Professor Dieter Gorny

Prof. Dieter Gorny, President of Bundesverband Musikindustrie e. V.,
Director for the Creative Industries of the European Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010

Dieter Gorny studied music with a focus on bass and composition. In the 1970's he was a member of the Bochum Symphony and the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra before founding the Rockbüro NRW in 1985, which, laid the foundations for communal funding of Rock and Pop as it is being done today. In 1989 he developed the renowned PopKomm music fair, which he expanded as their Managing Director and continues to support as member of the board of directors until today. From 1993 until 2000 Mr. Gorny was Managing Director of VIVA Fernsehen GmbH and from 2000 onward Chief Executive Officer of VIVA Media AG. After the take-over of VIVA Media AG by Viacom Inc. in 2004, he worked as Executive Vice President of MTV Networks Europe until 2006.
Since 2000 Dieter Gorny is member of the Steering Committee of the German Music Council. In 2007 he was appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Filmstiftung NRW and of the Initiative Musik. In April 2009 he was also appointed Vice President of the European Music Council (EMO).
Dieter Gorny was awarded with the Echo Award in 1992 and the Grimme Award as "Mediaman of the Year" in 1997.