A twelve-time Emmy Award-nominee and four-time Emmy Award winner, Sheldon I. Altfeld has been an actor, writer, producer and director in Hollywood since 1950. His extensive credits have spanned every aspect of the entertainment industry, including radio, television, motion pictures, stage productions and recording.
Mr. Altfeld is considered a renowned cable pioneer. In 1979, when the cable industry was still in its infancy, he created The Silent Network, a national cable network dedicated to programming for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Under his leadership, The Silent Network grew from 2 million households to 17 million households in ten short years. Since 1990, when he sold his network, he has become known as “The Cable Maven,” and currently assists others with their dreams of following in his footsteps as a cable entrepreneur. He conducts a series of seminar’s in Los Angeles and throughout the country on “How to Start Your Own Cable TV Network,” “Making Sure That Every Frame Is A Rembrandt” (covering TV production), and “Getting Your TV Programs On Cable,” (which focuses on Leased Access programming opportunities.) In addition, he owns a public relations firm, HoopLA P.R., which handles promotion for celebrities, theatres and cable networks; and serves as Production Manager for PetCARE Television Network, KidCARE Medical TV and the African American Medical Network. In addition, he produces the annual Reel Cowboys Silver Spur Awards.
He recently directed the sitcom, “Satin Lace,” starring Las Vegas headliner, Frank Marino; “Herb Larson…Off-Hand,” a celebrity-interview talk show for PBS, which won the 2006 Bronze Telly Award and the 2006 Remi Award at the WorldFest International Film Festival; “Darci Decorates,” a party-planning and cake decorating program, which also won a Telly Award; and the “California Space & Technology News,” a weekly Internet news program.
Over the more than half a century that Mr. Altfeld has been a producer, director and publicist, some of the personalities he has worked with include Leonard Nimoy, Lorne Greene, Richard Dawson, Edward G. Robinson, Monty Hall, Sam Jaffe, Emma Samms, William Shatner, Nanette Fabray, Louise Fletcher, Julie Newmar, Lou Ferrigno, Ray Bradbury, Dennis Cole, John Schneider, Norm Crosby, Art Linkletter, Ginger Rogers, James Garner, Rhonda Fleming, Stella Stevens, Jack Palance, Dennis Weaver, John Ritter, and Shirley Jones.
Listed in "Who's Who In Entertainment," Mr. Altfeld has produced, written and/or directed more than 3,900 TV shows for NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, Metromedia, RKO-General, Fox, Disney and various cable networks. In addition, he has produced over 5,000 hours of radio programming and more than 200 stage productions.
