, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  36. ↑ Jordan, Chris (December 11, 2015). "Music, film moguls back Asbury festival". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  37. ↑ Chesek, Tom (April 9, 2010). "CBS Exec Joins the Show at Basie". Red Bank Green. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
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