Nick Grad and Gina Balian have been given the new titles of co-presidents of FX Entertainment.
The duo were previously the co-presidents of original programming for FX Entertainment, with Balian having been elevated alongside Grad in that role in 2019. At that same time, Eric Schrier was promoted to the then-newly created role of president of FX Entertainment, but Schrier departed FX in September to become president of Disney Television Studios and Business Operations for Disney General Entertainment.
With their new tiles, Balian and Grad will continue to oversee development and current series at FX while also gaining oversight of casting, production, and business affairs for FX Content and FX Productions. The position of president of original programming will now be eliminated. They continue to report to John Landgraf, chairman of FX Content and FX Productions.
Kate Lambert, executive vice president of development, Jonathan Frank, executive vice president of current series, Michael Katcher, executive vice president of casting, and Kelly Cline, executive vice president of business affairs, will all now report to Grad and Balian.
“Gina and Nick are two of the most talented, respected and trusted creative executives in the business, and their track record for identifying and developing acclaimed, award-winning hit shows is undeniable,” said Landgraf. “They have played an integral role in the success and growth of FX, building an outstanding team, and it gives me great comfort knowing they, with a combined 30 years of experience at FX, will continue to be anchors of creative stability, fearless risk taking and excellence for the FX brand moving forward.”
Grad recently celebrated his 20th year at FX, having joined in 2002 as vice president of development. He became senior vice president two years later and was then named executive vice president of original programming and development. In 2013, Grad was promoted to president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. Prior to FX, he was at Columbia TriStar from 1995-2002, where he rose to vice of Comedy Development.
“The beauty of FX is the desire of everyone to aspire to the highest standard of quality, and that has not changed in the 20 years I’ve been here,” Grad said. “It starts at the top with John, and Gina is equally committed in her pursuit of excellence. We will continue to put our creative partners first and do everything we can to support their vision, which is a hallmark of the FX brand.”
“FX is a special place,” Balian added. “The care, dedication and passion of how all of my colleagues do their jobs is inspiring. As for John and Nick, I couldn’t ask for two smarter, professional and kinder partners and I’m very excited about this opportunity. We’re only as good as the team around us and, fortunately for us, we have an incredible team.”
Balian joined FX in 2012 to create a new limited series unit and in 2016 was promoted to executive vice president of development for FX Networks and FX Productions. Prior to FX, Balian was senior vice president of drama development for HBO.
Between Grad and Balian, they have had a hand in developing some of FX’s biggest hits. Those include recent entries like “The Bear,” “Reservation Dogs,” and “What We Do in the Shadows” as well as shows like “The Americans,” “Archer,” “Atlanta,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” and many more.
