Norman Horowitz was an entertainment and syndication executive, and former president-CEO of MGM/UA Telecommunications.

Horowitz got his start in 1956 as an editing assistant at Screen Gems. He remained with the company for several years and eventually became sales vice president and, later, executive vice president of worldwide sales. In 1968, he became the director of international sales at CBS. Then, two years, later he was the vice president of international sales at Columbia Pictures Television, where he would later become the television divisional president.

He went on to found PolyGram Television and became the president-CEO of MGM/UA Telecommunications. He was responsible for the syndication rights of the shows Soap, Barney Miller, Starsky and Hutch and Charlie’s Angels, among others.

Known among his friends and peers for his wit, business savvy and a global network, Horowitz was often referred to as “the best distribution man in the business.” One of his favorite anecdotes recounted a time he acquired the rights to Barney Miller for $100,000; the investment returned millions.

He later went on to become a writer and media consultant and frequent contributor to the Huffington Post.

Horowitz died June 16, 2015, in Beverly Hills, California. He was 82.