SpongeBob loves Cyma Zarghami: Iranian woman understands what American kids want--and she gives it to them.

Do you love SpongeBob Squarepants? Do you hate SpongeBob SquarePants? Either way, take it up with Cyma Zarghami. It's to her credit--or blame--that SpongeBob is so ubiquitous.

The president of Nickelodeon, the popular TV station with children that brings SpongeBob into your living room, is an Iranian-born woman who joined the channel as a scheduling clerk in 1985, and then quickly moved up in the ranks.

Cyma Zarghami is the second-oldest of four children of an Iranian-born doctor, Ghoram, and a Scottish-born nurse, Catherine. Zarghami was born in Iran, moved with her family to Canada, and then settled in Englewood, New Jersey, before relocating to New York City, where she currently lives with her stage manager husband, George Obergfoll, and their three sons. Liam, Ethan and Rupert.

In 1980, Zarghami enrolled at The University of Vermont in Burlington as an elementary education major, but switched her major to English. Although never completing her degree, Zarghami was later awarded an honorary diploma by the University of Vermont College of Education and Social Services in 2000--20 years after she first enrolled.

After leaving the university, Zarghami traveled across Europe and then returned to Burlington to work for Business Digest magazine.

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Zarghami began her career at Nickelodeon 17 years ago, rising through the ranks to play key roles in the company's marketing partnerships, initiatives and growth, including the launch of Nickelodeon in the UK in 1993 and Nick at Nite's TV Land in 1996. That same year, Zarghami was named executive vice president and general manager of Nickelodeon. Simultaneously, the Iranian-American executive directs the network's support of company-wide initiatives, including Let's Just Play and the Kids Pick the President campaign.

In 2004, the position of president of Nickelodeon Television was created for Zarghami; in that role, she oversaw production and development for the network, along with marketing, programming and creative initiatives.

After the January 2006 resignation of former Nickelodeon Networks President Herb Scannell, Zarghami took over as president of the newly formed Kids & Family Group, which includes Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Movies, Noggin, The N and Nicktoons TV. That same year, Zarghami was named Woman of the Year by Women in Cable Telecommunications.

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In her current position, Zarghami oversees all of Nickelodeon's television businesses, including Nickelodeon's digital services: Noggin, The N, Nickelodeon Games and Sports (Nick GAS) and Nicktoons. Zarghami continues to oversee all program production and development for the television businesses, as well as marketing, programming and creative work.

Under Zarghami's leadership, Nickelodeon has been top-rated among all basic cable networks for more than eight consecutive years; the network is rated number-one for kids on Saturday mornings, surpassing all broadcast and cable competition.

Zarghami, who formerly served on the board of the Children's Museum of Manhattan, has managed a continuous string of hits at Nickelodeon, including taking SpongeBob SquarePants to new heights, making The Fairly OddParents Nick's newest hit, and building Dora the Explorer into the number-one preschool program in commercial television.

Most recently, Zarghami revamped Nickelodeon's Rugrats franchise by launching its spin-off series All Grown Up to the highest ratings in the network's history.

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Title Annotation:	Diaspora: Around the globe
Publication:	Iran Times International (Washington, DC)
Date:	Mar 20, 2009
Words:	518
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