Yahoo Movies The CW Shake-Up: Programming Boss Search Heats Up With Candidates Including Brad Schwartz After Layoffs
EXCLUSIVE: The new iteration of The CW is starting to take shape.
Two and a half months after Nexstar Media Group acquired a majority stake in the broadcaster, the new owners are starting to make moves that will determine its programming mix and who will be leading this charge.
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Chief among these include the search for a top programming executive, a re-tooling of its scripted lineup and a drive to greenlight more unscripted formats.
This comes after a major round of layoffs at the company as well as the departure of long-term execs such as streaming and branding chief Rick Haskins, ad chief Mitch Nedick and comms chief Paul Hewitt.
Earlier this month, Dennis Miller was named President of The CW Network, replacing Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz. Deadline understands that he has been leading a search for a programming boss with executives such as former Pop TV boss Brad Schwartz understood to be in the mix.
Schwartz, who led Pop TV’s Emmy charge with Schitt’s Creek, consulted for The CW on programming matters for around a year after leaving Amazon-owned audio platform Audible in the summer of 2020. His experience in both scripted, Pop was also behind series such as Anna Paquin’s Flack, Florida Girls and the fourth season of One Day At A Time, and unscripted during his days at MTV, would make sense for a combined role.
But it’s not entirely clear whether Nexstar is searching for one executive to lead programming across its scripted and unscripted slate or two execs with the other focused on unscripted.
We hear that the company had been keen to holds talks with executives including former NBC alternative chief Jenny Groom, Michael Bloom, EVP, Content at Tom Brady and Michael Strahan’s Religion of Sports, and former Warner Horizon unscripted chief Brooke Karzen.
The latter is unlikely, having just left The Bachelor studio Warner Horizon after more than 20 years but it highlights the level of candidate the company is interested in.
This comes as it is expected to aggressively increase its footprint in unscripted. It has long aired series such as Penn & Teller: Fool Us, World’s Funniest Animals and Whose Line Is It Anyway?, as well as more ambitious formats such as Would I Lie To You?, a Robert and Michelle King-exec produced remake of the British format, and Killer Camp.
This push had been overseen by Cyle Zezo, VP, Alternative & Digital Programming, alongside EVP, Development Gaye Hirsch, although it’s not clear yet whether they are out as part of the layoffs.
Miller also knows the unscripted market well, having previously been chairman of Industrial Media, the now-Sony owned production group behind series such as American Idol, Selena + Chef and 90 Day Fiancé.
All of this comes amid major changes to its scripted ambitions.
The company is paring back its drama slate with the likes of The Flash, Riverdale, Nancy Drew and DC’s Stargirl coming to an end and decisions to be made on other shows such as All American, All American: Homecoming, Superman & Lois, Walker, Walker: Independence and The Winchesters.
There’s much more to come on the scripted side, particularly as the television industry heads into its next development cycle, all of which will be paramount for its new programming topper.
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