FX chief John Landgraf and ABC programming head Simran Sethi will expand their duties under an executive shuffle at Disney‘s TV operations, one of the first big moves under Dana Walden, who was assigned responsibility for the company’s TV networks after Bob Iger returned as Disney’s CEO.
Landgraf will take oversight of National Geographic as well as onyx Collective, the production unit devoted to projects from communities of color and underrepresented groups. Sethi, meanwhile, will oversee programming and development for both ABC and Freeform. She will continue to report to Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group.
The moves comes as Tara Duncan, who had been supervising programming for both onyx Collective and Freeform, will devote her attention solely to Onyx, freeing up the programming duties for Sethi, who had a previous tenure at the cable network.
Both Duncan and Courteney Monroe, who oversees Nat Geo, will report to Landgraf.
After Iger returned to Disney in a surprise shake-up, Walden, who was promoted last year to chairman of Disney General Entertainment Content, and Alan Bergman, the film veteran who was previously served as chairman of Disney Studios Content, were given joint oversight of the company’s global film and TV content production operations which include Marvel Studios, Pixar, Disney+, Hulu, ABC, Disney Channel and other entertainment-related assets.
Walden is keeping the bulk of her executive team intact. Debra O’Connell will continue to oversee networks and ABC Owned Television Stations, and will add research, labor relations and TV business operations to her purview. Disney Television Studios will remain under Eric Schrier, who will expand his responsibilities to include global original television strategy.
“Great stories are the lifeblood of our company,and I will remain deeply connected to the creative side of our business,” Walden said in a prepared statement. “As we begin our new chapter together, I have the utmost confidence in this team ofproven andformidable leaders. I am very grateful to Bob for reuniting and realigning our company in such a meaningful way.”
