Wenda Fong

Wenda Fong began her 40-plus year career in television as the producer and host of her own live, talk show series in Los Angeles. Fong is the producer and director of music and variety specials, awards shows, reality specials, sitcoms, talk shows, documentaries, PSAs, and live events. She holds the dual distinction as being the first person of color and first woman to have produced the Emmy Awards. She has launched productions across the United States and around the world, including China, Canada, Europe and Africa.

In 2001, Fong joined the Fox Broadcasting Company and was with FOX for 13 years. She was its first Executive Director of Creative Development of Diversity and Vice President of Diversity Development. She created, developed and ran its diversity initiatives to increase the employment of diverse writers, directors, producers and actors. In 2002, she was appointed to oversee American Idol, which became the historical groundbreaking and network television ratings phenomenon. In 2003, Fong was promoted to Vice President of Alternative Entertainment where she supervised all reality series and specials representing thousands of hours of programming including American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef and The X Factor to name just a few.

Among her community service, Fong is co-founder and chairperson emeritus of CAPE, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, which began in 1991 and is the largest, longest-running, and most influential organization for Asian American Pacific Islanders in the entertainment industry. She was president of East West Players, the nation’s oldest Asian American theatre, and co-founded Asian Americans for Fair Media and served on the board of the Association of Asian Pacific American Artists. She was the co-chair of the Leaders Forum, served on the board of California Humanities, and is co-founder of The ACTION Project. Fong has been a member of the Directors Guild of America since 1980 and is founding co-chair and chairperson emeritus of the DGA Asian American Committee. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Fong received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian American Studies from the University of Southern California.