Responding to the changing realities of the entertainment landscape, and addressing an opportunity to streamline the creative process, ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios will be operated as a coordinated business unit entitled ABC Entertainment Group.
This newly formed unit will be managed by President Stephen McPherson, who had previously served as president, ABC Entertainment. Mark Pedowitz, former president, ABC Studios, has moved into a new role as senior advisor to the Office of the Co-Chairman, where he will work alongside Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney-Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group on a myriad of evolving business, labor relations and emerging media issues.
The newly formed ABC Entertainment Group will combine ABC Studios and ABC Entertainment, with all operations of the two separate units reporting to McPherson. The new division’s primary mandate will be to develop and produce compelling programming for broadcast on ABC. However, when appropriate, the studio will look for outside opportunities.
The successful partnership between ABC Studios and ABC Ent. has so far resulted in five hit shows in the past five years: DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, LOST, GREY’S ANATOMY, UGLY BETTY and BROTHERS & SISTERS. McPherson will spend the next few months integrating the units, with input from Pedowitz.
VARIETY reports that the announcement's timing coincides with the expiration of Pedowitz's contract, as well as the new alignment being in place before pilot season begins in earnest.
Insiders say that there will be no immediate layoffs and McPherson will take some time to assemble the staff hierarchy for the combined units, but it is likely that some downsizing of staff will happen in the next few months.
Prior to joining ABC, McPherson was president of Touchstone Television. During his tenure at Touchstone, he developed several other successful series for the network, including ALIAS, 8 SIMPLE RULES, ACCORDING TO JIM, MY WIFE AND KIDS, HOPE & FAITH, LESS THAN PERFECT, ONCE AND AGAIN and THE JOB. He and his team also developed the successful CSI drama franchise and the award-winning reality series THE AMAZING RACE for CBS, as well as the critically acclaimed comedy, SCRUBS, and MONK, which became a hit for the USA network. He originally joined Touchstone as an exec vice president of the studio.
