Viceland Adds MTV Vet Lauren Dolgen as Head of West Coast Development

Viceland has hired Lauren Dolgen as its new head of West Coast development, Variety has learned.

Dolgen will oversee West Coast-based production and development for the year-old network, which is a joint venture between Vice Media and A+E Networks headed up by co-presidents Derek Freda and Guy Slattery.

“As a producer I was lucky enough to work with Lauren on more projects than I remember,” said Freda. “I was always impressed with her ability to find and develop new material, her deep commitment to talent, and her capacity to help any project always find the best version of itself. We’re incredibly lucky to have to her.”

“I have been a Vice fan-girl for as long as I can remember,” Dolgen said. “Viceland continues to inspire, challenge and impress me.”

Dolgen joins Viceland after nearly 20 years at MTV, where she served as exec vice president, series development and head of unscripted programming. She oversaw the creation and production of shows like “16 and Pregnant,” “Teen Mom,” and “Teen Mom 2,” which continue to be mainstays on the network; she also worked on MTV staples like “Real World,” “Rob and Big,” and “Jackass.” She left MTV last June.

While much of the network’s operation is based in Brooklyn at Vice Media’s headquarters, the Los Angeles outpost continues to grow. It serves as home base to co-president Freda as well as Nick Weidenfeld, president of programming. Viceland is also producing significantly more content on the West Coast, including the forthcoming “What Would Diplo Do?” with James Van Der Beek.

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