Fox announced June 3 that it had added two mid-level execs to its programming and development team—Beth Miyares as senior VP on the drama side and Conor Welch as VP for comedy. Most weeks, the hires would have been routine revolving-door stuff. But Miyares and Welch joined Fox days after entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly announced he would leave the network.
No successor to Reilly has yet been announced. The void leaves open the possibility that Fox may be rethinking its executive structure rather than simply looking to replace Reilly. But is a shake-up needed, or even likely? And would any other networks follow suit? A look at the reporting structures for the Big Four illustrates how those structures have evolved— and how they might continue to change.
Paul Lee
President, ABC Entertainment Group
Reporting to Lee:
Lisa Berger, EVP, alternative series, specials and late-night
Vicki Dummer, EVP, current series
Channing Dungey, EVP, drama development, movies and miniseries
Samie Kim Falvey, EVP, comedy development and international scripted development
Lisa Hackner, EVP, daytime and syndicated programming
Andy Kubitz, EVP, program planning and scheduling
Keli Lee, EVP, casting
Patrick Moran, EVP, ABC Studios
Marla Provencio, EVP, marketing and chief marketing officer
Jana Winograde, EVP, business operations
Lee signed a multiyear deal in April to remain at ABC, where he oversees the network’s entertainment operations and ABC Studios. The signing came three weeks after ABC News chief Ben Sherwood was upped to copresident, Disney/ABC Television Group, making him Lee’s boss.
Nina Tassler
Chairman, CBS Entertainment
Reporting to Tassler:
Deborah Barak, EVP, business operations*
Chris Castallo, EVP, alternative programming
Christina Davis, EVP, drama series development
Stacy Mandelberg, VP, limited series and event programming*
Angelica McDaniel, SVP, daytime
Glenn Geller, EVP, current programming*
Peter Golden, EVP, talent and casting*
Jack Sussman, EVP, specials, music and live events
Wendi Trilling, EVP, comedy development *Also reports to CBS Television Studios president David Stapf
Unlike Lee at ABC and Robert Greenblatt at NBC, Tassler does not have oversight of a studio operation. CBS Television Studios is run by president David Stapf, who, like Tassler, reports to CBS Corp. president/CEO Leslie Moonves—as does scheduling guru Kelly Kahl, senior executive VP, CBS primetime. At ABC, NBC and Fox, the top scheduling execs report to the network heads.
TBD
Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Co.
Reporting to the chairman:
Simon Andreae, EVP, alternative entertainment*
Joe Earley, COO
Dan Harrison, EVP, strategic program planning
Ira Kurgan, chief of network business operations, Fox Broadcasting Company
David Wertheimer, president, digital media, Fox Broadcasting Company
Will Somers, SVP, research
Shana C. Waterman, SVP, event series
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, SVP, multiplatform programming *Has dotted line to Earley
Fox combined its current programming and development teams in March—in the process shifting oversight of development from Reilly to COO Joe Earley, who reported to Reilly. Prior to Reilly's departure, Fox also had only one female executive—event series senior VP Shana C. Waterman—reporting directly to the network chief, the fewest of any network. Of the seven executives who report directly to Earley, six are women, and three (Suzanna Makkos, executive VP, comedy development and programming; Laurel Bernard, executive VP, marketing; and Shannon Ryan, executive VP, marketing and communications) are considered more senior than Waterman.
Robert Greenblatt
Chairman, NBC Entertainment
Reporting to Greenblatt:
Bela Bajaria, EVP, Universal Television
Jeff Bader, president, program planning, strategy and research
George Cheeks, EVP, business operations
Len Fogge, president, marketing and digital
Richard Licata, EVP, communications
Kathy Mandato, SVP, human resources
Bradley Melnick, EVP and CFO
Jennifer Salke, president
Paul Telegdy, president, late-night and alternative programming
NBC was one of two networks this year to combine its development and currentprogramming teams—which continue to report to entertainment president Jennifer Salke, who in turn reports to Robert Greenblatt. In the process, the network jettisoned comedy programming executive VP Tal Rabinowitz. Though NBC finished the 2013-14 season first in the ratings (averaging a 2.7 in live-plusseven), it struggled with new comedies, including high-profile failures The Michael J. Fox Show and Sean Saves the World.
