Blog: 'Citizen Hearst' A New Documentary Of William Randolph Hearst Tonight At 8 P.M. On Biography Channel

Many of us have been to the legendary Hearst Castle, but there's much more to the man behind the castle than many of us know.   Tonight, at 8 p.m., BIO channel. presents Citizen Hearst, a new documentary exploring the story of William Randolph Hearst and one of America’s best-known companies. 

In Citizen Hearst, Academy Award®- and Emmy®-nominated director Leslie Iwerks ( The Pixar Story, Pipe Dreams, Recycled Life) explores the 125-year history of Hearst Corporation, from William Randolph Hearst’s conviction that print newspapers could boldly inform public opinion, to the global impact of the company’s multimedia brands and diversified businesses today. The film is narrated by Academy Award®-nominated actor William H. Macy.

The iconic nature of W.R. Hearst – an important and indelible part of American history – has long enthralled the public, and was famously dramatized in the 1941 film Citizen Kane starring Orson Welles. Citizen Hearst, produced by Iwerks and Jane Kelly Kosek, is the first in-depth look at how the company has navigated the changing times over the span of two centuries.

Crafted from interviews and historical footage, Citizen Hearst features the personal stories and trials and tribulations that have made today’s Hearst Corporation. Featured interviews include Hearst executives and editors, including Frank A. Bennack, Jr., CEO of Hearst, who has led the company longer than any Hearst executive other than W.R. Hearst himself; Oprah Winfrey; Mark Burnett; Ralph Lauren; Donna Karan; Dan Rather; Bob Iger; Leonard Maltin; Dr. Oz; Heidi Klum; Nina Garcia; Timothy Greenfield-Sanders; and several descendants of W.R. Hearst, among others.

The documentary chronicles the rise of American journalism and Hearst’s newspaper rivalry with Joseph Pulitzer; traces the beginnings of newsreels and films, and later magazine brands and cable; glimpses into the personal lives of W.R. Hearst and Marion Davies (including reactions to  Citizen Kane); explores the influences of media on politics through the decades; investigates Hearst’s steadfast pursuit of creative expansion; and examines the bold commitment the company made in a changed media world to building Hearst Tower in the wake of 9/11. Viewers will get a never-before-seen view of the company, from behind the glass exterior of New York’s Hearst Tower to inside the famous Hearst Castle near San Simeon, California.

Sandi Berg is also a freelance journalist and writes about television for several magazines including Written By (Writer's Guild of America), Life After 50 and Whole Life Times Magazine.