Thursday, October 1, 2026
An Emmy Award is the highest honor one could win in the television industry, and bringing one home is often not only a mark of pride and achievement, but doesn’t look too shabby on display in the living room.
David Jasse, CEO and founder of Cedarhurst-based DMJ Digital Media, and the rest of his team did just that when their new show, “Born to Explore with Richard Wiese” on ABC, received numerous awards including a Daytime Emmy at the 40th annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on June 16. The show was also nominated for the Outstanding Travel Program award. “Born to Explore” also won the Friendly Parents Choice Award Emmy, won the bronze Telly Award and was nominated for the Cynopsis Kid’s Imagination Award.
Jasse grew up in New Hyde Park and later went to Great Neck South High School, but has lived in Cedarhurst for nine years. He founded his company in 1992 after working for CNN, the cable news network. He learned much about television production as a cameraman, engineer, producer, and editor for CNN. “I took all that experience and education and decided to start bringing it to private clients,” said Jasse, adding he appreciates being recognized by his peers; people he views as great and talented.
When Jasse brought in Jason Katz to edit the show, he really took the ball and ran with it. He said when working on building a creative team for the show, he knew Katz was right for the job. “The episodes have only gotten better with every season,” Katz said. “When we won the Emmy it was truly a surreal experience.”
“Born to Explore” is an international travel show in which Wiese reports on unique places, people and wildlife around the world. Ranging from Morocco to Australia or even Canada, Wiese visits an interesting place each episode and eats, cooks and lives as the natives do. In one episode, Wiese ate a rotten shark with a Viking in Iceland.
Wiese, who also serves as executive producer, said he was extremely proud that in only the show’s second season, it was recognized with such prestigious awards. “This award is not only a reflection on the outstanding cinematography of John Barnhardt and Greg Harriott, but the entire ‘Born to Explore’ team as well,” Wiese said.
Jasse’s company has one foot in the profit-making world and another in working for charitable organizations. His personal life — becoming a more observant Jew — has dovetailed with doing work for the Jewish community.
DMJ is currently working with Ohel, a Jewish family social services organization. His company is producing short shows on children with special needs and siblings of special needs kids. It is difficult, but rewarding work, Jasse said, as he and his crew have small amounts of time to get an audience’s attention with these short, often five-minute shows.
The night that company staff celebrated their Emmy win, Jasse went to the city to work with High Lifeline to screen a film with 1,100 people about children with cancer. “When the girl in the film came out to the stage in a wheelchair and 1,100 people gave a standing ovation it was extremely emotional; like a grand slam and why you do things like this,” said Jasse, who looks forward to continuing his company’s relationship with ABC and producing high caliber work.
