MUMBAI: Faced with a decline in ratings, US broadcaster NBC has decided to take the bull by the horns. NBC Entertainment has announced a major re-structuring that will allow creative talent more access points into the network and closer working relationships with the development teams.
NBC has split the comedy and drama departments into two separate teams which will concentrate on ideas from NBC Universal Television Studio.
There will be another dedicated team to cultivate and accept external projects from outside studios.
In addition, NBC will open a New York programme development office that will develop all genres sourcing local talent. All the development executives will report to NBC Entertainment executive VP of series development Ghen Maynard.
"A challenge of the network television system is that its a high volume game, with too many executives each covering too many projects. With the West Coast realignment, it will thin out the volume on any one executive's plate to let them be more pro-active and work more closely with creative talent. It also allows for more access points for freeball projects to get into the network system. Additionally this will enable us to get closer to our goal of maintaining original programming on the air year-round," says Maynard
Veteran network executive Cheryl Dolins is expected to remain as senior vice president, comedy development, after shepherding the highly anticipated new comedy The Office and delivering a promising comedy development slate for 2005-06.
Dolins will oversee comedy projects from NBC Universal Television Studio. Gina Girolamo also continues as vice president, comedy development, reporting to Dolins.
The second comedy unit for outside studios will be led by newly hired Jane Greenstein. She previous served as Fox director, comedy development. She now becomes NBC Entertainment VP, comedy development. Terence Carter, moving over from Tonic Films, joins the network as director, comedy development, and will report to Greenstein.
Michael Thorn will lead the drama development team overseeing projects from NBC Universal Television Studio that will include an executive to be named later. The second drama unit for outside studios will be headed by Chris Castallo (coming from Tollin-Robbins Productions), newly hired to serve as vice president, drama development. He will be joined by Justin Levy, who moves over from comedy development to become manager, drama development.
