Erin Johnson, graduate of Sidney High School’s class of 2000, is now an Executive Producer for the television show Entertainment Tonight. Johnson works thousands of miles from her hometown and has traveled the world to pursue stories, but she still maintains a special bond with Sidney. It’s the place where she first dreamed of the life she has come to have and the place she first gained the skills needed to make those dreams come true.
Johnson developed her love for television as a child growing up in Sidney when family bonding included gathering on the couch to watch shows together. Johnson was pop culture obsessed from the beginning. She told her parents she would find a way to get paid for watching television.
Erin Johnson credits her Sidney High School education in helping fulfill the vision she had for work in television. Her teachers, especially in the English department taught her how to tell stories and write well while encouraging her to pursue her passions. Johnson who was a SHS Class of 2000 co- valedictorian was always encouraged to follow her dreams. While attending Sidney High school Johnson set a record in cross country and was a Junior Olympic athlete representing Sidney in two national races.
Johnson built on the foundation of her Sidney City Schools education by studying broadcast journalism and politics at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. She expanded a volunteer program she created in high school that helps non-English-speaking families to universities throughout Virginia.
After returning to Ohio to begin her career, she was a producer at the ABC affiliate WKEF in Dayton, Ohio. She then worked as a producer at NBC affiliate WLWT in Cincinnati before becoming a morning show producer at Fox 5 San Diego. This was the first move into the lifestyle industry. Moving from San Diego to Los Angeles she continued progressing in the field with multiple director and producer roles for Dish Nation and Studio City. After the move to LA, Johnson worked marketing campaigns for syndicated shows. She also worked on NBC’s promotions for the Olympics in London and Sochi, Russia.
The Sidney graduate joined CBS in 2014. She contributed to shows such as Entertainment Tonight and worked overseeing the social media and video strategies. The digital imprint of the shows is important. In June of 2019 Erin Johnson was promoted to executive producer of Entertainment Tonight. Her new role has Johnson directly responsible for the entire ET brand including its broadcasts, website, streaming and social media. Her goal is to put out a show every night that people really enjoy watching, always wondering if the people at home will like the show.