A changing of the guard has occurred at ABC since its entertainment chief, Paul Lee, stepped down from his position after six years of leading the network’s programming department.
On the heels of Lee’s resignation, ABC quickly announced that Channing Dungey, vice president of drama development, would take over his position, making Dungey the first African American to lead the entertainment division of a major broadcast network, according to Entertainment Weekly.
“I’m thrilled and humbled that [Disney Media Networks co-chairman] Ben [Sherwood] has entrusted me with this tremendous opportunity,” Dungey said in a statement. “And I am truly grateful to Paul for being a valued mentor and friend. I’ve had the great honor of working alongside the talented team at ABC for many years and look forward to starting this exciting new chapter with them.”
Dungey was responsible for developing ABC shows such as Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, Quantico and Once Upon a Time.