That moment when WB stands for “Woman Boss!”
According to Deadline, Channing Dungey has been named the new chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group. The announcement was made on Monday, just 10 days after it was announced that Dungey was exiting her role as VP Original Content and Head of Drama at Netflix. Following her announcement, rumors began swirling immediately and industry sources speculated she was heading to WB.
Dungey will succeed WB veteran Peter Roth. Roth shook the industry table when he revealed on Friday that he’ll be leaving his post as WB TV chairman after serving for 22 years at the company.
“The Warner Bros. Television Group is the recognized industry leader in content creation and a true destination for talent based on its ability to produce across all genres and for all outlets,” Dungey said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to be joining the company at such a pivotal time in its history and look forward to working with my new colleagues at Warner Bros. and across the Studios and Networks Group to build on the incredible work of my predecessor, Peter Roth. This is such an electric time in our industry, and we have so much opportunity available to us between Warner Bros.’ core businesses and HBO Max, I cannot wait to dive in.”
More about Dungey’s role, via Deadline:
She will oversee Warner Bros. Television Group, which is now part of WarnerMedia’s Studios and Networks Group, the division that also includes the WB Pictures Group, HBO and HBO Max, DC, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Wizarding World and consumer products, experiences and gaming units.
Brett Paul, who is President of Warner Bros. Television, and worked closely with Rovner, will report to Dungey.
As Deadline noted, this announcement is another example of “executive musical chairs.” After leaving her historic role at ABC (she was the first Black exec to run the entertainment division at a major network), Dungey headed to Netflix, where she only stayed for about 20 months. As far as Black woman bosses go, I immediately think of The Root 100 2020 honoree Bozoma Saint John, who has also hopped around from Apple Music to Uber, to Endeavor...and is now at Netflix as its Global Chief Marketing Officer. Cash money moves!
“This is a homecoming of sorts for Channing, who was a production executive at Warner Bros. early in her career, and we’re excited to have her rejoin the Studio,” Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, who Dungey will report to, said in a statement. “Channing is one of the most talented, visionary, creative, and respected executives working in television today. She has impeccable taste, a breadth of experience covering all platforms and genres, incredible relationships across the creative community and a keen sense of what’s next and how best to get it to audiences. She’s a great choice to lead the Television Group as it continues to grow its production operations for HBO Max, while also maintaining its standing as the industry’s leading independent supplier of programming to all outlets.”
Dungey is set to begin her new boss role at WB in early 2021. This is a huge deal! Congrats to Channing Dungey and we look forward to the boss moves she’ll make in her new role.