2018’s Biggest TV Executive Departures

The White House isn’t the only place that saw a sizable leadership exodus in 2018. Across Hollywood, more than a dozen top TV execs headed for the exits this year, mostly due to megamergers, #MeToo and new opportunities elsewhere. (During just two months this fall, each of the big four broadcasters underwent a significant shake-up in their top ranks.) Here are the year’s biggest exec departures:

Les Moonves, CBS

The embattled CEO and chairman, who had spent 23 years at CBS, left on Sept. 9 after a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment and intimidation in a pair of New Yorker stories published in July and September. After investigating The New Yorker’s allegations, the CBS board announced last week that Moonves would be fired for cause, and would therefore not be receiving his $120 million severance package. Former COO Joseph Ianniello is now serving as interim CEO.

Robert Greenblatt, NBC

The NBC Entertainment chairman, who had been Adweek’s TV Executive of the Year in 2017, kicked off the 2018-19 TV season in September by stepping down after seven years at the network, where he took NBC from worst to first place in the adults 18-49 demo. “I love this network and our parent company, but since NBC is back on track and has achieved such great success I think it’s time for me to turn to a new challenge,” Greenblatt said in a company memo. He passed the baton to George Cheeks and Paul Telegdy, who serve as co-chairmen of NBC Entertainment.

Jennifer Salke, NBC

The former NBC Entertainment president would have been the logical choice to succeed Greenblatt, but she left the network in February to become chief of Amazon Studios, and oversee TV and film production for the company. That position had been vacant since Roy Price stepped down in October 2017 following sexual harassment allegations from a producer on The Man In the High Castle.

Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Peter Rice, Fox Television Group

In October, Disney said that two big Fox TV execs would be joining the Disney leadership team after the Disney-Fox merger is complete. Peter Rice, president of 21st Century Fox and chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, will become chairman of Walt Disney Television and co-chair of Disney Media Networks. And Fox Television Group CEO and chairman Walden was named chairman of Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment. Newman, who oversaw Fox Television Group alongside Walden, had initially been expected to stay behind and run Fox Broadcasting, but he is exiting that job as well, with AMC’s Charlie Collier taking over that network.

Ben Sherwood, Disney-ABC Television Group

Rice and Walden’s arrival at Disney meant that Sherwood, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney-ABC Television Group since 2014, will be leaving the company after the Fox deal closes, Disney said in October.

Channing Dungey, ABC

After two and a half year as ABC Entertainment president, Dungey opted to not renew her contract ahead of parent company Disney’s pending merger with Fox. Instead, she stepped down on Nov. 16, as ABC tapped Karey Burke, previously head of Freeform original programming development, to fill her position. One month later, Dungey found her new landing spot: Netflix, where she’ll serve as vp of original content and be reunited with creators Shonda Rhimes and Kenya Barris, both of whom had ditched ABC Studios for exclusive deals with the streaming service.

Ed Erhardt, ESPN

After heading up ESPN ad sales for 20 years, Erhardt announced his retirement in September. Disney promoted Rita Ferro to president of Disney advertising sales and added ESPN ad sales to her portfolio, which already included ABC, Freeform, the Disney channels and the Disney Digital Network.

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Jason Lynch

@jasonlynch

Jason Lynch is Adweek's TV/Media Editor, overseeing trends, technology, personalities and programming across broadcast, cable and streaming video. Formerly TV Editor for People magazine, he has been covering the TV and movie industries for two decades.