# A&E Television Networks Retirement Plan

A&E Television Networks Retirement Plan is a Pension Fund based in New York, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Pension Fund
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** New York, NY, United States
- **Founded:** 1984
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** aegm.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/a&e-television-networks-llc

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Founded in 1984 alongside the launch of the Arts & Entertainment Network itself, the A&E Television Networks Retirement Plan is the pension vehicle for employees of the joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. The plan covers a base of current and former employees across the company's cable properties, which grew to include the History Channel, Lifetime, and FYI after a series of mergers and rebrandings under the A+E Networks umbrella. As a corporate pension plan with a maturing participant base, the plan's investment strategy is calibrated to meet fixed-benefit obligations rather than generate outsized returns. Its allocations typically span core fixed income, public equities, and select alternative credit strategies, with an emphasis on liability-driven investing. The plan does not publicly disclose direct investments, but pension vehicles of this size and sponsor profile commonly access private markets through fund commitments rather than direct co-investments. While specific asset levels are not publicly disclosed, the plan's scale reflects two decades of contributions for a workforce that numbered in the thousands across its New York, Stamford, and Los Angeles offices. The plan operates alongside A+E Networks' 401(k) defined-contribution vehicle, which serves active employees. The dual-sponsor structure — with Hearst and Disney each holding 50% economic interest in A+E — creates a governance dynamic where no single parent controls the plan's investment committee. September 2024: The plan filed its most recent Form 5500 with the Department of Labor, a filing that provides the only regular public window into its asset base and service providers. What distinguishes this plan from other corporate pensions is its position inside a private joint venture between two media conglomerates rather than a single publicly traded sponsor. Neither Hearst nor Disney consolidates A+E Networks' pension obligations onto their own balance sheets, giving the plan's fiduciaries a degree of operational independence. For allocators evaluating peer pension strategies, the plan represents the quiet, liability-focused end of the media-industry retirement spectrum — far removed from the more aggressive endowment-style investing seen at some other entertainment-company plans.

## Sectors

- Media & Entertainment

## People

- Paul Buccieri — President, A+E Networks Group
- David Granville-Smith — Chief Operating Officer, A+E Networks

## Questions

### Who sponsors the A&E Television Networks Retirement Plan?

The plan is sponsored by A&E Television Networks, LLC, which operates as A+E Networks. The company is a 50-50 joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. This dual-ownership structure means pension governance runs through A+E's internal benefits committee rather than being directed solely by either parent.

### Is the A&E plan a defined-benefit or defined-contribution plan?

This is a defined-benefit pension plan — a traditional pension that pays a fixed monthly benefit to retirees based on salary and years of service. A+E Networks also maintains a separate 401(k) defined-contribution plan for active employees. Many corporate sponsors have frozen or closed their defined-benefit plans, but the filing status of this plan determines whether it still accrues new benefits.

### Who makes investment decisions for the plan?

Investment oversight falls to A+E Networks' employee benefits committee, whose members are appointed by the company. Many corporate plans of this profile retain an outsourced chief investment officer or investment consultant to handle day-to-day portfolio management and manager selection, though specific mandates are not publicly disclosed.

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

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