Friday, June 19, 2009

ABC unveils reorganized operations

By Joe Flint
Los Angeles Times

The network combines its programming and production units in a cost-cutting move.


Driven by a need to overhaul its program development process and cut costs, Walt Disney Co.'s ABC has finalized a complex consolidation of its ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios operations. The restructuring and creation of the ABC Entertainment Group, announced in January but completed only Thursday, will combine many of the business and creative functions of the two units.


The move follows a similar restructuring at NBC Universal, which late last year also combined its NBC network programming operations with its production studio and reduced staff. CBS and News Corp.'s Fox continue to operate their network and production studios as separate divisions.


As part of the merger, ABC is cutting 35 positions from the unit, which has between 300 and 400 employees. Those cuts follow 400 jobs that ABC eliminated across the network in January.


Stephen McPherson, who was president of ABC Entertainment and is now president of the new entity, said the reorganization would "make us a stronger, more efficient team."Hollywood, long immune to economic downturns, has not been so lucky in the current recession.


Disney's cable sports behemoth ESPN is eliminating 200 positions, and late last year Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks, which includes cable channels MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, cut 800 jobs. MySpace, News Corp.'s social-networking website, shed more than 400 employees this week.


ABC and NBC hope that a streamlined programming process will help turn the networks around.


Under the new structure, McPherson's top lieutenant is Executive Vice President Jeff Bader, the network's scheduling guru, who will now also oversee distribution for the unit across all platforms. Barry Jossen, who had been a key executive at ABC Studios, will also serve as Executive Vice President with oversight over creative production, while Executive Vice President Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs will be responsible for scripted programming. Kim Rozenfeld, ABC's senior vice president of current programming, is leaving his post but is expected to sign a production deal with the network.

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