George Cheeks, co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance TV, has formally set out the leadership structure of his division. In a memo to employees, he named the executives who will report to him now that Paramount and Warner Bros. have merged.
"Reporting to me, these accomplished leaders will work together to advance our strategy and help shape the next chapter of our division," Cheeks wrote. His studios group includes Channing Dungey, who leads the Warner Bros. Television Group and will also oversee the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery cable networks. David Stapf continues to head CBS Studios, and Matt Thunell oversees Paramount Television Studios.
Dungey's cable remit covers a roster of more than 50 brands, including HGTV, Food Network, TNT, BET and MTV. For cable channels outside the U.S., she will report to Cheeks on programming and to JB Perrette on operations. Her Warner Bros. TV Group portfolio includes the Emmy Award-winning series "The Pitt." Stapf's CBS Studios is home to "NCIS," which the memo calls the world's top television franchise, and See It Now Studios will operate as a label within it. Thunell's slate includes "Reacher" and the Taylor Sheridan universe of shows.
David Berson leads Skydance's Global Sports Group, which spans CBS Sports, TNT Sports and WBD Sports. The combined rights include the NFL, UEFA Champions League, NHL, MLB, March Madness, PGA Tour, The Masters, WNBA, NASCAR and college football. Skydance Sports Entertainment will join the studios group, with details to follow.
Elsewhere, Amy Reisenbach continues to run CBS Entertainment, and Tom Cibrowski keeps oversight of operations at CBS News. Bryon Rubin becomes chief operating officer while retaining his role in CBS domestic syndication and taking on the CBS Television Stations group. Laurel Weir will oversee research and programming insights, Mike Benson will lead marketing, and Chris Ender will handle communications and publicity and act as spokesperson for Skydance TV.
The announcement was not a surprise. It had already been understood that Dungey, Stapf and Thunell would report to Cheeks, and it had been reported that Dungey, who took over the Warner Bros. Discovery networks a year ago, would also gain the Paramount cable networks. Perrette, previously WBD's CEO and president of global streaming and games, serves as Skydance TV co-chair and chief business officer, and holds the same roles for the Skydance DTC streaming division.
Before the merger, Cheeks was Paramount TV media chair, a post he received last year when Skydance first took control of Paramount. He had earlier been one of three co-CEOs of Paramount Global, formerly ViacomCBS, and was the only one of them to move to the new company.
An earlier memo, sent after the deal closed, described the division as "an unmatched mix of networks, studios, platforms and programming genres." In the latest note, Cheeks said the priorities are great storytelling, maximizing the value of programming, franchises and brands, and strengthening ties with audiences. He acknowledged that many employees have questions and promised to share more information when possible, adding: "the work ahead is significant, and so is the opportunity."
