ABC Unveils New Exec Structure

After months of speculation, ABC on Thursday unveiled its new executive structure following the January decision to combine ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios in one group under president, Stephen McPherson.Effective immediately, the business affairs, business development, casting, program planning, scheduling and distribution divisions of the network and the studio are being merged. ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios will retain separate creative teams, but the network and the studio's comedy and drama departments will now handle both development and current series.As a result of the streamlining, a number of positions, said to be in the lower double digits, are being eliminated. They include vacant posts as well as layoffs of executives of vp level or lower. The highest-level executive affected, ABC's senior vp current programming Kim Rozenfeld, is segueing into a pod deal with ABC Studios. Cheryl Stanley, who worked as vp drama current at the network under Rozenfeld, will move to ABC Studios' drama department. That is in contrast to NBC's executive restructuring in December, in which most department heads and senior executive at the network and sister studio UMS were let go as the comedy and drama departments of NBC and UMS—each overseeing both development and current—were merged.As expected, ABC executive vp drama Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs is being upped to executive vp network scripted creative for ABC Entertainment Group, serving as McPherson's creative No. 2 on the network side.She will oversee ABC's entire primetime scripted operations, including drama and comedy development/current programming and made-for-television movies and miniseries. With Patmore-Gibbs elevated, ABC Studios head of drama Channing Dungey will move to the network to take over her role leading ABC's drama development team as senior vp drama, now also overseeing current drama programming. Dungey will report to Patmore-Gibbs, along with Samie Falvey, who will continue as senior vp comedy, shepherding comedy development and current, and Quinn Taylor, senior vp movies, miniseries and acquisitions. ABC Studios' exec vp Barry Jossen is being named executive vp studio creative and production at ABC Entertainment Group. He will continue to oversee the creative and production operations at ABC Studios. Patmore-Gibbs' top lieutenant at the network, Josh Barry, will take over ABC Studios' drama department as senior vp drama series, with Kevin Plunkett continuing as senior vp comedy series. Both will handle development and current and will report to Jossen.Senior vps Vicki Dummer and John Saade continue in their current roles as co-heads of alternative series, specials and late-night at the network; Keli Lee continues in her role as executive vp casting; and executive vps Mike Benson and Marla Provencio continue in their roles as co-heads of marketing, all reporting to McPherson, but taking on ABC Entertainment Group titles. Jeff Bader, ABC's executive vp planning, scheduling and distribution, will continue as the network's top scheduling exec. Additionally, he will take on responsibilities for facilitating and coordinating programming, distribution and windowing strategies for ABC Entertainment Group programs across all platforms, both domestic and international. On the business affairs side, Jana Winograde will continue to lead the division as executive vp business affairs and administration at ABC Entertainment Group. Now she also will take oversight of the studio, with ABC Studios' head of business affairs Howard Davine, who will take on an executive vp ABC Entertainment Group title, reporting to her.Nielsen Business Media

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ABC Unveils New Exec Structure

Nellie Andreeva

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Nellie Andreeva