Angela Kinsey, Ben Silverman and Jenna Fischer by Kevin Parry/WireImage.com
NBC Universal president and CEO Jeff Zucker said he doesn’t envision any changes to the NBC's 2007-08 fall schedule even though he's changed top entertainment executives at the network.
NBC made it official late Tuesday that Ben Silverman, who brought The Office and Ugly Betty to American television, will become co-chairman of the network’s entertainment division and production studio. Marc Graboff, president of NBC Universal Television, West Coast, has also been elevated to co-chairman.
"The timing of the announcement has nothing to do with the fall schedule," said Zucker. "The reaction [to the lineup] has been incredibly strong.” He said he’d been trying to bring Silverman into the network for some time, and only recently learned that he was ready to make a move. Silverman will be in charge of creative decisions at the network and studio, while Graboff will handle the business side.
The announcement means goodbye to Kevin Reilly, the NBC entertainment president for the last three years. But don’t feel too bad for him: His departure comes after he just signed a new three-year contract. Industry sources say he’ll leave with $6 million and collect another $6 million over
the next three years.
Silverman’s production company Reveille has a first look deal with NBC. That deal continues, but Silverman will not have a financial interest in new series that are bought by the networks.
Silverman, 36, has been one of the most successful producers in recent years: Along with Betty and The Office, he’s responsible for The Biggest Loser, USA’s Nashville Star and Showtime’s The Tudors. He has one notable flop on his resume — the Americanized version of the British hit Coupling, which had a short run on NBC in 2003. As an agent, he was responsible for importing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Big Brother to American TV. —Reporting by Stephen Battaglio
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